October 1969            3 children, 1 class.
 
June 1970                   7 children, 1 class.

September 1970        Provisional charter granted by the New York State Board of Regents.

February 1971          Little Village School moves to expanded facilities in Baldwin with 14                                                         Children, 2 classes.

September 1973        Little Village School moves to expanded facilities in Merrick with 44                                                         children, 6 classes.

October 1973            Absolute Charter granted by the New York State Board of Regents.

February 1975          Absolute Charter granted to extend age to ten.

February 1976          44 children, 7 classes.

September 1976        Early Intervention Program introduced.

September 1978        
Absolute Charter granted by the New York State Board of Regents to educate                                             children to age ten.

August 1979              Little Village School moves to new facility in Garden City.

September 1979        Little Village expands to ten classes.
 
September 1979        Charter granted by New York State Board of Regents to educate children                                                     through grade school.
                  
September 1981        Little Village School expands to 13 classes.

January 1982            Little Village introduces after-school therapeutic recreation Program for                                             children and their families.
                                                
February 1982          Little Village School expands to 14 classes.
                   
September 1982        Pilot Perceptual Motor Program begins.
 
February 1984          Little Village expands to 15 classes.

Spring 1984              Grant received for on-site audiological services.

Spring 1985              Audiological Evaluation initiated.

Spring 1985              Grant for respite/therapeutic recreation services received from the NYS

                                      Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

Spring 1985              Little Village produces film, "The Best in Every Child".

Summer 1985             Grant received from OMRDD Interim Services.

Spring 1987              Initiated programs to establish an Intermediate Care Facility (group home).

September 1987        Little Village purchases Intermediate Care Facility in Manhasset.

September 1988        Home-Based Early Intervention Program introduced.

December 1988          Little Village Intermediate Care Facility opens.

January 1990            Approved as an Evaluation Site for Preschoolers to determine if they have                                                 special education or related service needs.

April 1990                 Little Village dedicates the "Jim Abbot Adaptive Playfield".

September 1991        Augmentative Communication Technology intro duced; Consultive

                                      Speech-Language Program Model introduced in classroom.

September 1992        Little Village expands to 17 classes.

September 1992        Computer Education Project initiated.

September 1994        Little Village moves to new expanded facility in Bellmore.

September 1994        Adaptive Behavior Modification Class opens.

September 1994        Little Village initiates Inclusion model after-school recreation with                                                       Bellmore Day Care.


October 1994            Little Village is officially renamed: Little Village School

                                      The Jack Joel Center for Special Children.

September 1995        Inclusion program begins with Hi Hello Nursery School and a Bellmore                                                       kindergarten class.

September 1996        Little Village opens a model program for autistic children based upon a                                                     combination of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Sensory Integration (SI), and                                         Social / Emotional / Pragmatic Language theory and methodology.

September 1997        Development of additional Applied Behavioral Analysis Classes.

January 1998            Center Based Toddler Program - Parent-Child Model, 3 day a week class for                                                 learning language and socialization.

 September 1999       Inception of Special Class in an Integrated Setting (SCIS) with children.

October 1999            School celebrates "30 Years of Excellence".

August 2001              Ground Breaking Event in Seaford.

July 2002                   School opens at its new location and officially renamed

                                     The Hagedorn Little Village School, Jack Joel Center for Special Children.

September 2002        Installation of a handicapped accessible play ground, dedicated to alumni                                               Keith Hughes.  Installation of memorial garden.

November 2002         Founders Caryl Bank, Ph.D. and Barbara Feingold, Ph.D. elected to the Long                                                   Island Volunteer Hall of Fame.

July 2003                   Dedication of Donor Wall.

July 2003                   Installation of commemorative "Pathway to the Future" brick Walkway.

May 2004                    Opening of Gladys Brooks Foundation Library.

May 2004                    Grant approved for opening a new IRA group home.

February 2005          Newsday & The Times Mirror Foundation Grant - Opening of Parent Resource &                                           Reading Room & Children’s outdoor reading area.

May 2005                    Initiation of a program for evaluating children for augmentative                                                                 communication devices.
                              
October 2005            Opening of The Hagedorn Memorial Garden.

June 2006                   Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing                                                         Association (ASHA) approval to provide continuing ed.

July 2006                   Opening of summer class for elementary age school children from the                                                         community.

September 2006        Expansion of Augmentation Communication Evaluation Program to include                                                 elementary age children from the community.

July 2007                   Opening of a new Little Village Group Home - IRA in Port Washington.

September 2007        Second Special Class in an Integrated Setting (SCIS) which expands the School                                       to 21 classes.

October 2008            Implemented evening workshop series for parents and staff .                          

June 2009                   LIASEA Award of Distinction presented to Caryl Bank and Barbara Feingold.

June 2009                   Retirement of HLVS founders Caryl Bank and Barbara Feingold.

July 2009                   Approved site to provide the NYS Training in the Needs of Students with                                                     Autism.

September 2009       Addition of 3rd Early Intervention Class

September 2009       Installation of a new playground, donated by The Junior League of LI.

October 2009           CARP - After school program - Participation in movement, gym, music and arts                                            and crafts.

October 2009           ACES - After school program - Classes in a variety of areas including sports,                                            music and drama.

March 2010               Addition of 4th Early Intervention Class
 
May 2010                    Babysitting Night Program introduced for Little Village families.

September 2010       Addition of Full Day EI ABA Class.

February 2011         HLVS recognized as a NY State Clean Air Champion.

July 2011                  HLVS installs solar panels.

January 2012           Awarded grant from Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation fund                                                            Augmentative Communications Program

June 2012                  Approval given for new 8-1-3 preschool class.

June 2012                  Executive Director Jon Feingold receives Mass Mutual Disability Leadership                                            Award.

June 2013                  Ground breaking for new wing.

December 2013         Completed new building, including new class rooms, a new OT/PT Center,                                                    expanded therapy rooms and increased on-site storage.

July 2014                  Ribbon Cutting for opening of new wing.

September 2014       Opening of new full day preschool class for students with hearing                                                             impairments and language delays.


SEPTEMBER 2015       Added two new 8-1-3 classes for children with autism spectrum disorders

January 2016           Added One new 8-1-3 Class FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS


AUGUST 2016              HLVS HOSTS FIRST LONG ISLAND SPECIAL OLYMPICS YOUNG ATHLETES EVENT


SEPTEMBER 2016        EXPANDED ONE OF OUR HALF DAY INCLUSION CLASSES TO A FULL DAY PROGRAM


NOVEMBER 2016         HLVS RECEIVES LONG ISLAND "CORPORATE CULTURE" AWARD

SEPTEMBER 2017        EXTENDED 2ND INCLUSION CLASS TO A FULL DAY PROGRAM

2019 - 2020        CELEBRATING OUR 50TH YEAR!



When Little Village was founded by Caryl Bank, Ph.D. and Barbara Feingold, Ph.D., in October, 1969, there were limited facilities in Nassau County for the education of preschoolers with disabilities. From the timeline below you can see how we've grown from three children in a "one room school house" to serving hundreds of children in our state-of-the-art school in Seaford, New York.

History