Celebrating 50+ Years of the Barbara C. Wilson Preschool
For over 50 years, the BCCS Barbara C. Wilson Preschool has provided a best-in-class special education experience for students aged three to five years old. The Preschool Development Program was founded by Dr. Barbara C. Wilson in the basement of a church in Roslyn.
Dr. Wilson envisioned a program supporting students with language and communication disorders and developmental disabilities. At the time the school started, there were only eight students enrolled. Today, over 140 students benefit from services ranging from occupational, physical, speech, behavioral and psychological therapies to music instruction.
“Dr. Wilson’s vision for the school was to offer an educational program that addressed the whole child and integrated information from all therapies in the classroom so that the child was receiving strategies for enhancing skills throughout the day and not just during a 30-minute session,” said Diane Condy, MS, SAS/SDA, Director of Barbara C. Wilson Preschool program.
The school is led by a dedicated staff, with decades of experience behind their belt. Nearly 20 staff members have tenures exceeding 20 years, contributing to the program’s support and success. Diane joined in 1983 and worked directly with the program’s founder, regarding her as a gifted diagnostician.
Throughout the years the Barbara C. Wilson Preschool has grown into a tight-knit community of parents, teachers, and community volunteers. Advancing the STAR curriculum and regular training workshops, they increase successful outcomes through evidence-based classroom interactions. 
Psychologist and Lead Behaviorist William “Bill” Matos, Ph.D., has been with the school for 40 years and worked with Dr. Wilson while pursuing his doctorate and remains a lifelong resource for students and parents.
“Barbara always saw a child’s potential and was always looking for their potential and not what the numbers stated. It’s important for parents to know that they always have someone to come and talk to, that their child is developing, and you cannot determine where your child will wind up based on their performance at a young age. I think that’s really crucial,” said Bill.