The Phoenix Center

Currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Phoenix Center is a non-profit special education school for students with autism and multiple disabilities who require a highly customized program tailored to their individual needs. The school is unique in its holistic approach and ability to handle each child, no matter how many challenges they face. To that end, the school offers individualized teaching plans, a highly touted behavioral program, psychological counseling, speech/language, occupational and physical therapy, and adaptive programs to foster independence upon graduation.

Additionally, there is a full slate of enriching extracurricular activities to round out the "whole child," including art and music education, cooking instruction in a state-of-the-art kitchen; sports including basketball, bowling and swimming; therapeutic horseback riding, and the newly added horticultural therapy program.

Nurturing these children from age five to 21, the Center's staff comprises the best teachers (20), speech pathologists (9), occupational therapists (5), physical therapists (2), nurses (3), social workers (4), a school psychologist, and a consulting psychiatrist. Leading and guiding the staff are co-founders, Dr. Geraldine A. Gibbia, Ph.D., Executive Director and Dr. Douglas Berrian, Director of Professional Development. The founders have been instrumental in creating a warm, family-oriented environment at the school, as well as championing several unique and successful programs, including, community-based instruction, transition services, relationship-based programs such as The Bridge to Learning Program and The FISH! Philosophy.

The school is located in Nutley, NJ, and serves student from 60 towns in eight New Jersey counties, including Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Morris, Monmouth, Passaic and Union. Since its founding, the Phoenix Center has stayed true to its original mission to help each child rise, like the ancient Phoenix, above their disabilities to new levels of success and happiness.