Article By: Lindsey McArdle
Article Date: 11/01/2007
Opening in January 2008, a ground breaking facility, The National Center for Autism Research and Education (NCARE), will open its doors. The only one of its kind, NCARE is a single-campus educational, research and training facility. There is no other organization comparable to NCARE in the entire country. Housed in a 200,000 sq-ft building, NCARE will be a collaborative and pioneering effort amongst special education teachers, scientists, psychiatrists and therapeutic specialists such as speech and occupational therapists. Treatment at NCARE will begin with a comprehensive assessment.
Many believe that autism results from a complex interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental factors. A specific cause has yet to be defined. NCARE seeks to achieve advances in scientific and academic research and in the delivery of educational and therapeutic services. Training, research and education will coalesce to provide an optimal environment for the learning and development of the Autistic child. Educating children and finding a cause and cure for autism serve as the main objectives of NCARE’s mission.
NCARE addresses all of the needs of the autistic student and family in a nurturing and supportive environment. After being assessed with comprehensive methodologies, students will receive a specialized education that incorporates reverse mainstreaming with students from neighboring Mission Pacific High School. Individualized Education Plans (IEP) will be used to emphasize positive independent behaviors. Independent living skills training will also be included as a part of NCARE’s comprehensive methodology. Psychologists will focus on the issues that families face in dealing with having an autistic child and will offer education and training. Scientists and geneticists will be conducting studies specifically regarding autism, its cause and its cure.
Autism, collectively known as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), includes a variety of developmental disabilities that are defined by considerable impairments in social interaction and interpersonal communication. Autism is an incurable, lifelong disability affecting individuals, their families and the community in general. Some other defining characteristics include: language absence or abnormalities, resistance to change, attachment to objects and sometimes an obsessive need for sameness. Autism incidence rates have been rising at a continuously alarming pace. According to current research, 1.5 million Americans are directly affected by autism. Over a two year period, incidence rates in California went up 20% and in Colorado 22%.
NCARE will reduce the impact that ASD’s have on the community. When autistic children become adults and their parents are not there, the impact on society will be great and the burden on the national economy will amount to figures of a colossal nature. NCARE wishes to alleviate some of the societal impact while simultaneously providing first-rate therapeutic and educational services to families and students. In addition to a first-rate education, NCARE will provide vocational and life skills training, sensory development and reverse mainstreaming with the students of Mission Pacific High School.
Many believe that autism results from a complex interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental factors. A specific cause has yet to be defined. NCARE’s goals include finding a cure and a cause for ASD’s while educating and fostering independence in the life of the autistic child. NCARE is committed to utilizing the most progressive strategies and techniques shown effective in the treatment of autistic children and adolescents. The approach of NCARE is unparalleled as well as highly specialized.