We are happy to help spread the word that groups are now forming for the fall session of Subway Sleuths, the Transit Museum’s renowned after-school program for children ages 7-11 on the autism spectrum. The program uses a shared interest in trains among spectrum youth as a means to encourage peer to peer interaction and develop social skills and confidence over 10 goal-oriented sessions. Started in fall 2010, the program is now entering its fourth year. To form Subway Sleuths groups, expert facilitators observe students in fun, half-hour sessions at the Museum. Observations will be held on September 17th, 19th, and 21st, and classes will take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays beginning in early October.
Trains are a special interest area for many children on the autism spectrum, and Subway Sleuths uses this passion to help them navigate social experiences and take part in shared learning. Using a strength-based approach, participants explore the Museum’s decommissioned subway station home, becoming transit experts and sharing that enthusiasm with others. By working in pairs as well as collaborating as a group, “Sleuths” practice different forms of social engagement. Each class is facilitated by a special needs educator and a speech-language pathologist, both trained in ASD support, with the help of Transit Museum educators. The program costs $350 and scholarships are available.
Subway Sleuths has been widely praised by special needs advocates and museum professionals alike. The program was awarded a coveted Autism Speaks grant in 2012, and the Transit Museum recently developed a step-by-step printed guide for other museums and after-school programs looking to implement similar projects.
In addition to Subway Sleuths, the Transit Museum offers many other special needs programs throughout the year. Since 2012, the Museum has partnered with Extreme Kids & Crew, a local non-profit cooperative, to create Special Day for Special Kids, a day of free admission and fun activities for special needs families. This summer, the Museum also introduced Straphangers’ Hangout, a weekly program of interactive transit stories, movement and art making for 3-5 year olds with special needs and their caregivers. Guided school and camp programs are customized to accommodate groups with special needs, and the Travel Training program gives middle and high school students with learning disabilities the chance to practice using mass transit safely and independently using vintage trains. During the 2012-2013 school year, 108 special needs groups took part in Museum programming, for a total of 1520 individuals! The Transit Museum is proud to be a resource and haven for special needs families.
For more information and to reserve space in a Subway Sleuths observation session, email lynette.morse@nyct.com.
The New York Transit Museum is located in a decommissioned subway station on the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn. With exhibits on the mezzanine level and a collection of vintage subway and elevated cars on the platform, the Museum is dedicated to offering programs that make its extensive collection accessible and meaningful to the broadest possible audience.
Funding for Subway Sleuths is provided by Autism Speaks, Brooklyn Community Foundation, Tiger Baron Foundation, Warren Lewis Realty, The Joseph Leroy and Ann C. Warner Fund and individual donations.
Where: New York Transit Museum, Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Downtown Brooklyn
When: Observation Sessions:
- Tuesday, September 17 for 8-10 year olds
- Thursday, September 19 for 9-11 year olds
- Saturday, September 21 for 7-9 year olds
Class Schedule:
- Tuesdays, 4:15 pm. 8-10 year olds (starts October 1st)
- Thursdays, 4:15 pm. 9-11 year olds (starts October 3rd)
- Saturdays, 10 am. 7-9 year olds (starts October 5th)