Best Special Needs Schools in Commack, New York (2026)

Founded in 1993, Building Blocks Developmental Preschool in Commack, NY, is a New York State Education Department (NYSED) approved special education preschool and comprehensive evaluation center. Serving Suffolk and Nassau County families for over 30 years, Building Blocks provides specialized early childhood education and clinical therapies for children ages 3 to 5 with developmental delays, speech/language impairments, autism spectrum disorder, and motor challenges. The school offers specialized 6:1:2, 8:1:2, and 10:1:2 classroom models as well as integrated inclusion preschool classes. Certified special educators and licensed therapists deliver individualized instruction in state-of-the-art sensory motor gyms, speech therapy suites, and adaptive early childhood classrooms. Services are provided free of charge to eligible Long Island families through the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) process.

• Preschool
• Autism
• Developmental delays
• Speech therapy

The Martin C. Barell School, run by Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism (NSSA), opened in January 1993 and provides a full-day, twelve-month program for school-age children with autism, ages five to twenty-one. The school enrolls a maximum of twenty-five students with an instructor-to-student ratio of 1 to 1.5, and its small size and high staffing levels allow a significant degree of individualization for each student. The highly structured program is based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis, in which each child has behaviorally defined and measurable goals. Progress is reviewed regularly so teaching procedures can be adapted immediately, and each student's program is designed to teach pre-academic and academic skills, communication, recreation, socialization, and daily living skills. Instruction takes place across multiple settings, including the classroom, the home, and the community, with careful attention to generalizing skills. Parents play an integral role and receive extensive training in behavioral theory and teaching techniques so they can support their child's progress at home and in the community.

• NYSED-approved private special education school (ABA-based, full-day 12-month)
• autism_spectrum
• Accredited