Each year Mandell Kindergarteners are invited to visit Manhattan Children’s Center, a school for autistic children located on West 94th Street. The children who attend MCC have various disabilities related to autism, and they benefit greatly during socialization with Mandell students.
Our children pair up with MCC children to enjoy hands-on and kinesthetic activities and to share group songs. Mandell in turn invites MCC children to visit our school once a week.
When MCC children visit a Mandell classroom, they play with blocks, enjoy manipulative toys, and participate in creative work. To prepare our Kindergarteners for these inclusion experiences, we talk as a class about the commonalities and differences that we all share and value as human beings, and discuss what makes us all special. The class learns through direct contact that all people learn in different ways; and that while we may hear, see, speak, move and behave differently, we all respond to kindness, friendship and sharing.
This program was inspired by our school psychologist and has continued at Mandell since 2006. It encourages our children to celebrate differences, motivate acceptance, and promote understanding through the simple act of play with one another in their neighborhood community.
Click here to visit www.manhattanchildrenscenter.org