[3] The Gateway School of New York was established in 1965 by Elizabeth Freidus and Claire Flom.

Freidus was an educator at Columbia University Teachers College; Claire Flom was the mother of Gateway's first student.

[4][5] The initial class consisted of five students in a space rented from Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

2009 - LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council[7] 2010 - National Center for Learning Disabilities’ Founders Award for exceptional service to children and families[8] 2011 - Head of School Robert Cunningham named one of the top Game Changers in Education by The Huffington Post[9] Elizabeth Freidus, Founding Director[10] (1965–1978) Davida Sherwood, Ph.D., Director[6] (1978-2004) Robert Cunningham, Head of School[11] (2004-2013) Carolyn Salzman, Head of School[12] (2013–2020) Laurie Gruhn, Head Of School (2020–present) Gateway is a member of the following professional organizations: Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), Education Records Bureau (ERB), Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY),[13] International Dyslexia Association (IDA),[14] Learning Disabilities Association (LDA), National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), National Business Officers Association (NBOA), New York Guild of Independent Schools, New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS),[2] and Parents League of New York[15] Head of School Carolyn Salzman authored an article titled "Choosing a Special Education School" for the 2015 issue of The Parents League Review.

[12] In the fall of 2015, artwork from Gateway students was on display at the Child Mind Institute in New York City, as part of the Beginning with the Self exhibit.