Anderson Center for Autism

John: My son was enrolled in the day program at The Anderson Center as a child from 2002 – 2003 and we determined that, at the time, it was not a good fit for him. Now seven years later, I believe the Anderson Center for Autism is currently the best in New York State. The Anderson Center has a high level of expertise, a long term programmatic outlook, and a succession plan that sets the expectation of a consistently excellent program going forward.

Overall, everything is first rate; there is at least one staff member for every two students and the security is fantastic as the campus is gated and all of the homes are alarmed. The faculty and program team, including residential staff, are all fully trained and participate in continuing education that includes a professional development program – keeping staff up to date on current strategies for dealing with autism. In addition, because the Anderson Center has set the gold standard, they are educating other residential facilities throughout the state.

For all of these reasons and more I have recently re-enrolled my son in the Anderson Center so that he can transition from a school age program to an adult program. In just the few months he has been there he is already fitting in well and participating in offered programs including swimming and horseback riding.

My daughter, Katy, is a resident of the Anderson Center and has been for over 30 years –our experience with their program has been extremely positive. My daughter lives in an adult IRA, and due to the excellent staff and services, she considers it her home. When we chose the Anderson Center, we were so relieved and happy with the school, as it had a group of very devoted, nurturing people. Other schools couldn’t handle the behavioral issues that my daughter had, but over the years Katy’s communications skills have improved so much! Today, with Neil as the director, it is a place where people from all over the world come to observe and study.

My daughter is overall much calmer and more secure, and the Anderson Center is always looking for ways to help her with her difficult behavioral issues. Their LifeLong Learning program is wonderful and has always been something Katy can depend on as part of her daily routine. She also participates in their dog program, enjoys horseback riding and runs in the Special Olympics race. I thank every day that the Anderson Center is there – it has made such a difference in our lives!

In 2005 my family and I recognized that my son, Bradley, needed to be enrolled in a residential school. After a great deal of soul searching and research we enrolled him at the Anderson Center for Autism. The staff quickly established a rapport with Bradley (a milestone by itself) and a personal relationship with us, his parents. The continuity of care he has received at Anderson is unique and has had a large impact on my son’s success.  Significantly, even though Bradley is now 20 years old, he has continued to receive focus on his academic and social development. My past experiences lead me to believe that other facilities lack the willingness to think “outside the box” and push older children to achieve as much as possible.  

Even though my son will clearly need supervision throughout his lifetime – my family and the Anderson Center saw potential in him that others did not or were unwilling to put in the extra effort. Now, with dedication of Anderson staff and the help of computers, he is now on the verge of reading and typing. He has mastered each letter of the alphabet independently and is now building them into words. Bradley has also had some success with dog therapy, which promotes speech and social behavior.  As a result, he now initiates social contact with others.

Overall, the Anderson Center has truly pushed and supported Bradley to achieve and further his learning and development.  Bradley is now much more appropriate verbally and socially – to the point that relatives and friends are all commenting on Bradley’s significant progress.  Moreover, Bradley is now participating more completely at family functions and during other social and recreational activities.  Finally, Anderson has also provided us with a great deal of support and for that we will be forever grateful.

Christina: My son Karl has been enrolled at the Anderson Center since 2004 and has made tremendous progress. Very soon after starting the day program I saw an immediate change in his behavior as the Anderson Center was able to teach Karl how to calm himself and identify acceptable vs. unacceptable behavior. Amazingly, within two weeks he had drastically reduced his behavioral issues – a huge contrast from his prior school.

The Anderson Center ’s residential program allows Karl to live in a beautiful home with terrific staff that take care of him. He’s made friends that live with him and they are able to go on school outings to go bowling or see a movie in addition to playing sports like soccer and basketball. The staff is very communicative and they are always keeping in contact with me to report Karl’s progress.

The Anderson Center is at the forefront of Autism in terms of training. Neil Pollack has a national reputation and is a great leader. The resources available to Karl at the Anderson Center have helped out so much; this includes a computer device to aid in communication. They also offer a Good Dog Program  and other after school programs that my son enjoys.

I have nothing but positive things to say about the Anderson Center – they are always there for my son and are terrific.