Muleskinner

Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: News

Media Credit: William Hacker: Muleskinner Connor, a patient at the Midwest Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, works with Theresa Earles-Vollrath, the clinical director.

For the third year, federal funding will be provided to support UCM's Midwest Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Rep. Ike Skelton said the Center will receive $280,000 in grant funds from the federal 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act through the Department of Health and Human Services and Administration for Children and Families.

"The grant allows many things. It allows us to bring psychologists and occupational therapist in for evaluations, helps us get schools involved and allows us to talk at parenting fairs," said Joyce Downing, Dean of the College of Special Education. "This is a very labor intensive center, which is why the grant is so important. We have to do the evaluation then go back and write reports. This is the first year that it is without cost to anyone due to the grant."

Skelton's support in the past includes a $286,898 grant in 2008 which launched the center; in 2009 it was a $285,000 for the second phase of the development of the center. The second phase included providing consulting and training for area schools and teachers and scheduling and performing clinical evaluations of individuals with autism spectrum.

These grants to the clinic were made possible through the Omnibus Appropriations Act.

UCM President Aaron Podolefsky established the institution's funds for the Autism Center five years ago after becoming the University's new president.

The Center strives to help students with autism spectrum disorder live a good quality of life. Since there is a shortage of trained professionals in the region, the Center assists students in getting help where they need it. The Center provides a multidisciplinary perspective needed to assist and teach students, families and school officials how to better deal with autism and many other disorders that face the community.

"The grant is a really great thing," said Lacey Phillips, a special education major. "It gives a lot to the community and to the school. Money is tight and it's things like this grant that help us reach out to the community and help others."

The Center is part of the College of Education's Alliances for Innovation and Research in Education. The location for clinical services is in UCM's Welch-Schmidt Center for Communication Disorders.

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