NSSA News- Year in Review 2023

NSSA NEWS The Newsletter of Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism

The Martin C. Barell School

A Year in Review and a Welcome Home

Year in Review 2023

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NSSAINFO.ORG

Table | Of Contents

Board of Directors

3–5

Welcome Home/Dinner for our Children

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Valentine’s Day/Pen Pal Luncheon

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Autism Awareness Month/NSSA Champions

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Adventureland/Transition Program

10-11

New Students/Graduation

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Family Fun Day

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Car Show

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Bike to the Beach/Jack’s Run

Larry Ceriello, Esq. President

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Fang-Tastic Halloween

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PA Brings Holiday Spirit to NSSA

Bram Weber, Esq. Vice President

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Sweet Treats Fundraiser/Shop NSSA

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Ways You Can Help/Save the Dates

Allen S. Perl, CPA Treasurer Gayle Fremed Secretary Gerard Weldon Director

NSSA | Core Values

Lisa Goring Director

Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism The Martin C. Barell School 80 Hauppauge Rd., Commack, NY 11725 Phone: (631) 462-0386 * Fax: (631) 462-4201 Email: office@nssa.net * Web: www.nssainfo.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/ NassauSuffolkServicesforAutism Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ nassausuffolkservicesforautism Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ nassau-suffolk-services-for-autism/ Twitter: @NSSautism Nicole Weidenbaum, M.S., Ed., SAS Executive Director

Accountability

We hold ourselves accountable and require excellence in all aspects of service provision. It is our responsibility to advance learning and improve outcomes throughout the lifespan. As such we utilize only those teaching procedures and methodologies proven effective through scientific research.

Commitment

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Kathy Mannion Associate Executive Director

Mission | Statement Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism (NSSA) offers hope to people with autism and their families by providing high quality, life-long support through services which enable people with autism to function better in every day life. NSSA offers the most advanced treatment and training programs for the benefit of people with autism, and will continue to pioneer, through research, comprehensive treatment models which can be adopted nationally.

Our unwavering commitment to individuals with autism and their families defines us. We share their sense of urgency to maximize the full potential of each individual we serve. We are dedicated to advocating for increased awareness, understanding, and inclusion of individuals with autism in all aspects of life.

Teamwork Our employees are our greatest resource; without them we cannot transform the lives of the people we serve. We are committed to recruiting, developing, and retaining these remarkable professionals and pledge to them our enduring support and profound gratitude.

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A Welcome Home| Dinner for our Children May 12, 2023 marked the return of NSSA’s annual Dinner for Our Children at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck. After so many years apart, we were delighted that so many families, friends, staff members, students, and colleagues were able to join us. There was so much to celebrate, as 2023 marked the 40th anniversary of NSSA and the 30th anniversary of its Martin C. Barell School! In addition, there were six Martin C. Barell School students graduating this year and we celebrated that milestone as well as all of their accomplishments.

We were honored to have Phyllis Barell join us at the event and her eloquent and inspirational remarks were the highlight of the evening. She spoke of the very long and challenging road she and her late husband Martin traveled in order to secure approval to open the school that would become his namesake. She also shared heartfelt sentiments about what it meant to her to see “Marty’s dream” come to fruition and to hear first-hand that night, from so many staff and family members alike, about the life-changing impact that the school has made on their lives.

Mrs. Barell’s remarks were followed by a video presentation recounting 40 years of NSSA’s history, as well as its growth and many accomplishments.

The graduation ceremony followed with Nicole Weidenbaum, NSSA’s Executive Director, along with Mrs. Barell, presenting diplomas to our six graduates and posing for pictures with each of them and their families. The emotional evening was filled with pride, gratitude, and a very strong sense of community.

