Who We Serve

The Cooke Center’s programs directly serve children with special needs and those at-risk-for or identified-as-having learning delays throughout New York City. We serve thousands of additional students indirectly through professional development and training of public and private school educators. Because our programs emphasize educating students with special needs alongside their mainstream peers whenever possible, thousands of typically developing children interact with our students in formally-designed inclusion activities (such as arts activities and field trips) as well as in the lunchroom, school assemblies, on the playground, and out in the community.

The Cooke Center’s impact goes well beyond the classroom. Our students, families and staff are agents of change, working to alter society's perceptions and attitudes towards persons with special needs.

The Cooke Center’s programs serve:

Preschool Students in Need of Specialized Education Services. These students, ages 2½ to 5, are beginning to experience learning difficulties. The Cooke Center's staff provides assessment of their education needs and advises their teachers and parents accordingly.

Students With Classified Special Needs. These students receive services primarily through the Cooke Center Elementary and High School and also through our School-Wide Intervention Program. The children range in age from 6 to 17 and come from neighborhoods across the city. These students have a range of learning delays, including significant communication deficits and a range of developmental and physical challenges.

Students At Risk for or Identified as Having Learning Delays. These students receive specialized academic resources—ranging from in-class support services to instruction in a resource room—on site in partner schools through our School-Wide Intervention Program. The innovative learning methods we introduce to classrooms enrich instruction in ways that benefit all students, from the advanced learner to the struggling student.

General Educators, who want to improve classroom instruction school-wide. Professional development is long-term and involves a core group of faculty at each site, thus helping to change the learning culture school-wide. Areas of training include promoting early literacy, strengthening comprehension, developing guided reading modules and improving students’ organizational and study skills. In addition, Cooke provides professional development workshops, conferences and in-service to school districts, childcare agencies, universities and educational organizations.

Families Seeking Information. The Cooke Center's referral services are available to all families of children with special needs or learning difficulties, whether or not their children are officially registered for Cooke Center programs and services.

COOKE HOME WHO WE SERVE