On Jul. 2, 1952, Dr. Jonas Salk first innoculated children at the D. T. Watson Home for Crippled Children in Leetsdale, PA. That year, 98 subjects, mostly children, were studied at the Watson Home, and 63 more were inoculated at the Polk State School in Polk, PA. After the success of his clinical trials, Dr. Salk inoculated a large group of Watson’s patients who were suffering from polio, recording their medical history for the next ten (10) years.

Widespread inoculation using the Salk vaccine led to further developments and enhancements to the vaccine, leading to the near eradication of the polio virus in the modern day. In 1999, D.T. Watson sold its rehabilitation hospital, returning to its mission of serving children with disabilities ages 3 to 21, and re-named the organization, the Watson Institute.

Throughout the early 2000s, the Watson Institute has expanded from its original Sewickley campus to add three additional locations in Sharpsburg, Friendship (East Liberty area), and Bridgeville. The Watson Institute now offers support through its family of special education schools, reaching students with various diagnoses and support needs including autism, cerebral palsy, psychiatric disorders, intellectual disabilities, and anxiety.