An Evening at The Stone Goat
Supporting Helen Keller Services’ Children’s Learning Center expansion on Long Island
An Evening at The Stone Goat: Supporting the Children’s Learning Center expansion on Long Island
Thursday, May 7, 2026 | 6:00 PM The Stone Goat Restaurant & Brewery 552 N Country Rd, Saint James, NY 11780
Join us as Helen Keller Services brings our community together to build support for two new specialized preschools in Suffolk and Nassau Counties—serving children ages 3-5 with autism, Down syndrome, visual impairments and complex developmental needs.
Your evening includes food, drinks, and an opportunity to learn about our programming and expansion plans, hear directly from families and leadership about the impact of the Children’s Learning Center, and connect with others invested in advancing access to specialized early childhood services on Long Island.
See the Children’s Learning Center in Action
After nearly 40 years serving children and families through our Brooklyn program, Helen Keller Services is opening two new Children’s Learning Center locations in Suffolk and Nassau Counties. The CLC is a specialized preschool for children ages 3 to 5 with disabilities and complex developmental needs, including autism, Down syndrome, visual impairments, multiple disabilities, and other conditions affecting learning, communication, mobility, and social development. Education and therapy are delivered together by a coordinated multidisciplinary team, all under one roof. This is what we’re bringing to Long Island in 2026, and your participation in the Golf Classic helps make it possible.
Carol Giaco, Speech-Language Pathologist:
I’m Carol. I’m a speech-language pathologist. I’m also an assistive technology professional. We do speech therapy sessions usually three times a week. The speech therapists are usually trying to set kids up with some form of augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC. That can look a lot of different ways. For some kids it might be an iPad or a specific type of speech-generating device that they can use to communicate, for those kids who are either non-speaking or complex communicators who are learning to speak and who just need a little extra help being understood.
Ray, Parent:
He was almost fully nonverbal before he started school here, like maybe one or two words at a time that he would use. Five months after we started here, he’s putting together sentences. His verbal abilities have just exploded since he started coming here and getting the proper therapies.
Megan McKean, Occupational Therapist:
Hi, my name is Megan McCain. I am an occupational therapist at the Children’s Learning Center. We have a lot of kids who have communication needs, sensory needs, delays in fine motor skills. We have kids that have visual impairments, whether that be full blindness or cortical visual impairment. And we have some kids that have severe and multiple disabilities, so they have more physical impairments and require physical therapy in addition to OT and speech therapy.
Rainbow, Parent:
They did so many great extracurricular activities. In the summer they did a beach day and they set up an entire beach experience for the kids in the school. They had them in bathing suits and going to the pool, a little kiddie pool indoors. I don’t think that every program has those resources, and I think that the staff here is so supportive.
Liz Gunn, Physical Therapist:
I am a physical therapist. I work in the preschool primarily. We do work with the students. They all have IEPs. They all have mandated services, but really our biggest thing is collaborating with the teachers during the day, doing a lot of collaboration with our parents to use our strategies or activities that we would use to promote them in the educational environment. PT is more the walking, running, jumping, climbing the stairs to and from the bus.
Avien Henry, Principal:
Whether it is a concern with your child’s speech and language development, a concern with their physical development as it relates to fine or gross motor, even sensory issues that your child may be going through, feeding issues, those type of things. We have the staff that are able to help you along the way.
Tamika, Parent:
I don’t want to be cliché, but I know every parent of a nonverbal autistic child is looking for somewhere for their child to rest where they know that they’re safe and they’re not going to be hurt. The people there are patient and understanding, and they know what they’re doing. I know that’s what all autistic parents want. We’re just always waiting for that moment to take a breather and we could go to work or get some chores done at home and just know our children are in safe hands. And that is what we felt coming here.
They look for the light in your child and actually try to bring that out. If you’re looking for someone to care for them as if they were at home, this is the place.
