Special Education
Nassau County’s leader in special education services
The Nassau BOCES Department of Special Education is the premier provider of special education services in the region, delivering individualized instruction to over 1,800 students at 10 Nassau BOCES special education schools throughout the county.
Diversified special education programs to prepare students with moderate or severe learning, emotional, behavioral, physical, vision, hearing, developmental, and all other disability categories for college and career readiness, adult services and supported employment are offered in a caring, supportive, student centered environment that empowers every student to reach their maximum potential.
Contact Us
- Preschool Programs
- School Age Programs
- Dignity for All Students Act
- Transition to High School Webinar Series
- Supported Employment
Preschool Programs
Nassau BOCES' Special Education Preschool Programs provide educational and therapeutic services to young children with developmental delays or disabilities. For children ages birth to 5, our programs, which are approved by the New York State Education Department and the Nassau County Health Department, utilize best practices in early childhood education, while addressing the unique, therapeutic need of each student.
School Age Programs
Nassau BOCES offers a comprehensive array of special education programs specifically designed to meet the needs of special needs school-age students with moderate to severe learning, emotional, behavioral, physical, vision, hearing, developmental, and all other disability categories and provide them with the tools to succeed and meet their highest potential.
Elementary
Dignity for All Students Act
Nassau BOCES is committed to providing a safe, supportive environment free from harassment, bullying and discrimination for all students. The agency encourages the involvement of staff, students, parents and community members in the implementation and reinforcement of the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA). If you believe you, or someone else, has been the target of harassment, bullying, cyber-bullying, and/or discrimination, please complete a DASA Incident Reporting Form (PDF) and return it to a school administrator or Dignity Act Coordinator. All complaints will be treated in a confidential manner. Anonymous reports may limit the district's ability to respond to the complaint. A prompt and thorough investigation will be conducted for all incident reports.
Note: PDF forms can be printed and completed by hand, or filled in electronically and printed or emailed to the Dignity Act coordinator. Use Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat when using fill-in feature of PDF forms. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, you can download it for free from the Adobe website.
For more information, contact the Dignity Act Coordinator in your child’s school. The names, designated school and contact information for each school building’s Dignity Act Coordinators are provided below:
Designated School | Dignity Act Coordinator | Phone Number | |
---|---|---|---|
Career Preparatory High School | Mr. Darien Jorief | 516-629-4437 | |
Career Preparatory High School | Ms. Dawn O’Leary | 516-629-4426 | |
Carman Road School | Ms. Dawn Covino | 516-622-5665 | |
Center for Community Adjustment | Ms. Jeanine Morales | 516-396-2697 | |
Center for Community Adjustment | Ms. Monica Adams | 516-369-2642 | |
Center for Community Adjustment | Ms. Taryn Rosen | 516-369-1509 | |
Children's Readiness Center | Ms. Stacey St. John | 516-719-6061 | |
GC Tech | Ms. Caitriona O'Neill | 516-604-4215 | |
GC Tech | Dr. Eli Shapiro | 516-604-4244 | |
Iris Wolfson High School | Ms. Lindsey Maniscalchi | 516-629-4577 | |
Iris Wolfson High School | Dr. Alyssa Vega | 516-629-4458 | |
Jerusalem Avenue Elementary School | Dr. Morgan Anderson | 516-608-6300 | |
Jerusalem Avenue Elementary School | Ms. Tracy Love | 516-608-6300 | |
Jerusalem Avenue Elementary School | Ms. Jennifer Schwetz | 516-608-6346 | |
Jerusalem Avenue Elementary School | Ms. Meghan Oliveri | 516-608-6360 | |
Joseph M. Barry Career & Technical Education Center | Ms. Karen Recar | 516-622-6952 | |
Joseph M. Barry Career & Technical Education Center | Ms. Nafesa Khan | 516-622-6806 | |
Long Island High School for the Arts | Ms. Kenya Baloun | 516-622-5663 | |
Long Island High School for the Arts | Ms. Lindsay Rogan | 516-622-5677 | |
Preschool Center at Barry Tech | Dr. Donald Moruzzi | 516-622-6953 | |
Robert Williams School | Ms. Lisa Schellas | 516-719-6033 | |
Rosemary Kennedy School | Mr. Anthony Esposito | 516-396-2637 | |
Seaman Neck Middle School | Dr. Justin Ayoub | 516-719-6038 | |
Seaman Neck Middle School | Dr. Melissa Buchman | 516-719-6000 | |
Seaman Neck Middle School | Ms. Alyssa Mancuso | 516-719-6033 | |
Willet Avenue School | Ms. Dana Alongi | 516-396-2600 |
Description
Effective December 31, 2013, all applicants for certification are required to complete six clock hours of training in Harassment, Bullying, Cyber Bullying, and Discrimination in Schools Prevention and Intervention. This new requirement is in response to the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) that took effect on July 1, 2012. A Certificate of Completion will be issued to all registrants.
