New York Institute For Special Education

Area Served

About New York Institute For Special Education

The school was founded in 1831 as The New York Institution for the Blind as one of the first schools in the United States to provide an educational program for children who were blind or visually impaired. Early in the twentieth century, the name was changed to The New York Institute for the Education of the Blind to emphasize the educational character of the school.In the 1980's educators recognized the need to provide programs designed specifically for students with learning and emotional disabilities. In response to this need, the school established the Van Cleve Program for those children who could not be served in a traditional school setting. In 1986, the school's name was changed to The New York Institute for Special Education to better reflect this expanded focus and commitment to children with a variety of disabilities.