ACDS Pelham opened in 2023. We are proud to have the opportunity to build upon the legacy a group of parents began so may years ago. Each staff member at ACDS Pelham is committed to providing the highest quality education and care for our students. We understand that an appropriate education may look different for each student, and we pride ourselves in differentiated instruction to ensure each student receives the most appropriate education. Each day it is our goal for you to experience the loving, nurturing, supportive environment that exists and the sense of family we foster. We know the trust you place in us to provide a safe, fun, enriching environment for your child.

We believe that each student’s success hinges upon a strong partnership between families, teachers and related service providers. Together we will team with you to prepare and guide your little one in building a solid foundation that can support the many years of their academic career to come. The staff at ACDS Pelham will do everything we can to ensure that your little one leaves us as the well-rounded, best version of themselves.

We have a remarkable group of caring, talented and creative staff who are all here because we desire to have a positive impact on young lives. We strive to teach our students to persevere when the lessons are challenging and show them that even though the lesson is not easy it can still be fun. We look forward to being a part of your child’s growth and development. They are destined for greatness. ACDS Pelham is a full day 4410 preschool that provides special education instruction and related therapeutic services to children, 3 to 5 years of age, who are classified as Preschoolers with a Disability by their school district’s Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE). Educational services are offered in a center-based classroom setting. ACDS Pelham offers Self Contained, full day 12:1:2 and 8:1:2 classes, physical, occupational, speech-language therapies and counseling as determined during the students CPSE meeting. A sensory-motor OT gym along with an innovative PT gym were designed to enhance children’s fine and gross motor skills, regulatory processing and attending skills necessary for learning.

ACDS Pelham is individualized and all inclusive. Our program is designed to meet the specific needs of all children including but not limited to children with Down syndrome and other genetic conditions, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, speech and communication delays, neuromuscular
disorders, sensory processing disorder, and visual and auditory impairments. ACDS Pelham prides itself on continuity of services. All staff members supporting our students collaborate to ensure carryover and generalization of acquired skills.

At ACDS Pelham we focus on the acquisition of skills in the following areas: pre-academics aligned with New York State Preschool Standards, language and communication, social and emotional learning, adaptive skills, gross and fine motor development and sensory regulation. The goal of ACDS’ preschool program is to provide our children with the foundational skills necessary for success upon transition into the public school system in kindergarten.

Our students receive a distinctive readiness program aligned with their Individualized Educational Program (IEP). Our standardized and thematic curriculums offer comprehensive, child-centered learning experiences that are differentiated and customized to the student’s individual learning profile. Each student attending ACDS Pelham has the opportunity to participate in music class, technology, and special programs as a supplement to curriculum content. When designated on the child’s IEP, transportation services are provided.

If you tour ACDS on any given day you will see children eagerly involved in child centered activities focusing on all developmental domains. Our enriched learning environment provides educational instruction and therapeutic intervention that is comprehensive, modified and adapted to each child’s individual needs, unique learning styles and competencies. Activities are developmentally designed to enhance children’s learning, focusing on ability, not disability.

ACDS is truly a collaborative learning community; teachers, therapists and families working together to promote learning, social and emotional growth, and a positive sense of self competency. The educational and therapeutic staff is highly trained in designing developmentally appropriate interventions with young children and does so with nurturance, encouragement, and positive support. The positive climate of our school includes mutual respect along with feelings of safety and connectedness, strong teacher-student engagement, collaborative teacher-parent relationships, inherent policies promoting social, emotional, and academic learning along with a system to address barriers to learning and teaching in order to
reengage students who are challenged, and the shared goal that each student reach his/her maximum potential. Our school culture is reflected in ACDS’ behavioral expectations for students, staff and parents across situations and environments: “Be Kind, Be Safe and Make Good Choices”.