AHRC Suffolk, the Suffolk Chapter of NYSARC Inc., was originally the acronym for the "Association for the Help of Retarded Children." After years of advocacy across the nation and internationally by individuals served and their families, the term "mental retardation" is no longer used. In its place the terms intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities are utilized in both common parlance and now in State and Federal law. AHRC Suffolk chose to continue using the letters due to the fact that it has been our name for 70 years; however, in an effort to erase the R-word we have changed what those letters stand for. AHRC now stands for Association for Habilitation and Residential Care.

An individual is considered to have intellectual and/or developmental disability based upon the following three criteria: his/her intellectual functioning level as measured by an IQ test is below 70; he/she has significant limitations in two or more adaptive skill areas (which might include communication, self-care, home living, social skills, community use, self-direction, health and safety, functional academics, leisure and work); and the condition is present from childhood (defined as age 18 or earlier). An Intellectual and/or developmental disability is not a disease, nor should it be confused with mental illness.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs a child's ability to communicate and interact with others. It also includes restricted repetitive behaviors, interests and activities. These issues cause significant impairment in social, occupational and other areas of functioning. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is now defined by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a single disorder that includes disorders that were previously considered separate — autism, Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. The term "spectrum" in Autism Spectrum Disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity. Although the term "Asperger's syndrome" is no longer in the DSM, some people still use the term, which is generally thought to be at the mild end of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The number of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder is rising. It's not clear whether this is due to better detection and reporting or a real increase in the number of cases, or both. While there is no cure for Autism Spectrum Disorder, intensive, early treatment can make a big difference in the lives of many children.

AHRC Suffolk offers individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities a wide range of programs, services and supports tailored to meet their specific needs. For information on services, please visit the SERVICES menu of this website.

Yes. AHRC Suffolk offers evaluations such as: psychological evaluations; psychiatric evaluations; medical evaluations; nursing, nutrition and podiatry evaluations; occupational, speech and physical therapy evaluations. For more information, please call our Admissions Coordinators at (631) 585-0100, ext. 557 or email Mary Gallicchio.

For information on the services and programs AHRC Suffolk provides, contact our Admissions Coordinator at (631) 585-0100, ext. 557 or email Mary Gallicchio.

Please see our CONTACT US page for program locations and directions.