CoSer: 507.53
Contact
Contact: Patricia Iannacone
Phone: 516-608-6662
Email: piannacone@nasboces.org
Transition to High School Webinar Series
Preparing for Life After High School: A Transition Webinar Series
The webinars listed below are on topics that are important as students prepare to leave school and enter adulthood. Review the descriptions to see which ones relate best to your child. You may attend as many webinars as you choose. All webinars will begin at 7 p.m. and will run for about 45 minutes. Pre-registration is required. Please click on the registration button for the webinar(s) you are interested in attending and complete the simple registration process. Prior to the webinar, please visit Zoom.us and download Zoom onto your computer.
November 14, 2024
Presenter(s): Dorothea Daniels, LI Regional Coordinator, Parent to Parent
Description: A review of the process of applying for OPWDD eligibility, what the Front Door is, and a brief overview of what to expect after the Front Door.
December 10, 2024
Presenter(s): Minette Sherman, Assistant Director of Broker Services Independent Support Services Inc.
Description: The presentation will explore the flexibility and benefits of Self-Direction, showing how individuals can take control of their future. The session will highlight successful Self-Direction stories and review how to navigate the process of obtaining these services. A Q&A to clarify any doubts and help determine if Self-Direction is suitable for your family’s needs will also be offered.
January 9, 2025
Presenter(s): Andrew Cohen, Esq., Attorney, Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen; Mitch Weisbrot, Special Care Planner
Description: A review of how to legally and financially protect individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Topics include guardianship wills, and special needs trusts.
January 30, 2025
Presenter(s): Gina Esposito-Sales, Catherine Lewis, Counselors, Center for Students with Disabilities, Nassau Community College
Description: A review of how students entering college may access accommodations there and will highlight issues that affect the decision to do so as well as other aspects of college life.
February 12, 2025
Presenter(s): Tom Schinkel, Assistant Director of Benefits & Entitlements Care Design, New York
Description: A review of requirements for eligibility for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability and the difference between SSI and SSD.
March 4, 2025
Presenter(s): Susanne Morgan Morrow, Project Director, New York Deaf-Blind Collaborative (NYDBC), Queens College
Description: A review of issues pertinent to students with vision and/or other sensory needs as they transition to adulthood.
April 2, 2025
Presenter(s): Kenneth Anderson, MS Ed, CRC; Christian Horn, MS Ed; Kristen Gaglio, MS Ed, BSSW; Transition Specialists; Long Island Regional Partnership Center, Center for Community Inclusion, Long Island University
Description: A review of the multiple safety net options available to students with IEPs to achieve a local or Regents diploma, including the Superintendents Determination, and how CDOS Credential requirements relate to this option.
April 23, 2025
Presenter(s): Marisol Getchius, SANYS Long Island Regional Organizer; Michelle Flood, SANYS Long Island Regional Coordinator; The Self Advocacy Association of New York State (SANYS)
Description: The Self Advocacy Association of New York State (SANYS) is a statewide, not-for-profit organization run by and for people with developmental disabilities. They will provide an overview of why and how to support self advocacy within your families, schools, and communities. One of SANYS’ main goals is to increase the choices that people have to live, work, and participate in their communities.
May 6, 2025
Presenter(s): Daniel DeLuca, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Adult Career & Continuing Education Services - Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR)
Description: A review of how ACCES-VR assists people with disabilities to achieve and maintain employment and support independent living, through training, education, rehabilitation and career development.
Supported Employment
The Supported Employment Program was created to assist students and individuals with disabilities beyond the classroom. The Supported Employment initiative has been empowering students and other individuals with disabilities since 1986 assisting employers in recruiting qualified workers with disabilities and training them for entry-level positions. More than 175 employers have successfully hired workers.
The program uses a person-centered planning approach whereby an individual’s unique interests and abilities are taken into consideration during the job development phase. The Nassau BOCES staff canvasses community businesses for openings, matching individual’s strengths with employer needs. Supported workers earn at least minimum wage for entry-level positions. Vocational rehabilitation counselors and job coaches work together with employers and individuals ensuring that the best possible fit between job and employee is met for a win-win situation.
When an individual first starts a job, the job coach works one-on-one with the newly hired worker teaching all tasks involved in the job as well as the soft skills necessary to fit in with the culture of the business. The job coach remains in place full time initially until the employee has successfully learned to work independently and then gradually fades to several visits per month to make sure things are going smoothly.
