Fall semester

The students are back in fine form.
This is a welcome surprise as typically after a 2-3 week break bodies are tighter and brains are out of shape!

I'd like to think that the Communican program is so successful that the students are maintaining their communication skills throughout their breaks from school. I'd also like to think that parents and families are using the system at home in whatever form works for them and so this maintains the students skill levels.

Our team of therapists, conductors and teachers came back somewhat refreshed and are excited to be back in the classroom. Our practice at integrating the therapists over the summer would appear to have been successful.
We are doing less pull out sessions for speech and OT and while PT still does require a significant amount of pull out they are working to find ways to assist within the classroom environment whenever possible.

The summer was interesting! Scheduling mandated therapy times was as tricky as it has always been, which somewhat surprised me. It was also challenging to try to explain to the therapists what we wanted them doing within the classroom as it required some 'out of the box' thinking and creativity. That combined with fast track learning for me about the necessary paperwork therapists are required by State and City, meant there was a little confusion. I knew what I wanted to see in the classroom environment, the whole team working together, PT, OT, SLT, teacher and para all focused on the students needs.

The need to fulfill mandates put the first spanner in the works, the need for paperwork was the second and the third was trying to explain this vision to the team!

I'm hoping the program continues to develop in this direction. I still feel that integrating the staff is the best way to provide a complete educational, communicative, therapeutic day for our students. I feel all the team members can learn much from each other and that the students complex needs can be met better by a whole team approach. But it is definitely a work in progress right now.


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Creative Apps

Our iPads are being integrated more and more into our daily program!
Students with limited access and challenging motor issues are being given more and more apps that they can access independently, and we are taking full advantage!
One of our new favorites is a finger painting app by helpkidzlearn
It allows them with a very light touch to create art. It also creates sound as they draw which is a great way to keep their attention.


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Location:W 116th St,New York,United States

A new home!

Standing Tall has made a huge change, we have moved from our main site at West 69th Street where we have been happily providing services for over 12 years now, to a new 10,000 square feet space in West Harlem.
We have been able to move our annex class back in with us and we now have access to 6 large classrooms, 4 offices, 2 therapy rooms, a huge industrial kitchen, and a multi-purpose room.

The move has not been without its stresses but after our first three days in the new space we are already beginning to settle in. The students seem content, the staff seem calmer, the therapists are on cloud 9 and me? Well it's been a couple of busy of months I'm physically and emotionally exhausted and I'm also incredibly excited as we move the school into its new phase.

We had some very happy times at 69th Street and while I'm still a little sad to be saying goodbye, I'm also looking forward to new adventures and creating new memories at 116th Street!



Packing up 69th Street!









Some of the 6 classrooms in the new space!








Celebrating together on the first day at 116th Street!


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Location:101 West 116th Street, NY, NY, 10026