Cyzner Institute

Therapeutic Day School

  • Cyzner Institute serves preschool through middle school students who require intensive, individualized intervention and 1:1 instruction for all or most of their day.

  • Cyzner Institute is best suited for students who:

    • Require 1:1 or low-ratio support

    • Present with developmental, behavioral, or communication needs

    • Are working toward functional, adaptive, and foundational academic goals

    • Benefit from highly structured environments

    • Require consistent behavioral and therapeutic integration

    • Individualized academic programming

    • Low student-to-teacher ratios

    • Integrated social-emotional learning

    • Integrated mental health support

    • Collaboration between educators and clinicians

    • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

    • Speech Therapy

    • Occupational Therapy

    • Counseling

    • Family Training

    • Behavioral & developmental programming

  • Cyzner’s clinical team uses a standardized, thoughtful process to determine the program that best supports each child.

    Placement is based on developmentally appropriate cognitive level, sensory-behavioral, and social needs.

  • The research-based literature indicates that during summer breaks, most students experience a loss of skills, often requiring weeks of review at the beginning of each school year. Considering the challenges our students face with memory, retrieval, and organizing information, this loss can have an even greater impact.

    To support our students in maintaining their learning and developmental progress, Cyzner Institute offers a 6- and 7-week Summer Extension Program for both current CI students and new families. While we incorporate engaging summer activities, the program primarily continues the individualized educational programming and therapy offered during the CI Day School academic year. Therapeutic services, including ABA Therapy, Tutoring, Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech-Language Therapy, and counseling, will also be available and can be scheduled separately.

    The program operates Monday through Thursday, with CI closed on Fridays during the summer. Our hours are from 9 am to 4 pm, with no early care provided. However, after-care is available until 4 pm on school days. For any inquiries or to request additional information, forms, and dates, please contact us.

    For new summer students, a visit and placement test will be required to ensure suitability for the program. Contact us to learn more.

  • The staff at Cyzner Institute is here to assist your family as you parent your special needs child. Families look to us for help as they want to be able to employ behavior modification techniques at home and out in the community. Our Parent Training and Behavior Management Program is based upon parent feedback and best practice intervention. This program is open to anyone in the community. You do not have to be enrolled in any other Cyzner Institute program to participate.

    Through this program, we can assist you in identifying ways to balance your child’s needs with those of other family members. We can inform you of different therapeutic services that we offer in-home, in-school, and within the Institute. We can help you identify and prioritize services, communicate and coordinate with other partners in the care of your child, and even help you to learn how to advocate for your child in certain situations.

    Services offered as part of our Home/Parent Training include but are not limited to:

    • ABA home programs and parent coaching

    • Reports and/or phone consultation with other professionals and physicians involved in your child’s care as well
      as referrals to other professionals (as needed and with written permission)

    • Emails to answer educational and clinical questions that go beyond the scope of consultation done post a 1:1
      session or through daily conversations with your child’s weekday school teacher

    • Consultation with parents, teachers and other professionals who work with the family including attending meetings,
      such as IEP meetings, to serve as an advocate

    • Helping parents prioritize and schedule therapies and other interventions

    • “Organization 101”

    • Consultation and seminars for professional networking groups, physicians, parent support groups, schools and
      other people dedicated to working with children and their families

Cyzner Institute accepts select insurance plans as well as private pay

Cyzner Institute accepts NCSEAA K-12 scholarships as well as other grants.

Cyzner Institute Programs

Cyzner’s clinical team uses a standardized, thoughtful process to determine the program that best supports each child. Placement is based on developmentally appropriate cognitive level, sensory-behavioral, and social needs.

find out what program is the best fit for your child

  • Each child in the Developmental Learning program also receives occupational therapy and speech-language consultations in the form of a small group or 1:1 intervention each week. Additional care is given to those who need special attention and instruction related to feeding and eating. The teacher, assistant teacher, BCBA, RBT, and director meet regularly to discuss student progress and to update instructional and therapeutic programs.

    Developmental Learning I

    Some children who are age-eligible for our Developmental Learning Program are best served by a more intensive level of support in their programming. The Director and Cyzner team will help guide a family on the appropriate placement choice for their child, and may suggest placement at any time during a school year if the need for additional 1:1 support is indicated.

    Developmental learning II/Hybrid Program

    This program is typically for children of preschool age up to the age of seven or eight. Developmental Learning is designed to support a child’s overall development and school readiness. This hybrid program integrates intensive therapeutic support and consultation in a small group or 1:1 setting.

    Classes consist of a small student to teacher ratio, and assistant teachers and other instructors work with the students individually and/or in small groups for activities such as arts and crafts, computer, and gym time.

  • Kindergarten-middle school or age-dependent-grade level and level of independence are factors considered for classroom placement.

    Integrated Learning I & II

    Kindergarten through middle school programs have small class sizes with one lead teacher. These programs require a higher level of independence than the adaptive programs. Each child has 1:1 time with the teacher during the school day. The assistant teachers and RBTs work with students for academic enrichment and remedial work. We also work on social skills and self-regulation. Each child also receives OT and speech-language consultation in the form of small group intervention throughout the week.

    We offer two levels of programming for Integrated Learning. Placement in these levels is left to the director and team of Cyzner Institute. Level II students must show they can handle academics near or at their grade level. Level I students can progress to Level II at any time during the year as deemed appropriate by the staff.

  • Please note that all programs below will only run if there are enough students to fill the classroom.

    Adaptive Functional Life Skills

    This program features small class sizes and one lead teacher, with time allocated with an assistant. Children are considered candidates for this program when they present with significant delays in the areas of social-emotional and independent living skills as measured by standardized or criterion-referenced assessment tools. These children may or may not present with academic delays.

    The goal is to move towards a greater level of independence and to help them learn how to access their educational, social, and recreational environments. Staff members work with the students individually and in small groups for activities such as computer skills, arts and crafts, social skills, gym time, and music therapy. Each child also receives OT and speech-language consultation in the form of small group intervention. Additional individualized care is given to those who need special attention and instruction related to feeding and eating.

    We offer two levels of this program based on each child’s abilities and therapeutic support needs. Level II serves as a hybrid program, in which some academics are introduced as they pertain to life skills, with less need for intensive 1:1 support and intervention. Level I primarily focuses on life and social skills with more intensive support and behavioral intervention.

    Overall, communication is key. Cyzner’s staff meets regularly to discuss student progress and to update instructional and therapeutic programs. Parents are required to meet with the director and/or BCBA once per month.