National Autism Center Awarded $25,000 Grant from Autism Speaks

Randolph, Mass. – The National Autism Center (NAC), May Institute’s Center for the Promotion of Evidence-based practice, has been awarded a $25,000 grant from Autism Speaks to educate military families with children who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The Center was the only Massachusetts-based nonprofit selected to receive an Autism Speaks’ community grant in 2012.

“Meeting the needs of a child on the autism spectrum is difficult for all families, but especially for military families whose challenges include multiple deployments, frequent relocations, and long waiting lists for services,” said Karen Driscoll, Associate Director, Federal Government Affairs & Military Relations for Autism Speaks. “Receiving parent education and finding high-quality services for their children is critical to these families’ long-term health and wellbeing. We are delighted to support this military family initiative through the National Autism Center.”

“With the help of this new funding, we are developing the Pathways Parent Education Series for military families at five different installations in the United States,” said Hanna Rue, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Executive Director of NAC. “The series focuses on evidence-based interventions for individuals on the autism spectrum that address challenging behaviors in the home setting.”

Parents who participate in NAC’s new Pathways program will receive a two-night training, a web-based question-and-answer session, and a copy of NAC’s Parent’s Guide to Autism. NAC will also create a parent education video based on the series that will be available on the Autism Speaks website.

“The ultimate goal of Pathways is to improve the lives of military children with ASD. We intend to do this by providing their parents and caregivers with reliable and effective training,” Dr. Rue said.

About the National Autism Center
The National Autism Center is May Institute’s Center for the Promotion of Evidence-based Practice. It is dedicated to serving children and adolescents ASD by providing reliable information, promoting best practices, and offering comprehensive resources for families, practitioners, and communities. An advocate for evidence-based treatment approaches, the National Autism Center identifies effective programming and shares practical information with families about how to respond to the challenges they face. For more information, please call 877.313.3833 or visit nationalautismcenter.org.

About May Institute
May Institute is a national nonprofit organization that provides educational, rehabilitative, and behavioral healthcare services to individuals with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities, brain injury, cognitive disabilities, and behavioral needs. The Institute also provides training and consultation services to professionals, organizations, and public school systems. At nearly 200 service locations across the country, Institute staff members work to create new and more effective ways to meet the special needs of individuals and families across the lifespan. For more information, call 800.778.7601 or visit www.mayinstitute.org.

About Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization. It is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. Mr. Wright is the former vice chairman of General Electric and chief executive officer of NBC and NBC Universal. Since its inception, Autism Speaks has committed more than $195 million to research and developing innovative resources for families. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit www.AutismSpeaks.org.