Developmental Disabilities Institute’s Young Autism Program hosted the fifteenth annual Summer Institute Training Program at both our Ronkonkoma and Medford Campuses. By design, the Summer Institute provides education to school district personnel who are preparing to receive students in their classrooms who have a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

 The focus on this unique educational opportunity is to provide school district personnel the opportunity to interface with the Teachers and Teacher assistants from DDI’s Young Autism Program.  In working side by side with YAP staff, school district personnel learn strategies that, if properly executed, will support students with ASD’s as they transition to public school. What makes this program unique? Prior to its existence less than one percent of students from DDI transitioned back to their home school districts. Public schools did not feel “equipped” to support students with ASD’s in the public setting. Parents and teachers at YAP worked tirelessly to help their children learn the skills to “catch up” to their typically developing peers. Once students overcame this obstacle, the next one became the jump to public school. Time and time again teachers and administrators from DDI-YAP, along with student’s parents, were given apologies from school districts that they, the district, could not meet the needs of a child with an ASD in their district.  As a result DDI-YAP administrators immediately wanted to eradicate this situation. In doing so they extended invitations to the districts that would be receiving YAP students the following school year to attend YAP this summer and  “come and learn”. With knowledge breeding vision, teachers, teacher’s assistants, psychologists and assistant superintendents attended the first Summer Institute. After this two week long training districts began to feel more comfortable with the idea of educating children with ASD’s in a public school setting. Along with consultative supports from YAP, the program’s small graduating class transitioned back to their school districts. Some of these students attended their schools in general education settings, others in self contained classes. Most utilized additional support in the classroom in the form of teacher assistants and consultation from the teachers and education coordinators who are well versed in the areas of ASD’s and Positive Behavior Support (teaching strategies to support the academic, communication and social needs often associated with ASD’s at home in school and the community).  Fifteen years later, we celebrate two of these original students as they go off to college. One student will attend an honors program at a local university, the other will be attending a prestigious college in New England. Although this is not always the outcome, it is important to know that without programs such as YAP and the Summer Institute, these achievements may never have come to fruition.

          So, how has the program evolved during the last fifteen years? The program has grown to provide an additional two week session, without compromise to the goal of the program, but to its betterment.  For the last eleven years the Young Autism Program has hosted the Summer Institute at both its Ronkonkoma and Medford Campuses. The program continues to support those districts that have students graduating YAP and are going to their home school districts. In addition, the Summer Institute has broadened by sending invitations to all school districts from both Suffolk and Nassau Counties.  The program has received accolades as being the catalyst in setting up best practice programs in both Suffolk and Nassau counties schools.  The program continues to be offered across two sessions, each session spanning across two weeks with each participant receiving over thirty hours of intensive training. This educational opportunity is provided both in classrooms with students for a hands on component as well as daily lectures in the areas of ASD’s  and best practice teaching strategies to supports a student’s academic, communication and social needs in school, at home and in the community.

If you would like to learn more about DDI’s Summer Institute Training Program, please contact Lisa Lee at (631) 580-4019 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .