Special Needs Art Classes for Families

Children's Museum of the Arts – Hudson Square
103 Charlton Street between Hudson and Greenwich Streets
A personal favorite of mine, CMA offers wonderful special needs programming on weekends. Stripes on Saturdays features art classes for children on the autism spectrum and their families. Inclusive Sundays offers art lessons in a social setting for children of all ages and abilities. Special needs children under age 6 can create with parents while ages 7 and up can participate in drop-off sessions with their siblings and peers. Classes include a licensed OT and are FREE. Due to limited space, advance registration is required. For more info or to register, email Rachel at rrapoport@cmany.org.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art – Upper East Side
1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street
The Met offers themed art workshops for children (and adults!) ages 5 and up with special needs. These programs are FREE but advance registration is required. For more info or to make a reservation, call 212-650-2010 or email access@metmuseum.org.

The Museum of Modern Art – Midtown West
11 West 53 Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues
MoMA's Create Ability program was specially created for children ages 5 and up with developmental disabilities. Each month focuses on a different topic and includes a hands-on art project. The sessions are FREE but advance registration is required. For more information or to register, you can call 212-408-6347 or e-mail accessprograms@moma.org.

Queens Museum – Corona
New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Currently at the tail end of a six-month renovation, the museum is set to reopen on November 9 with bigger galleries and the same high-quality family programming for children of all abilities. In conjunction with its nationally recognized ArtAccess program, the Queens Museum offers free with admission drop-in art workshops. Although these sessions are open to all, adjustments are made for special needs participants, so they can enjoy fun, educational activities that fuel conversations about the art on view. Looking to book an entire special needs class? ArtAccess offers interactive tours followed by thematically related art projects for $7 per student with a $70 minimum. For more information on the museum's programs call 718-592-9700 ext.136 or email access@queensmuseum.org.

14th Street Y – East Village
344 East 14th Street near First Avenue
Though the Y is not a museum, I want to mention its Arts RX art therapy classes, which include hands-on creative projects and social skill building. Classes are held on Saturdays for children ages 4 to 16. For more info, contact Amanda Kayam at Amanda_Kayam@14StreetY.org or call 646-395-4339.

Know of an art program in your area? It's worth calling and inquiring if any of the classes can be tailored to your child's particular needs. It's amazing how accommodating teachers can be when approached.

Special Needs Art Classes for Schools

Brooklyn Museum – Crown Heights
200 Eastern Parkway near Washington Avenue
Geared toward children in self-contained classrooms, these educator-led gallery experiences cost $1.50 per student (maximum of 15 kids per sessions). Activities include sensory learning, touch objects and art-making. A telephone appointment with an assigned museum educator is required. All school groups must make advance reservations. For more info, call 718-501-6221.

The Guggenheim – Upper East Side
1071 Fifth Avenue at 89th Street
The Guggenheim recently debuted a new educational series aimed at children on the autism spectrum. Each program is individually tailored toward the group, and includes two classroom visits by an educator and a museum visit for the students. The cost is $500 for the entire group, however discounts apply for Title 1 NYC public schools. For more information, call 212 423 3637 or e-mail Sarah Pospiech at spospiech@guggenheim.org.

Find out about other great programs for children with special needs in our Special Needs Guide.