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Robert J. Keegan Family Center for Autism Announced

Melissa — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:28:30 +0000

Autism Family Foundation Introduces The Robert J. Keegan Family Center for Autism

- Foundation partners with Akron Children’s Hospital, Summit County Educational Service Center to provide full-range of services to families with children who have autism

- Center to be built in Copley Township

FAIRLAWN, Ohio, June 12 /PRNewswire/ — The Autism Family Foundation of Northeast Ohio today announced the creation of the Robert J. Keegan Family Center for Autism.

The center, which will be located on Cleveland-Massillon Road in Copley Township, will offer a full-range of services to help Akron-area families that have children with autism. At a press conference today, the foundation unveiled architectural renderings of the 12,500-square-foot privately built and leased facility, which will be located just south of State Route 18.

“Today is a great day for the Autism Family Foundation, as well as for the children and families we serve in the Akron area,” said Barb Hudak, president of the Autism Family Foundation. “This new center will allow us to offer quality care and support to more families through a much wider range of services than ever before.”

Autism is a developmental disability that affects one in every 150 American children, according to the Autism Society of America. It is characterized by impaired social interaction, repetitive behaviors and/or interests, and impaired communication skills.

In addition to housing a school facility, the Robert J. Keegan Family Center for Autism will provide children and their families with a variety of services aimed at managing autism, as well as enhancing quality of life. These services include workshops, support groups, a resource library, grants and a family liaison.

The center was made possible through partnerships with Akron Children’s Hospital and the Summit County Educational Service Center, as well as a generous gift from Robert J. Keegan, chairman and CEO of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, and his wife, Lynn.

“The Autism Family Foundation grew from our passion – from our hearts,” said Mr. Keegan. “Success in endeavors like this doesn’t happen without a great deal of community help and support. And we have no doubt that additional support will come as the passion behind this effort continues to gain momentum.”

Akron Children’s Hospital has pledged ongoing support for the center and will offer medical staff and resources to assist in its activities.

“We are excited about the prospect of developing a formal relationship with the center and believe this affiliation will benefit patients and families who we’re both privileged to serve,” said William Considine, president of Akron Children’s Hospital.

The Summit County Educational Service Center intends to provide a comprehensive and innovative educational, therapeutic and supportive environment for students with autism and their families in preschool, kindergarten through second grade. The center envisions an 11-month, extend-stay program (9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.).

“The opportunity to introduce an excellent public educational program for students with autism and complex needs is important to us,” said Linda Fuline, superintendent of the Summit County Educational Service Center. “This innovative program will be effective, efficient and fiscally responsible, allowing area children to access programming within Summit County.”

Groundbreaking for the center is scheduled for September, and the building should be ready for occupancy by August 1, 2010.

Ohio Screening Very Few Infants and Toddlers for Autism

Melissa — Sat, 02 May 2009 23:32:01 +0000

The following is from a press release by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The information is included in a list of several topics that will be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies in Baltimore, which began today.

Few screened for autism: Perhaps as few as 5 percent of infants and toddlers in Ohio are being screened for autism and developmental disorders at well-child visits, despite American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommending the use of specific screening tools.

Additionally, the following autism-related item will also be discussed:

Autism, poor nutrition and cognitive function: Autistic children have a strong preference for a narrow and specific range of foods, putting them at nutritional risk. In a second study, researchers found that the red blood cells of children with autism have low levels of a fatty acid linked to cognitive function, warranting further research into how this may trigger biochemical changes in the brain linked to the disorder.

Ohio State University’s Autistic Self-Advocacy Network Chapter

Melissa — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:39:36 +0000

The Ohio State chapter of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) was originally formed in late 2008 but the group is trying to get the organization off the ground and up and running. An article appeared in today’s edition of The Lattern – Autistic students self-represent.

A big difference between ASAN and similar organizations is that it is a self-supporting organization where autistic members holding power.

“We’re an alternative organization. We’re especially concerned with self-advocacy and issues of representation, and issues of speaking for versus speaking as or speaking with,” Yergeau said.

Perhaps the group’s biggest break from the norm of other autism organizations is its anti-cure stance.

Read the entire article on The Lantern.

Ohio Autism Scholarship Information

Melissa — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:27:28 +0000

After I posted about the Haugland Learning Center – Ohio a few weeks ago, I received an email from Sarah with School Choice Ohio. Sarah provided me with some great information about the Ohio Autism Scholarship program and I’m passing it on to you, the readers of The Autism Education Site.

School Choice Ohio – Autism and Autism Scholarship Fast Facts

Created in 2003 to address individual learning needs, preschool and school-age children diagnosed with ASD
are eligible, which allows for critical early intervention.

