CREC: River Street Schools and Programs

— Our Mission —

River Street Schools and Programs strives to improve the quality of life for children who are neurodivergent by providing, in a caring environment, opportunities to develop the skills to be more productive, independent, and engaged members of the larger society.

River Street Schools and Programs represents a tradition of service that began in 1963. We are proud of our exceptional services that have benefited thousands of students over six decades. River Street School has received awards and recognition from numerous organizations including the Council for Exceptional Children, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, the Computer Learning Foundation, the Governor's Coalition on Employment Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities, and the Northeast Communication Enhancement Group.

River Street began as a half-day-a-week program of the Greater Hartford Mental Health Association and has expanded over the years into multiple programs and services with facilities in two locations, Windsor and Bloomfield.

Our spacious Windsor campus provides a variety of student-centered settings for learning and developing independence, including transition services for students 18-22 Our River Street Autism Program in Bloomfield provides a strong applied behavioral analysis (ABA) approach and early intervention for students who need more direct support in learning. Our Bloomfield Campus also has our Early Learning Center for preschool-aged students.

Over the years, River Street School has added additional campus-based and satellite programs to enhance further the complement of available services, including, the Integrated Program Model which provides the tutoring program at the Hospital for Special Care, and the River Street Outreach Program, which provides behavioral consultation to local school districts.

Programs and Schools We Offer

River Street School - Windsor

RSS provides comprehensive academic and life skills curricula for students aged 3 - 22 who present with a variety of behavioral, communicative, and neurological disorders including autism spectrum disorders, seizure disorders, identified genetic syndromes such as Fragile X, metabolic disorders, and those students with dual diagnoses. The Transition Services Department provides additional skills development as appropriate and transitional training to students turning 22. Programming is designed to deliver successful learning experiences commensurate with each student's developmental and cognitive level. Our multi-disciplinary clinical staff supports programming through daily collaboration with instructional staff, family consultation, interagency coordination, and professional development training for other professionals.

River Street Autism Program - Bloomfield

The River Street Autism Program provides comprehensive, school-based programming to students identified with autism spectrum disorder. The program serves students from preschool through grade 8. Our intensive program is based on evidence-based practices with a focus on skills that enhance our learners' quality of life. A high staff-to-student ratio provides structured and individualized instruction for each student. We offer year-round programming that may include up to an 8-hour school day and up to 240 calendar days per year.

Early Learning Center - Bloomfiled

The Early Learning Center is a high quality, NAEYC accredited integrated preschool program, serving students 3-5 years old. Our mission is to meet the needs of every child by providing meaningful experiences that promote the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. In the River Street Early Learning Center, students from the River Street Autism Program and typically developing preschoolers serve as role models for one another.