There are so many people that worked together to make the evening so special and successful. We’d like to extend heartfelt thanks to our sponsors; Black Label Sponsor: the Wittles Family; Gold Sponsors: The Fanning Family, The Miranda Family, and Tyler Yoo & Family; Silver Sponsors: Ideal Tax Consultants Inc. and Joe and Donna Longo; Bronze Sponsors: The Cahill Family, Marcella & Richard Dresdale, Elija, Lenny and Jennifer Periera and The Shushunov Family; Copper Sponsors: the D’Avanzo Family, the Falkner Family, the Kent Family, the Liggio/Haiduk Families, and Rick Lewis and the Board and Staff of the Suffolk Y JCC; and Raffle Sponsors: Eden II Programs, the Falkner Family, the Frazier Family, Kara Lamendola, The Lettis Family, Patricia Deegan McGarry, the Mizrahi Family, the Rosenthal Family, Jerry & Marlene Sider, Anna Slowik, the Walford Family, and the Wigdor Family.

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Dinner for our Children

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Valentine’s Day | Special Delivery On Valentine’s Day the children from Temple Beth Torah Melville surprised our students with a special delivery. They made cards and cookie mix jars with instructions for our students to take home and make cookies with their families. Their goal was to give our students a structured activity they could enjoy with their loved ones on Valentine’s Day. Our students loved their cards and cookies!

A special thank you to Brandon & Lila from Temple Beth Torah who organized this activity and enlisting some friends to make this Valentine’s Day extra special for our students.

Luncheon | Pen Pal In March, NSSA’s Adult Services Program and the Suffolk Y JCC’s Butler Program hosted a pen pal luncheon.

The programs initiated a joint pen pal program to foster friendships among their participants. The participants learned how to write friendly letters, and through trading these letters, were able to find out about others who may have similar interests. After multiple letter exchanges, a luncheon was planned. Participants from NSSA met their pen pals and made new friends while enjoying lunch and playing bingo. It was a huge success! We are looking forward to strengthening our new friendships in the future with continued letter writing and activities.

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Autism Awareness Month | NSSA Champions In Honor of Autism Awareness Month, Cooper Schorr, the Vice President of Lynbrook High School’s 10th grade class, organized a bracelet sale that brought the entire school together. Additionally, the Lynbrook Men’s Tennis Team helped by hosting a bake sale and contributing the proceeds to the cause. Their efforts resulted in a donation of more than $800 to NSSA. These fundraisers helped raise awareness within the community and we are so grateful to Cooper, the students of Lynbrook High School, and the Men’s Tennis team for their kindness and charitable contribution.

On April 28th, Sawmill Intermediate School in Commack hosted its annual Autism Awareness Walk.

Students and staff were invited to wear blue, make donations to NSSA, and participate in a walk around the school’s perimeter . The students read books and learned facts about Autism Spectrum Disorder and discussed how to be accepting of each others’ differences. For the 3rd year in a row, these caring students have made NSSA the recipients of their fundraising efforts. Special thanks to Denielle Cooper for once again organizing.

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A Special Night | For Our Special Kids NSSA hosts A Special Night for Our Special Kids twice yearly at Adventureland in Farmingdale as part of its outreach to the greater autism and special needs community. The event is held during the spring and autumn program breaks to give our guests something fun to do at a time when there are few structured activities available to them.

This years events were held on April 4th and October 27th. It was so gratifying to see the park full, but not overcrowded, with happy faces and appreciative families. Adventureland is closed to the general public and made available only to people with special needs and their friends and families. Due to the reduced capacity, there are no long lines and wait time for rides is short. This all makes for a much more enjoyable experience for our guests and provides a supportive environment for families in attendance.

Our next Special Night for Our Special Kids at Adventureland will take place on May 16, 2024 from 5:30-8:30pm.

If you’d like to be added to the mailing list to receive information about this or other future events, email office@nssa.net or call (631) 462-0386.

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Adventureland | Fall Event

Transition Program | A Successful Journey This past June marked the culmination of a two-year journey for NSSA’s inaugural Self Direction Transition Program participants. The program was designed to prepare students for a more inclusive, independent, and successful life in their community with a focus on addressing the gaps that exist in skill development and the need for continued programming once a student ages out of their education program.

