New Rochelle sits in Westchester County, so its Early Intervention referrals and OPWDD access point are shared countywide, while school evaluation runs through the City School District of New Rochelle specifically.

This page lists the phone numbers, URLs, and publicly documented details behind each door, plus a city-run recreation program built for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the New York page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to New Rochelle (Westchester County).

Early intervention under 3: New York State Early Intervention Program (EIP) — Westchester County

Westchester County's Department of Health administers Early Intervention for every municipality inside it, New Rochelle included. A parent, pediatrician, or child care provider can call the program directly to start a referral, and no diagnosis is required — a developmental concern about a child under 3 is enough. State regulation (10 NYCRR §69-4.11) requires the family service plan to be completed within 45 days of referral, with services beginning within 30 days of a parent's signature, all free of charge.

• New York State Early Intervention Program (EIP) — Westchester County
• Referral phone: 914-813-5094

New to early intervention? Read the plain-language guide first.

School districts and special education

Every New York district must identify and evaluate children with a suspected disability from birth through 21 at no cost, under its Child Find duty. Start with a written request to your child's school; state regulation (8 NYCRR §200.4) sets a 60-calendar-day limit on completing the initial evaluation once you've given written consent.

• City School District of New Rochelle — Office of Student Support Services, 914-576-4267, 515 North Avenue
• Scarsdale Union Free School District — Office of Special Education & Student Services, 914-721-2445, a neighboring Westchester district

IEP or 504 · If you disagree with the school

Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in New Rochelle

These are hospital and university programs with public intake information. Listing here is informational — it is not a recommendation, and it is not medical advice. Public school evaluation is free and does not require any of these.

• Boston Children's Health Physicians — Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics (Hawthorne) — diagnosis and care for autism, ADHD, developmental delay, and learning problems, with behavioral intervention, educational support, parent counseling, and coordination with speech, OT, and PT specialists; new-patient intake begins with a virtual visit · 914-304-5250

How assessment works · What to do while you wait

Disability services and waivers: NYS OPWDD — Lower Hudson Valley region

OPWDD's Lower Hudson Valley office, based in Tarrytown, covers Westchester County alongside Orange, Rockland, and Sullivan counties. Call the statewide Infoline (866-946-9733) to be transferred to your regional Front Door, or reach the Lower Hudson Valley office directly. Families then move through eligibility determination, a needs evaluation, and Care Manager-led service planning, including Medicaid's Home and Community Based Services Waiver for those who pursue it.

• NYS OPWDD — Lower Hudson Valley region
• Phone: 845-947-6100 (Lower Hudson Valley region) · 866-946-9733 (statewide Infoline)

Local organizations that help New Rochelle families

• The Arc Westchester — 914-949-9300 (24-hour crisis line 914-949-8200); countywide services including early intervention support and family resources
• Autism Society Greater Hudson Region — 1-833-692-7447; covers 21 counties including Westchester
• Westchester Independent Living Center — Parent Training and Information — 845-228-7457; federally funded parent training and information center serving Westchester and neighboring counties
• New Rochelle Department of Parks & Recreation — Special Recreation — 914-654-2087; year-round recreation program for ages 5-65 with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Strides ABA — New Rochelle — 732-353-1414; ABA provider serving New Rochelle, Pelham, Mount Vernon, and Yonkers
• Special Olympics New York — Hudson Valley Region — 845-765-2497; covers Westchester and the surrounding Hudson Valley counties
• United Way Westchester & Putnam 211 Helpline — dial 211; free 24/7 referral line

Documented waits and access notes

Wait times change. Each note below links to the public source it came from — confirm current status directly with the program.

• New Rochelle's district faces the same statewide deadline every CSE does: 60 school days from a parent's consent to have services actually arranged, tightened to 30 school days when the recommendation is an approved private-school seat. (source)
• New York doesn't cap the dollar amount or the child's age for autism coverage, but the mandate does put a 680-hour annual ceiling on covered ABA — something a New Rochelle family should factor into a treatment plan. (source)