ACDS
ACDS’s primary headquarters is located in Plainview, New York. We have a second facility in Levittown, New York. ACDS was originally founded in 1966 by a group of parents on Long Island who were seeking services for their young children with Down syndrome. Since then we have grown and evolved into a lifetime services agency that serves families of individuals with a wide range of disabilities, from before birth until late adulthood. Our programs are delivered in a variety of settings, including our educational center in Plainview, in the family’s home, in community based programs and in our Individualized Residential Alternative group homes (IRAs). We currently have the capacity to serve more than one thousand people across all our programs.

The continuity of service that we offer is one of the unique characteristics of ACDS. A great percentage of our teens and adults started with ACDS in early childhood in classes that were staffed by teachers, assistants and therapists, many of whom are still with ACDS to this day. While we have a blend of experienced and younger staff, it is not at all unusual for our older consumers to return to our school and be greeted by staff that taught them when they were toddlers. These dedicated individuals are committed to our consumers in a way that is best appreciated by visiting our facilities and observing the patient, caring, nurturing approach with which our staff and administration conduct themselves. When we refer to the ACDS family, it is more than a cliché. We are in a unique position to help complete the “Circle of Life” for our families.

Regardless of the program, our services are designed with the individual in mind. There are no cookie cutters in our tool bag. All of our activities – educational, recreational, therapeutic, social – focus on the unique characteristics and abilities of the person we are serving, with one goal – to help that individual develop to their full potential. We bring a wealth of experience, developed over nearly a half century, to the job every day. And we are proud to say that our greatest reward is having families share their stories of how ACDS has made a difference in their lives..