We have been a member of the QSAC family for 31 years. Our first parent trainer is now the CEO. That in itself says something. From the very beginning, the staff of the organization from Administrators on down were caring and helpful offering guidance and training for family members and our son. Years of Community Habilitation helped make progress we were not sure was possible and offered us needed information on how to address various issues that arose. They have been steadfast in maintaining a well run organization during some very difficult times while continuing to care for those they serve and their families.
I am a parent of a now 36 year old low functioning autistic male. He has been placed into a QSAC group home since 2010.
He will always require the care of a toddler. By accepting my son into one of their group homes, QSAC gave me back my life.
And as I age I would no longer be able to provide the care he needs. I am grateful for the services they provide for my son.
This place is a hostile non profit. The senior billing specialist at Jamaica 1 is unhinged. She will cut corners on staff pay, exploiting hourly staff to receive her bonus and raise every year. The senior billing partner is NOT sensitive to employees with disabilities. Once she finds out she makes your job impossible. If you call HR, nepotism prevents meaningful solutions.
QSAC workers truly dedicate their all to their consumers. They work their hardest to provide the autistic population services that they deserve. Autism is a diagnosis however; it does not classify this population as being "not able." Everybody has their own dreams and so those with Autism. They also wake up every day wanting to acquire or experience something new. People underestimate how difficult it is to raise a child who has Autism and the struggles parents go through. QSAC employees have sympathy and recognize that is it not easy.
Hearing the words, “your child has autism” is like a tiny crack in the ice that spreads until half of a glacier falls into the ocean, and leaves you just as cold. Imagine, now, reading these words on your autistic daughter’s report card: “failure to thrive in the classroom.” Failure to “thrive”? Was our daughter “dying” in the classroom? My husband and I had gone to New York City public schools, as does our son. Yet our daughter’s special ed. classroom in a local public school was adding to her demise. Thus began our search for a more “appropriate placement” for our daughter C., a setting where she would not just survive, but “thrive” and progress. Our research led us to QSAC Dayschool, which utilizes an ABA (applied behavioral analysis) approach to teach the students. C. had made some strides while receiving ABA during Early Intervention, and we felt that we had found a match. After many evaluations, two and a half years of red tape, and finally an impartial hearing, she was allowed to attend QSAC Dayschool and Afterschool in 2008. Fast-forward to March 1st, 2010, when our daughter received the Queens Council on Developmental Disabilities Celebrating Success award for outstanding achievement! Or to June 25th, 2010, when she sang a Miley Cyrus song with a fellow classmate at the first-ever Dayschool graduation! C. has made tremendous progress in her new home and the Dayschool has become our family’s home, too. We participate in the much-needed Parent Support Group, parent training classes, and the Sibling Support Group. The QSAC organization provides us with service coordination and support in all aspects of having a family member affected by autism. No child fits a mold, particularly the “special child”. When we were cast adrift by the public school system, QSAC was our lifeline. We will be forever grateful to the courageous founders of the QSAC organization, and to the dedicated professionals there who continue to work on behalf of families such as ours.
My son D. was diagnosed with autism at 20 months, he currently attends QSAC preschool. When D. (now almost 5) started preschool a year ago, we were scared and skeptic, after all he had been receiving services for almost 2 years and very little progress had been made. Little did we know that our life was gonna take a turn for the better, not only we found in QSAC the perfect "school" for my son, where he is blooming day by day, but we also found a guiding hand, they have helped us as a family, we found excellent professionals but more important we found friends. Thank you QSAC
my son attends the QSAC day school since 2004 and it has been amazing to see him progress from recognizing letters to reading, a feat i previously thought impossible. I find the teachers very dedicated and responsive to concerns and feedback. As parents, this school offers us peace of mind in knowing that our nonverbal autistic child is productively engaged throughout his day.
Our son has been attending the QSAC day school since September 2004. He has benefited greatly from the school. There is a lot about the QSAC day school that is unique. It has amazing educators in charge who are accommodating and approachable. They will always listen to comments and concerns, and once a month conduct clinics in which parents can review their child’s program in the classroom setting. It is inclusive, takes children with disruptive behaviors and many who are low functioning. The students are there until age 21 (when they are larger and possibly harder to control). QSAC does not look at parental income - or how able families will be to fundraise for the school. All in all it has been a very positive experience for him and us.
My son has been receiving services from QSAC since 1992. They introduced us to the intervention known as "applied behavioral analysis" which offered our son the key that opened the door to his ability to understand and learn. While educating him, they educated us, his family members, on how to address skills needed for activities of daily living, as well as, the behavioral challenges which have been many and varied. They have been there in times of family emergencies when extra help was needed for our son. They have provided him recreation and overnight trips giving him the opportunity to be a "typical" kid, away from Mom and Dad, in a safe environment with people who understand and respect him for the person he is. The very first trip though stressful for us both was the first time he asked for "Mommy". For the first time, I knew he knew who I was and what I meant to him. Their services and support have offered us time as well -- respite from the 24/7 caregiver responsibilities to "recharge" and address his needs anew. Staff at all each level has always been caring, considerate and understanding, and exhibited their knowledge and training in addressing the nuances of this difficult disability. We are extremely grateful for what they have offered and continue to offer us.
