The Gillen Brewer School

The Gillen Brewer School was founded in 1992 by Laura Bilicic and Laurie Dubos as a school for children with significant learning challenges. As special education teachers, they saw the overwhelming need for a school in New York City where families with children who have significant special needs would be welcomed, educated and supported. The founders believed that a knowledgeable and informed family was invaluable to each child’s overall education.

Whole Children

Our mission at Whole Children is to provide recreational, social, and enrichment programs for children and teens of all abilities, specially designed for those with special needs.

We provide valuable resources for their families and facilitate integration with the larger community in which we live. All of our classes have built-in skill building components, whether it's teaching the finer points of basketball, how to navigate the playground, or how to talk to friends. We are a social/recreation center that welcomes families and students of all abilities, philosophies, and cultures.  Whole Children is a community of families who are walking a similar path and who are happy to share the experience!

Young Adult Institute

YAI was launched in February of 1957 out of a small school in Brooklyn, New York. Initially staffed by Co-Founders Bert MacLeech and Pearl Maze MacLeech alone, their pilot program served just seven people. According to Bert, from its very beginning YAI has been dedicated to providing innovative services for the I/DD (intellectual and/or developmental disabilities) community. MacLeech envisioned a, “total life adjustment approach, emphasizing personal growth, social responsibility, employment goals, and the development of independence for the individual.” At a time when institutional living was the norm for people with I/DD, this vision was nothing short of revolutionary.