Avien:
We are so excited to be bringing our multidisciplinary model to Long Island. Our teachers of the visually impaired, special educators, and our related service providers including speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists will work together to ensure that our students are getting the best education possible.
Tamika:
I’m so happy that my daughter has found her place at Helen Keller Services Children’s Learning Center.
[End]
The Expansion
On Long Island, families of children with complex developmental needs including visual impairments and face limited options for comprehensive specialized preschool programs. Early intervention during ages 3-5 is critical in building foundations for communication, mobility, independence, and lifelong learning.
Helen Keller Services is opening two new Children’s Learning Center locations to address this need, serving children ages 3-5 with complex developmental needs, including visual impairments, autism, Down syndrome, and additional developmental disabilities.
Suffolk County – Islandia
Nassau County – Plainview
Both locations opening in 2026
Each location will integrate education and therapy under one roof in coordination to support children’s development across cognitive, physical, social, and communication skills.
What Makes the CLC Different
Support is individualized through a multidisciplinary team approach that integrates education and therapy in accessible, specialized environments.
- Education and therapy integrated under one roof – no separate appointments, coordinated team approach
- Multidisciplinary teams working in coordination – speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, early childhood special education teachers
- Specialized expertise in vision loss and complex needs – teachers of the visually impaired work alongside classroom teachers and therapists
- Family partnership at every step – Social Workers and family support staff partnering with families throughout the journeyregular communication, workshops, home and school connection
Your Support Matters
This event brings together local businesses, community leaders, and supporters who recognize the importance of specialized early childhood services and are committed to ensuring children with complex developmental needs across Nassau and Suffolk Counties have access to the specialized services that set the foundation for lifelong learning and independence. Your support can help make the difference between a family having new opportunities for their child or continuing to navigate waitlists and fragmented systems.
Your support enables us to create environments where children thrive:
- Facility Development: Specialized classrooms, sensory spaces, accessible outdoor areas
- Technology & Accessibility: Assistive devices, communication systems, adaptive learning tools
- Named Giving Opportunities: Classrooms, therapy rooms, outdoor spaces—create a lasting legacy
When families have access to services during these critical early years, children gain skills and confidence that transform their educational trajectories. Your investment ensures we can welcome every child who needs these services.
Family Voices
“When he first started, he was scared to walk and now he walks around freely and is even walking up the steps at home with support. He came in not knowing his alphabet, numbers, or how to engage with toys, and today he’s made huge strides in all of those areas. He has become more independent and confident thanks to your hard work and compassion.”
“Not everyone would have looked at our daughter and seen all of her amazing potential, but every single person she has encountered at Helen Keller did.”
“We want to say thank you for being amazing! We know your jobs can be challenging, but every single one of you handles them with incredible grace and kindness. Every single one of you truly makes it a home, a place where we as parents know our kids are safe and happy.”
Dr. Avien Henry, Principal, Children’s Learning Center:
“What we see year after year is nothing short of extraordinary. Children who arrive with complex needs leave us thriving, meeting milestones that seemed distant at the start. With the right support, the right expertise, and our specialists working together seamlessly, we watch children flourish in ways that continually inspire us.”
Larry Kinitsky, Board Chairman:
“On behalf of our Board of Trustees, I want to express how proud we are to support this expansion. This represents our commitment to maintaining excellent programs, growing our impact, and reaching more families who need early childhood services. We’re investing in the future of Long Island’s children.”
Event Sponsorship Opportunities
This expansion represents a significant milestone for Long Island families who have had extremely limited options for specialized preschool services. Sponsorship packages provide prominent recognition at the event and in related materials while aligning your organization with Helen Keller Services’ mission to support facility development, accessibility technology, and the specialized programming that allows children with complex developmental needs to thrive.
Event Location:
Thursday, May 7, 2026
The Stone Goat Restaurant & Brewery
552 N Country Rd, Saint James, NY 11787
Download and share our event invitation
Helen Keller Services: Creating Pathways to Independence from the Earliest Years