Even with the most robust education, students often graduate with deficits in areas that will significantly impede their ability to live as independently as possible, access employment opportunities, and integrate successfully into their community. Over the two-year period, the curriculum focused on career development, money management, nutrition, shopping and purchasing , cooking, health and wellness, safety, transportation, relationships, conflict resolution, leisure and exercise, technology, independent living, and participation in the community.

We are incredibly proud of all of your participants. They are a diverse group of individuals with unique personalities, talents and strengths; each making meaningful contributions to and sharing perspectives with their classmates. We’ve witnessed so much growth over the past two years and have watched new friendships being formed and nurtured throughout that time as well.

Congratulations to our first cohorts! We wish them continued success throughout their adult lives and hope they stay in touch and continue to share their success with us.

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NSSA Welcomes | New Students

The 2023-2024 school year was a new beginning for five students that we have welcomed into the Martin C. Barell School. Welcome Connor, Kamaree, Landon, Penny, Taha, and their families!

Graduation | A Proud Day

On June 14, 2023 we celebrated the achievements of six Martin C. Barell students as they graduated into the NSSA’s Adult Services Program. Congratulations to Tyler P., Madison, Kevin, Logan, Tyler W., and Peter.

Principal Deb Kennedy and Classroom 4’s dedicated teachers, Chrstina Napodano, Stefani Saporta, Alexandra Hilllaris and Alejandra Villalobos were there with pride as they watched and handed out diplomas to all of the graduates.

Representatives from each of the graduates school districts were present to congratulate them and celebrate their achievements.

Families celebrated this milestone together and enjoyed cake and refreshments after the ceremony.

We wish our students much success in their new chapter at our Adult Services Program.

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Family | Fun Day Every Summer the Martin C. Barell School hosts a Family Day to give families and students an opportunity to relax together and have some fun! It also gives our families an opportunity to connect with each other. This year we decided to celebrate with our classrooms on different days, as our program and families continue to grow, so that it is less overwhelming for our students. The fun started on August 4th and wrapped up on August 11th.

The playground was busy all week with students and their siblings climbing, swinging, and playing. When the temperature got too hot outside, guests came inside and enjoyed activities in the classrooms and gym: the bouncy house, basketball toss, trampoline, and more. Pizza and cold drinks were served for lunch.

It was a wonderful way to end the summer of 2023 and we hope many memories were made.

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Car Show| at NSSA On October 22nd, NSSA had it’s first Car Show hosted by The Centurion Cruisers Cars Club. It was a fun day for the entire family with some amazing classic cars to see and even sit in!

Trophies were awarded in different categories to those who participated and NSSA was gifted a special trophy to commemorate the event. The event raised $2,200 to benefit NSSA. We are grateful to Bob, Hank and The Centurion Cruisuers Club members for their hard work and generosity and for organizing this fun event.

Save the date for next years Car Show on September 29, 2024.

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Team NSSA Cycles for Autism| Bike to the Beach The 2023 New York Bike to the Beach Ride for Autism took place on Sunday, September 10th. Once again, Rich Kobel and Tom Cardone rode for Team NSSA and raised $2,670! We are grateful for those who supported their ride

and for Rich and Tom’s

continued support! We are thankful to Bike to the Beach for promoting awareness and raising funds that make a positive impact

on the autism community

and for letting us be part of their

wonderful event

Jack’s Run| Sprints to Success

October 21, 2023 was a rainy day at Eisenhower Park, but that did not stop our runners and volunteers from showing up to support NSSA at our 17th Annual Jack’s Run. Congratulations to the Overall and Men’s Overall winner John Schmuck whose finish time was 18:07 and female winner Nora Smith, who completed the course with a 21:38 time. In our eyes, everyone who participated was a winner!

