About Newmeadow

Newmeadow is an integrated preschool located in upstate New York whose mission is to transform the lives of children, including those with autism and other special needs.

Founded in 1982 by Dr. Thomas and Donna Funiciello in Glenville, New York, the school has now reached three decades of service to children and families of the Capital Region, and celebrated its 30-year anniversary in 2012.

From a modest beginning with 13 children and one class, it has provided for thousands of preschoolers with a wide range of special needs. Newmeadow has responded to Autism with a complete program of applied behavior analysis known as ABA Clinic. The school’s ABA techniques have been instrumental in making it one of the premier programs in the region. ABA is incorporated in all classrooms and all spaces within the school and is utilized with all disabilities (visit Our Program for more information).

In 1998 the school moved to Malta, New York, in the center of fast growing Saratoga County in upstate New York. A second location in Queensbury opened in 2009. At exits 12 and 19 of I-87 respectively, the sites drew 2 to 5-year-old children from a seven county area and 21 school districts.

Newmeadow celebrated a great accomplishment in September of 2017. Newmeadow relocated their Malta site to their brand new, state-of-the-art, 20,000 SF, custom building in the heart of Clifton Park/Halfmoon. Located on Sitterly Road, Newmeadow’s 10 classrooms have a dedicated ABA center, an indoor gym, and a large OT/PT Motor room. If this was not enough to celebrate, Newmeadow also relocated their Queensbury site to the Fort Edward school building. The Fort Edward site has three classrooms.

For over 30 years, Newmeadow has worked to prepare children for kindergarten, elementary school, and the challenges that accompany social and educational opportunity.  You can experience what Newmeadow parents have experienced by viewing our “Parent to Parent” video above.

Our Mission

To transform the lives of children, including those with autism and other special needs, and prepare them for learning and life through the application of the Newmeadow’s Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program and the incorporation of self-contained and integrated classroom instruction and all related services. To ensure that every child becomes engaged in observation, learning and responding with an emphasis on language, communication, social and play skills and the development of independence.

Our Vision

At Newmeadow, we believe that every child deserves the best education possible to prepare them for the world beyond the classroom. We believe that Newmeadow’s ABA Clinic is the path to that preparation and the foundation upon which our work on behalf of the children we serve rests. We believe in a learning environment that fosters and focuses on language acquisition and use, social skills development and the importance of play within a warm and caring setting that celebrates and encourages both individual growth and participation as part of a greater social community. Through the application of Newmeadow ABA, we work with all aspects of a child’s development to form a total program that provides for optimal growth and improvement, believing that every child can, will and does learn in their own unique way.

Our Philosophy

The Newmeadow experience is one of active involvement. Young children learn by doing, and the Newmeadow staff use a “hands-on” approach. Activities that are enjoyable to children help to maintain their interest and provide an effective backdrop for learning.

All segments of the school day provide an intensive focus on the development of speech and language. The Newmeadow environment provides many opportunities for verbal expression using specific techniques such as verbal modeling and sentence expansion. Children must develop self confidence in conjunction with language skills. It is important for children to be confident using the verbal skills they have developed. Attention is given to the development of self-awareness and self-expression. A multi-sensory approach including cooking, movement, art, music and games allow each child to respond with the full range of their language.

The use of language and the development of self-confidence are facilitated by social and play activities. Social development is integrated into all aspects of the program. Children are encouraged to play cooperatively, to engage in conversation, and to initiate and often lead group activities. Sharing, turn-taking and concern for others is continually encouraged.

The acquisition of concepts and general achievement coincide with the development of language. Small group time includes the use of a variety of materials to develop skills in shape and color recognition, number concepts, letter recognition and language concepts. Fine motor skills are developed through the use of manipulative toys such as puzzles, beads and blocks. Coloring, cutting and printing activities enhance small muscle development. Gross motor focuses on the development of body awareness, strength, endurance, coordination, and flexibility. Motor activities include walking, jogging, climbing, exercising, ball/bean bag games, bike riding and tumbling.

At Newmeadow, we recognize the importance of working with all aspects of each child’s development. The various areas of curriculum complement each other to form a total program which provides for optimal growth. The Newmeadow program creates an environment that fosters language, produces positive attitudes, heightens enjoyment of the learning process and prepares the child for future educational challenges.