To prepare individuals with and without developmental disabilities for life success within their family and community.
Crossroads Center for Children utilizes interventions from the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA), a branch of psychology and education grounded in scientific analysis of human behavior and learning.
Every student we serve will achieve a full and productive life.
Crossroads Center for Children was founded in 1998 to meet a critical need in New York’s Capital Region: providing specialized, evidence-based education for young children with autism who had few appropriate educational options. What began in Glenville, New York, as a small nonprofit school serving a handful of students has grown into a regional leader in special education and therapeutic services.
Today, Crossroads operates from its new campus in Schenectady, New York, serving approximately 130 children each year from as many as 30 school districts across eight to ten counties. Our comprehensive continuum of care includes a New York State-approved special education school, integrated preschool and daycare classrooms, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and before- and after-school care.
A defining feature of Crossroads is our commitment to inclusion. Our integrated preschool classrooms bring together children with and without developmental disabilities, creating rich opportunities for peer modeling, friendship, communication, and social growth. Research consistently demonstrates that inclusive early childhood environments benefit all learners by fostering empathy, acceptance, problem-solving, and meaningful relationships while preparing children for success in school and beyond.
Children receiving special education services at Crossroads have autism and other developmental disabilities or benefit from our highly individualized, behaviorally based educational approach. Every program is grounded in the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the gold-standard, research-based methodology for teaching communication, social, behavioral, academic, and daily living skills. Through individualized instruction, compassionate support, and collaboration with families, we help each child build the skills needed to thrive at school, at home, and in the community.
For more than 27 years, Crossroads has remained committed to one guiding belief: every child deserves the opportunity to communicate, learn, belong, and achieve a full and productive life. Today, having served well over 1,000 children and their families, we continue to expand our programs, strengthen our community partnerships, and create new opportunities for every child to reach their fullest potential.