Above: NECC is busy this spring raising funds, promoting awareness, disseminating research and accepting an award. It’s all news worth sharing during Autism Awareness month. (images contributed and from Facebook)
April is Autism Awareness month. Southborough based New England Center for Children asked me to use it to share some of their news.
(If you aren’t familiar, NECC is a school for children with autism. They “transform the lives of children with autism worldwide through education, research, and technology.”)
I don’t know about you, but seeing all the Southborough residents supporting causes by running the Boston Marathon this year inspired me. I don’t have a marathon in me – but I can lace up sneakers for the annual NECC 5K. (Especially since I don’t have to run it!)
The NECC 5K walk/run takes place on Saturday May 6th. Last year more than 1,500 participants raised close to a quarter-million dollars in this professionally timed road race. Register now, or pledge support for a runner/walker. (You can find information here.)
But the 5K is just one of several efforts to raise funds and awareness for Autism this spring:
The New England Center for Children (NECC), a global leader in education and research for children with autism, announced today a global program for autism awareness in April as part of the UN-sanctioned World Autism Month and National Autism Awareness Month in the United States.
NECC will join the Light It Up Blue campaign in both its Massachusetts and Abu Dhabi, UAE, locations in addition to other activities including its annual 5K Walk/Run for Autism, a “Test Your Autism Awareness” quiz educational campaign, and new research on behavioral analysis and autism.
NECC is honoring Autism Awareness Month with a variety of educational and fund raising events:
Light It Up Blue:
NECC’s John and Diane Kim Autism Institute in Southborough, Mass., and NECC Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, will be lit blue all this month. It’s part of a campaign with with thousands of landmarks and buildings across the world to shining blue this April in support of people living with autism.
Test Your Autism Awareness Education Campaign:
How much do you know about autism? NECC is sharing an interactive, online quiz surveying your basic knowledge of autism and NECC. Click here to take the quiz.
New Research on Behavior Analysis and Autism:
NECC will present 38 presentations, workshops, symposia and papers at the 2017 ABAI Convention in Denver, CO, May 25-29. Research includes “Training therapists and parents to implement joint attention procedures,” Holohan, B.R., & MacDonald, R.P.F. and “Evaluation of a visual imagining procedure to teach remembering to adolescents with ASD,” Stine, J., & Bourret, J.C. The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) is the leading trade organization for those interested in the philosophy, science, application, and teaching of behavior analysis.
And here’s some big news. Last month, NECC looped me in on a prestigious international award they received. It’s about time I shared that with you:
TRANSFORMING CHILDREN’S LIVES WORLDWIDE – THE NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR CHILDREN RECEIVES 2017 SABA AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL DISSEMINATION OF BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
From New England to the World, NECC’s Mission of Helping Children with Autism is Recognized with Prestigious Award
For 3-year-old Muhammad Aboud* and his family in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, life was a series of frustrating challenges. Muhammad had autism, and as in many foreign countries, diagnosis and effective treatment were not readily available. Muhammad faced daily struggles with activities such as brushing his teeth, communicating, and playing with friends. What is simple and effortless for most children is an obstacle for children like Muhammad.
Muhammad’s plight is an all-too common story in many nations. As the prevalence of autism continues to rise—1 percent of the world’s population has the diagnosis, including 1 in 68 children—treatment remains scarce and inconsistent in quality. This leaves millions of children and families around the world coping with the daily struggle of living with autism, their lives filled with conflict, obstacles and isolation. Efforts by U.S. experts and schools to share best practices and collaborate internationally can help bring more effective autism treatment abroad.
The New England Center for Children® (NECC®), a global leader in education and research for children with autism, has been doing just that. NECC announced today it has received the 2017 Award for International Dissemination of Behavior Analysis from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA), the peer academic organization of applied behavior analysis (ABA). The highly respected award is given to a person or organization demonstrating a significant and sustained contribution to the dissemination and development of ABA outside of the United States. In 2005, NECC also received the SABA award for Enduring Programmatic Contributions to Behavior Analysis.
“All of us at The New England Center for Children are honored to receive this prestigious award,” said Vincent Strully, Jr., CEO and Founder of The New England Center for Children. “I would like to thank our many teachers, behavior analysts, and researchers whose dedication over the past 42 years has enabled NECC to help thousands of children with autism and their families.”
In granting the prestigious award, SABA noted NECC’s four decades of work in ABA and its dedicated behavior analysts who have established programs and supported individuals and organizations around the world.
“The SABA Board wishes to applaud NECC for its longstanding work providing behavior analysis services, training service providers, and establishing programs across five continents,” said Dr. Maria Malott, CEO of ABAI. “The reach and influence of NECC are truly inspiring, and the success of NECC Abu Dhabi in particular illustrates the impact of disseminating applied behavior analysis best practices. NECC has played a large part in making inroads for behavior analysis in the Middle East and worldwide.”