As a local attorney and member of so many organizations throughout Queens, I am very happy to support QSAC. Our family is proud to stand with QSAC and their mission. The entire staff, volunteers and organization have touched so many families and individuals suffering with Autism. I urge everyone to support, donate, volunteer or become involved in any way of QSAC.
After my son graduated out of school, (who currently attends the day hab. program at QSAC) I researched different agencies where he could be placed. He started at YAI a well known agency and the experience was not a good one. We would be called to pick him up on various occcasions because his behavior was not in keep[ing with the others and my take on it was if the other cosumers were so good why were they in a day hab. program to begin with. He was moved to a different site without consulting with us after which we pulled him out of the program. QSAC has been supportive to his needs and all decisions are made in consultation with us. The staff listens and works with the family to make it easier to meet his and our needs.
We have received services from QSAC since our son was diagnosed in 1993. At that (pre-internet) time, we knew very little about autism and had few resources available. QSAC was instrumental in helping us set up a home ABA program that enabled our son to progress from no speech to becoming verbal. The many meetings and programs they sponsored helped us learn more about autism and to obtain feedback and advice from other parents. Their weekend respite programs have not only provided our son with a wonderful mini-vacation, but have also provided us with some quality time together. Although there are now other agencies and programs to help parents, I still recommend QSAC highly to parents of newly diagnosed children.
I have been involved with QSAC for many years. I have an adult child with autism, who always had serious behavior problems and was very difficult to live with. When he was a young child, we didn't know how to teach or manage him, Autism was new and no one knew much about it.. Thankfully, an organization like QSAC was formed. QSAC provided parent training, opened up an after school program, provided respite for families and taught parents how to work with their children. Fortunately I was one of them. QSAC also had respite services, where a worker came into my home so my husband and I could get out for a couple of hours. My child is now an adult - he goes to a QSAC Day Habilitation Program and lives in a QSAC group home. I am thankful for QSAC and the services that they provide to hundreds of families. I also am quite involved with the organization and make frequent donations. I would like to see more parents involved, and more senior staff The QSAC Staff is the best.
I have worked alongside Qsac in various capacities for almost 10 years. I must say that I have never worked with a more professional group of people dedicated to helping individuals with autism. There is a certain sensitivity required to work with any population and Qsac has a rigorous training program that emphasizes both A.B.A. techniques and sensitivity. The result is a staff that cares and it shows. Qsac is an agency that other agencies should shoot to emulate.
QSAC offers a wide variety of programs and services that are essential to individuals living with autism. The agency provides programs for preschool children to teens to adults in their 40s. Autism has recently become a "hot" topic and the increased press is bringing much needed awareness to individuals with ASD; however the emphasis is mostly placed on autistic children. It would appear that adults with autism are rarely considered. QSAC understands that children with ASD will grow into adults with ASD. The agency provides a number of programs and services to address the needs of the adult ASD population while continuing to focus on early intervention with younger children and other programs for young adults.
My son - now almost 21 -and family have been received services from QSAC for over 15 years. This organization has been a lifeline and lifesaver to us. From parent training in the early years, to much needed respite ( in our home and weekends away for our son, which he eagerly anticipates), to residential habilitation, vacation programs and case management, QSAC has always been there every step of the way. As my son transitions out of the educational system into the adult world, QSAC is there to offer programs, services and support.
QSAC is now one of the premier agencies that serve those with Autism. They provide services in the home, case management and run quite a few group homes. The residents are extremely well cared for; it is very obvious that this agency has the interests of its consumers as its highest priority. Additionally, there are weekend trips and week long trips for these consumers. These services are sorely needed to help care for and treat this population. Not only does QSAC significantly improve the quality of life for their consumers with Autism, they also dramatically relieve part of the burden of caring for our children with Autism and make being a parent of such a child substantially easier. My child is physically and chronologically an adult, but he will always have the mental age of a 2-3 year old.
I have been hugely impressed by the work carried out by this organization and the dedication and hard work of all of the employees. Everyone who works at QSAC is committed to making a difference and the organization provides its services to all those affected by autism in the community, irrespective of the severity of the disorder or the financial circumstances of the family.
We had an incredibly positive experience at the QSAC pre-school. Our twin boys attended the pre-school for 2 years and by the time they graduated we had achieved tremendous improvement on every level; verbal skills, social skills and day to day living skills. Every member of the staff was caring, experienced, informative and completely dedicated to these children. It laid a wonderful foundation for their future.