Support Services, Resources, Health Care Providers, and Advocacy Services for Children with Special Needs in Queens

UPDATED October 2018: Choosing doctors and activities for your children can be difficult, but when your child has special needs, it is another level of difficulty from finding special after-school programs that accommodate their needs to finding the right school or therapy program. We're here to help. We've compiled a list of resource in Queens that offer services specifically for children with special needs, whether your child is diagnosed with autism, a learning disorder, ADD, ADHD, developmental disabilities, or behavioral issues. In this guide, you'll find camps, doctors, dentists, optometrists, tutors and academic enrichment programs, music programs, therapies, schools, orthodontists, and socialization programs all geared to children with special needs. These programs and services for children with special needs are located across Queens, including services for children with special needs in Flushing, Rego Park, Fresh Meadows, Woodside, and Forest Hills, as well as services on Long Island, including Commack, Port Washington, Farmingdale, Jericho, and Stony Brook.

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Camp Huntington, a coed, residential summer camp for children and young adults with autism and related developmental and learning disabilities, ADD. Ability levels mild to moderate-severe. Located in High Falls in the beautiful Catskill Mountain region, the camp provides therapeutically and instructionally designed recreation programs in summer and certain weekends during the year. Programs offer structured daily activities designed to be safe, learning-based, fun, and rewarding. Positive reinforcement motivates children to be happy and participate meaningfully. Activities encourage improvement in self-management and independence, and advancement in social and life skills. camphuntington.com.

DR. STEVE IMBER, PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL CONSULTANTS
Serving Nassau and Suffolk Counties as well as the five boroughs of NYC
61-43 186th St., Fresh Meadows
516-273-1961
Sprout Building
166 Valley St., Providence, RI
401-421-4004
dr-imber.com/
scimber1@aol.com

Dr. Imber has more than 40 years of experience consulting, evaluating, and advocating for children, adolescents, and adults with various disabilities including autism (e.g. Asperger’s syndrome), attention deficit disorders, intellectual disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, and learning disabilities. Dr. Imber is a professor of special education and a special education expert. He addresses needs of students in public, private, and charter schools. Services are available to parents, students, pediatricians, and attorneys. A confidential complimentary phone consultation is available upon request (Nassau and Suffolk Counties and the five boroughs of NYC).

HUG MUSIC, CREATIVE & NURTURING MUSIC LESSONS FOR EVERYBODY
112-01 75th Ave., Lower Level, Forest Hills
718-487-4309
Email contact@hugmusicny.com

Hug Music's mission is to nurture a love for music by promoting students’ musical growth and important life skills. We offer various programs to all individuals including children with special needs. Hug Music provides baby and toddler music groups, dyad and private music lessons, and music therapy. Our original method, Musicreative, is especially effective for children with autism and ADHD to improve attention and learning skills. Social Skills Music Therapy group is also offered. Five-week package is available for new students. Contact us today to schedule your first class!

HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER
35-30 Francis Lewis Blvd., Flushing
718-358-7900

Huntington is the leader in K-12th tutoring and test prep. Our certified tutors provide children with individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. We also help prep students for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington’s proven programs help children develop the skills, confidence, and motivation needed for academic success. Founded in 1977, Huntington’s mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn more about our mission at huntingtonhelps.com.

LITTLE OPTICS, INC.
192-07 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows
53-15 Roosevelt Ave.
Woodside, NY 11377
718-468-7500
hablamos espanol

Email littleopticsinc@yahoo.com

We provide eyeglasses and professional eye care for children, including infants, and young adults. Fitting children with glasses is a very different task than fitting an adult with glasses. Most children have serious medical issues like strabismus (crossed eyes) or amblyopia (lazy eyes). When we fit a child with glasses we start a relationship with them, as we will consistently see them during the year for adjustments as well as prescription changes. We alleviate any self-esteem issues associated with the stigma of wearing glasses. When your child leaves Little Optics, rest assured that they will feel confident.

LITTLE STEPS 1, INC. SPEECH & LANGUAGE CLINIC ADELINA SAMUELS, M.A. C.C.C.-S.L.P. SPEECH PATHOLOGIST
63-70 Woodhaven Blvd. , Rego Park
929-335-7707

Little Steps 1, Inc. aims to help people develop their communication abilities, as well as treat speech, language, swallowing, and voice disorders. Services include prevention, identification, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Therapy is provided via play, utilization of PROMPT techniques, and ABA therapy using a naturalistic approach. More than 20 years of experience in treating: Aphasia, Apraxia, Articulation (Phonology), Dysarthria, Speech/Language Delay, Pre-Reading Activities, Autism/PPD, Stuttering, Swallowing Disorders, Frenulectomy, Voice, Cleft Lip or Palate.

LONG ISLAND CENTER FOR SPEECH AND MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPY
Locations across Suffolk and Nassau: East Yaphank, Farmingville, Stony Brook, Commack, Jericho, Wantagh, and Lake Success
Queens: 718-640-6767 Nassau: 516-216-1791 Suffolk: 631-689-6858

Janine Stiene, speech-language pathologist, owns and operates Long Island Center for Speech and Myofunctional Therapy. With her group of therapists, she supports families and children across Long Island, specializing in PROMPT, feeding, myofunctional therapy, voice disorders, fluency, augmentative communication, articulation, auditory processing disorders, expressive and receptive language disorders (adults and children). Intensive feeding therapy for individuals who suffer from texture and consistency aversions, and FEES—Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing—are also offered. Seven affiliated offices across Long Island participate with most health insurance and offer evening and Saturday hours.

REGO PARK ORTHODONTICS
98-41 Queens Blvd. suite 1A, Rego Park
718-275-2006

Rego Park Orthodontics welcomes children and adults of all ages for a free orthodontic exam and consultation. The office is equipped with the most recent digital technology to make the experience of orthodontic treatment as relaxed as possible for our patients. We welcome patients with special needs. Patients can chose from different types of braces for treatment: metal braces that come with colors of their choice, ceramic braces without colors, or simply be treated with free clear aligners like Invisalign.

STEPS TO SOCIALIZATION
13 South Bayles Ave., Port Washington
516-767-0266

Steps to Socialization was created by Evelyn Kashinsky, a parent of children with special needs, to help children who have difficulty socializing. Steps to Socialization is more than just a social skills program. We teach children how to think socially, step by step. Working in small groups of three to four students, we cover a variety of topics, including how to establish and maintain friendships and initiating and maintaining conversations.

ZWEIHORN ORTHODONTICS
150-25 Union Turnpike , Flushing
718-969-9234

Dr. Zweihorn is a board-certified orthodontist specializing in the treatment of children, teens, and adults. His focus is on helping you get your best smile, paying close attention to your concerns, and the specific requirements that are most important to you. Dr. Zweihorn has had years of experience, both during his training and in more than a decade of private practice, caring for patients with special needs. At Zweihorn Orthodontics, we have the most kind and helpful team in town. Come and see for yourself!