About the Autism Nest Program

The Autism Nest Program is a New York City Public Schools program that supports autistic learners in micro-inclusion settings. It is one of three NYCPS programs supporting autistic learners, all of which provide:

• Pre-service and ongoing staff training, coaching, and consultation; and
• Collaborative structures within the school to ensure that school staff are trained to provide consistent interventions across the school day, including in all classes, during lunch and at recess. 

Caregivers and parents are valued as partners in supporting their children, and the programs are designed to support a strong, positive home-school connection.  

Implemented in kindergarten through 12th grade, the Autism Nest Program embraces a comprehensive approach to providing safe, inclusive classroom environments where students are valued as individuals. The program supports autistic learners in developing their academic skills and social competencies, including self-advocacy skills, so they can succeed in school and attain their full, unique potential as competent, self-determined, and happy adults. 

In Nest schools, autistic students learn in small Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) classrooms alongside general education students. Classrooms are taught by one general education teacher and one special education teacher, who follow New York State learning standards and the NYCPS curriculum. Nest teachers are trained in specialized strategies for autistic students, including a social and communication curriculum developed by NYU called Social Development Intervention (SDI). NYU’s Nest Support Project provides training, professional development, and on-site consultation for teachers, therapists, and administrators, as well as workshops and a newsletter for Nest families. Since its launch in 2003, the program has grown to more than 90 NYC schools, serving students across five boroughs and all grade levels. 

In a previous study of the Nest program, the Research Alliance interviewed teachers and administrators in Nest elementary schools; results highlighted the perceived benefits of the program for students as well as necessary elements for success and challenges in implementation. Building on this work, the current study represents the first exploration of postsecondary outcomes for Nest graduates. 

About the Study

In collaboration with the NYU Nest Support Project, the Research Alliance is leading a three-year longitudinal study that aims to track postsecondary outcomes of Nest graduates, examining education, employment, friendship, and quality of life metrics. 

The study has been designed with authentic involvement of autistic people at every stage, including focus groups to define meaningful quality of life indicators and an autistic researcher participating in study design, implementation, and analysis. Data collection consists of annual surveys sent to Nest high school seniors and graduates from 2025 through 2027, incorporating a new Quality of Life measure designed by autistic individuals and questions from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 for national comparison.

Findings will inform potential refinements to the Nest model to better support autistic students, demonstrate the outcomes of the Nest approach, and help guide other schools and districts in creating inclusive settings that lead to successful postsecondary outcomes for autistic learners.

• Andrew Yan