Often, internships participated in while in school lead to actual paid employment. Nassau BOCES provides long-term, follow-along support for these workers, their families and employers through grants from New York State Department of Education (ACCES-VR) and the New York State Office of People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).
Dedicated and loyal supported employees become successful members of the businesses’ staff, proudly earning wages and becoming contributing members of society.
CoSer: 956
Location
Services for District-Based Students
Nassau BOCES offers programs designed to assist local school districts in the education of students with special needs. These services are available for students with physical, orthopedic, communication or learning disabilities.
Assistive Technology Assessments
Assistive Technology Assessments are available for students with physical, orthopedic, communication, or learning disabilities who attend local district schools. Either individual assessments or a combination of assessments are provided.
Alternative Augmentative Communication Evaluations are provided by speech language pathologists who determine the most appropriate communication method for the student. During the evaluation, the speech language pathologist identifies one or more appropriate devices that might be used.
Technology Access Evaluations are provided by occupational and/or physical therapists working collaboratively with a special education teacher. The evaluation states the student's cognitive ability, readiness for computer use, and provides recommendations for the purchase of equipment and for the initial training of staff in its use.
CoSer: 237.500
Augmentative Communication:
Technology Access Evaluation:
Additional Contact:
Hearing Services
Hearing Services are provided for students attending local district programs who have hearing disorders or central auditory processing disorders and include the following:
- Audiological Evaluations are provided for students with hearing impairment. Evaluations include pure tone audiometry and tympanometry. The following can be included in the evaluation for an additional fee: aided testing with hearing aids, hearing test with student wearing hearing aids; aided testing with FM unit, and hearing test with student wearing FM unit.
FM Evaluations include an initial FM evaluation that provides a hearing test to determine the appropriate FM unit for the student. Calibration of the FM unit is included in this service.
- Earmolds for FM Amplification are provided for students who require FM amplification and are made by audiologists who individualize this equipment to meet the student's needs.
- Central Auditory Processing Evaluation is provided for students, who are seven years and older, with normal hearing and intelligence who have an impaired ability to attend, discriminate, recognize or comprehend auditory information. The Central Auditory Processing Evaluation includes: a peripheral audiological evaluation; tests of speech recognition in quiet and noise; testing to assess central auditory processing disorders, including but not limited to dichotic listening tests, distorted speech, speech in noise, and temporal ordering tasks; and an evaluation report.
- FM Amplification Trial is designed to assist district personnel in determining if low gain amplification could benefit students who have been diagnosed with: mild hearing loss; fluctuating middle ear hearing loss; learning disabilities involving auditory deficits; and sensorineural hearing loss. To determine if a student can benefit from such amplification, trial use of equipment is available. This includes provision of equipment for one month; in-service workshops for staff on proper use of equipment; classroom management techniques; and pre- and post-data using standardized checklists of auditory behaviors.
- FM Equipment Services provide for the rental of FM equipment for one month when it is necessary for a district to provide short term use of this equipment and in-service workshops are not needed. If FM equipment is not working properly, the unit can be brought to the BOCES Audiological Center at the Rosemary Kennedy Center – Room 1301G. A computerized evaluation of the unit will be provided and simple repairs, when possible, can be made.
- Consultant Services include in-service consultation provided to assist district staff in meeting the needs of students with either hearing impairment or central auditory processing disorders.
CoSer: 503.009
"Hearing Services from BOCES have always helped and saved us over the years and we can’t say enough great things about the organization. Our deaf and hard of hearing children would not be able to function and be at ease without the support of BOCES in their mainstream settings."
Patrizia Gibson-NeuwirthParent
Transition Services
Nassau BOCES offers transition to employment services to students with disabilities who will be graduating from their local district to prepare them for the world of work. Services may include vocational counseling, internship site development, job coaching, training and benefits advisement.
CoSer: 207.500
Vision Services
Vision Services, including Assistive Technology and Orientation and Mobility Assessment and Training, are provided for students attending district programs.
Vision Assistive Technology Evaluations identify assistive technology devices and services that will help the student access the general curriculum and achieve academic success. Some of the technologies include screen reading software, speech output, scan-and-read systems, computer screen magnification, electronic note takers, and magnifying Closed-Circuit Televisions (CCTVs).
Orientation and Mobility (O&M) is an important and integral part of the curriculum in the comprehensive delivery of services to children with visual impairments. Orientation is the process of using sensory information to establish and maintain one's position in the environment; mobility is the process of moving safely, efficiently, and gracefully within one's environment. The ultimate goal of O&M instruction is for visually impaired persons to be able to travel in any environment as independently as possible. To reach this goal, O&M instruction must begin at the earliest possible age.
CoSer: 503.109