Kevin Gersh

In 1999, recognizing a void in America’s special education, Kevin Gersh opened Gersh Academy, a private school focusing on students who face autism spectrum and related neurobiological disorders. Through several customized day-school programs in the greater New York and Miami areas and a post-secondary program near Buffalo, New York, Kevin Gersh provides a coordinated learning environment for his charges from kindergarten through college.

At Gersh Academy, headquartered on Long Island, Kevin Gersh hires, trains, and supervises staff while overseeing the various schools and programs. Challenged by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia himself, he empathizes with his students. Therefore, Kevin Gersh has created an environment where children with learning disabilities can prosper and grow. The academy’s signature program, I Am I Can, aids students in becoming emotionally available for learning and in self-managing to regulate symptoms. Another program, Behavioral, Academic & Social Enrichment (BASE) Institute, utilizes a team approach to provide 12 months of academic, behavioral, and social treatment for ages 5 to 21.

Kevin Gersh also provides two post-secondary programs: The Gersh Experience at Daemen College—where students learn independent-living skill and can earn a Bachelor’s degree, and The Gersh Experience—a noncredit certificate program that teaches adult life skills and includes the option to attend Erie Community College. Kevin Gersh created a system in which students at every level receive a comprehensive education.

The staff at Gersh Academy includes clinical psychologists; speech, occupational, and music therapists; social workers; and consulting psychiatrists. At the academy, students also learn life skills. A member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, Kevin Gersh belongs to the Council for Exceptional Children as well. Recognized by Inc. magazine as a top businessperson, he also garnered a British Airways Face-to-Face award, enabling him to research the education system in Dubai. Currently, Kevin Gersh is exploring ways to deliver education to children with special needs in the Middle East and other parts of the globe.