Bridges Community School

The EASTCONN Bridges Community School, formerly known as the Autism Program, provides a regionally based, comprehensive, integrated service program for students with autism and other low-incidence disabilities in ages PreK-22.

The program is characterized by a structured, intensive, individualized approach to instruction based on the principles of applied behavioral analysis (ABA). We emphasize systematic teaching to promote learning and generalization and utilize on-going evidence-based assessment, intervention, and progress monitoring to guide instruction in all areas of development.

The EBCS offers collaborative, multi-disciplinary systems of support, small classroom sizes and 1:1 teacher/student ratios. (Greater ratios, including 2:1 or 3:1, may be arranged as needed after collecting data and getting to know the student.) Our caring staff members provide in-house Board-Certified Behavioral Analysis (BCBA), Assistive Technology (AT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT) and other related services, along with wraparound services for families.


Members of our multidisciplinary team including psychologists and BCBAs are also available to consult with districts to assess program or district-wide needs, with the goal of building in-district capacity to develop and support student programs in their home schools/communities.

The EASTCONN Bridges Community School provides services for towns in northeastern Connecticut and across other parts of the state. For placement in our program, ask your local school leaders for a referral. (EASTCONN cannot directly admit any student into the program without a referral from a public school district.)

2024-2025 Bridges School Calendar

Instruction based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) including:
Explicit instruction that's uniquely designed to match our learners' needs and build upon their individual strengths and goals
An emphasis on proactive strategies to create environments that foster functional and communication skills
Strong family-school partnerships, including daily communication with families and ongoing collaboration to support skill generalization across home and community environments
Data-driven decision making across providers and settings in order to determine the most effective supports and services for each student

Our team collaborates to develop and implement innovative, individualized, assessment-driven programming for students with diverse needs. We work together with districts and families to identify priorities for instruction and systematically implement programs across providers and settings to improve student outcomes.