We are very appreciative of our sponsors for their generosity. Many thanks to Event Sponsors: The Campagnuolo Family, Pat & Mary Beth Miranda, Cardii.io, and our friends at MSSSV LLP, Miranda Slone Sklarin Verveniotis; Gold Sponsors: Atlantic Beverages Corp., Mercy Home Care and Medical Supplies, Inc., Richard & Merry Slone, and Sean & Patrick Fanning. Thanks to our Silver Sponsors: Dr. Vincent Campasano, Bulldog Ventures, Ltd.; Bronze Sponsors: The Cahill Family, The Shushunova Family, The Fountain Family; Partner Sponsors: Marlo & Howard Spilko, Dr. Vincent Campasano, and Sean & Patrick Fanning.; Friend Sponsors: Teresa Cirelli, The Wigdor Family, The Nabeel Family, The Walford Family, and the NSSA Parent Association.

We could not execute this much-loved event without the help and support of our friends. Many thanks to all donors, sponsors, runners, walkers, and volunteers. A special thank you to Mike Miranda and Ondine Slone for their hard work and continued support of NSSA and Jack’s Run. 15

NSSA’s | Fang-Tastic Halloween For the third year in a row, NSSA’s Halloween festivities moved outdoors. Teachers and staff decorated their cars for Trunk-or-Treat and costumed students and adult participants made their rounds, picking up treats at each trunk. This year was extra special as it was our first in our newly paved parking lot that was so generously and beautifully done by B2K Development. Thanks to all who participated by decorating their cars, handing out goodies, and making it such a ghostly good time for everyone!

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Parent Association | Brings Holiday Spirit to NSSA We wrapped up the year with a fun holiday party gifted by the NSSA Parent Association (PA). There was pizza and live music at both the school and adult programs.

We're so grateful to the PA for bringing such joy to our students and adult participants.

And we had a special visit from Santa Claus, who was greeted by many smiles!

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Sweet Treats Fundraiser | Thanksgiving This November we had our first Sweet Treats Fundraiser featuring pies and goodies from White Post Farms. NSSA families and friends had an opportunity to order some delicious treats just in time for Thanksgiving.

All of the treats were picked up at NSSA. Our first Sweet Treats Thanksgiving Fundraiser was a success raising over $2,000!

Thank you to everyone who ordered.

A special thank you to Nicole F, Taylor, Nicole C, Melissa, and Nikki from classroom 3 for helping boost sales to make this such a success! We are looking forward to another Sweet Treat Fundraiser in the year to come!

Shop NSSA| Embracelets & More This year our NSSA Shop expanded featuring new designs to our Embracelets! Personalized bracelets, as well as limited edition friendship bracelets, in honor of Taylor Swifts Era’s tour, and new Holiday Stacks were all introduced this year. Our adult participants and MCBS students worked hard throughout the year learning new patterns and fulfilling orders.

During the holiday season we featured our Embracelets as well as special bird feeders made by our adult participants at a Pop Up Shop at the Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center in Commack.

The students and participants have enjoyed creating these new items and we are grateful to all who have purchased throughout the year. Stay tuned to see what new designs we have in store for this upcoming year!

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Support| Ways You Can Help Memorial & Honor Donations If you wish to commemorate an occasion or a loved one through a donation to NSSA, our office will send a memorial, tribute, or donation acknowledgement to whomever you designate.

Call NSSA at 631-462-0386 or visit www.nssainfo.org and click donate Shop NSSA Shop NSSA’s Embracelets and Merchandise by visiting www.nssashop.com

General Donations General one time or monthly donations can be made to NSSA by calling NSSA at 631-462-0386 or visiting www.nssainfo.org and clicking donate

Events | Save the Dates May 16, 2024- Special Night for our Special Kids– Adventureland 5:30pm-8:30pm September 29, 2024- Classic Car Show– hosted by The Centurion Cruisers Car Club at NSSA

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