More than 200 service providers and private schools to choose from, allowing parents to fi nd the right program for their child.

Worth up to $20,000 per year, which is $10,000 less than what public schools receive for students with an ASD.

For more information, download the School Choice Ohio – Autism and Autism Scholarship Fast Facts (PDF)

Download the Ohio Autism Scholarship Brochure (PDF)

Download a list of Autism Scholarship Program Approved Registered Private Providers (PDF)

Haugland Learning Center – Ohio

Melissa — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:57:25 +0000

I have just revisited the website of the Haugland Learning Center. The organization runs a summer camp program for children with Asperger’s Syndrome and children with autism. Additionally, the organization runs schools at several locations throughout Ohio – Columbus, Lancaster, Middleport, Portsmouth, and Fremont (opening Fall 2009). Prior to today, I only had the Columbus location listed.

The following is from the Haugland Learning Center website:

Haugland Learning Center serves students preschool through twelfth grade (ages 3-22). We serve students from five counties and most central Ohio school districts. We have several types of classrooms in order to meet the individual educational needs of our students. Our school day is from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Latchkey services are available before and after school.

In addition to low teacher/student ratios, we have additional support staff that are actively involved in the classrooms. Our program coordinators oversee the students IEP’s and curriculum development. Our behavior specialists work with teachers and students to develop behavior plans, reinforce appropriate behaviors, and address disruptive behaviors as needed. HLC has a school-wide reinforcement system with points that are redeemed for rewards or privileges. Individual classrooms and students also have additional motivation systems. Specific behavior plans are written as needed for students needing a more comprehensive support team.

The majority of our students use the Autism Scholarship Program as payment for the school year tuition. Some school districts pay directly for students to attend HLC.

If you are interested in having your child attend HLC, we encourage you to first tour the facility. From that point, a meeting is scheduled for us to answer additional questions and to assess your child to determine an appropriate placement. If we have an opening to meet his/her needs, scholarship paperwork must be approved and students are able to start within a few weeks. We are currently taking applications for the remainder of the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years.

I will be adding the contact information for the new schools to the Ohio Autism Schools section of The Autism Education Site.

The Cleveland Clinic Lerner School for Autism

Melissa — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:49:14 +0000

The Cleveland Clinic, one of the nation’s foremost autism research and diagnostic centers, has opened the Lerner School for Autism. From the May 2008 press release:

“We are so excited that this day has come for us and for our students,” said Leslie Sinclair, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital Center for Autism. “We see so many children from all over the country who lack treatment options in their communities. This new school will allow us to open our doors to many more children and offer quality care in a much more efficient space.”

The dedication program on May 15 included honoring Norma Lerner and Mort and Iris November for their generous donations, which made the project possible. Delos M. “Toby” Cosgrove, M.D., President and CEO of Cleveland Clinic, Robert Wyllie, M.D., Physician-in Chief of the Children’s Hospital, and Ms. Sinclair, in addition to students and parents attended the event.

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects one in 150 children. It is defined by three factors: significant impairment in social exchange and interaction; impaired communication skills; and repetitive or stereotyped behaviors and/or interests. Autism is part of a larger group of developmental disabilities called pervasive developmental disorders, often referred to globally as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Other disorders include Asperger’s disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).

There is no vaccination or cure for autism, but behavioral therapy has been shown effective in alleviating symptoms, particularly if it is sought early. Family support and participation is extremely important in reinforcing improvements. The only treatments supported by clinical data include programs using the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), also referred to as Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) when aimed at young children, and some pharmacological treatments.

The Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism has had an active consultation business in the local community since 1998. Therapists have provided individual, classroom, home and school consultation. The Center has also recently launched the Cleveland Clinic Autism Consulting Group to help other organizations incorporate the Center’s treatment practices. The group’s first out-state-project is to collaborate in the development of the Ozark Center for Autism in Joplin, Mo.

About Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital
Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital is a hospital within a hospital at Cleveland Clinic. More than 200 pediatric specialists offer medical, surgical, neonatal and intensive care at our Main Campus, and rehabilitative, developmental, and behavioral care at our Shaker Campus.

The acute-care pediatric hospital is located on Main Campus, and the Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation and Center for Autism are located at our Shaker Campus. Children’s Hospital medical and surgical subspecialty services are also offered at Hillcrest and Fairview hospitals, which have dedicated pediatric emergency departments and neonatal intensive care units. Pediatric care also available at Cleveland Clinic Family Health Centers throughout the community.

Cleveland Clinic is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center integrating clinical care, research, and education.