Heartshare is a human services organization in New York City that has been in operation since 1914. The broader mission of Heartshare is
to nurture and support, with dignity and respect, children, adults and families in order to expand opportunities and enhance lives.
As a part of its mission, Heartshare also offers early childhood services. Among these services include services for children ages 3 to 5 who have developmental delays or disabilities. Heartshare also provides Universal Pre-K classes for 4-year-old children. Though it offers these services, the emphasis is on parental involvement in educational programs for young children as staff and faculty believe that the most important ingredient in child development is family involvement.
Heartshare opened its own school in April 2007. The school caters to children ages 5 to 21 who fall on the autism spectrum or who have been diagnosed as mentally retarded. One of the unique aspects of the Heartshare School is its integration of TEACHH with Applied Behavior Analysis.
The classrooms at Heartshare utilize state-of-the-art computers and learning software. The Heartshare School is a non-profit educational institution located in Brooklyn.
The Heartshare School has six classrooms that are open daily. There are plans to expand the facilities to eight classrooms and take the student enrollment capacity from 56 to 72. Heartshare seeks to educate children to achieve their highest potential and enhance their social skills. Other services include speech therapy, occupational theraphy, and physical therapy. Each child receives an IEP. Courses offered include music therapy, art therapy, social skills training, and adaptive physical education.
