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The Autism Center opens in Altoona
September 1, 2010
The Homestead is changing the way we work with children with autism with the opening of the Autism Center in Altoona. The Center will include clinical services, parent and professional training, and consultation. The new service will allow The Homestead to serve more children while providing more intense, comprehensive treatment.
The Homestead Autism Center, located at 1625 Adventureland Drive in Altoona is designed for direct intervention services to children with autism using research based practices while collaborating to provide training and support to families and schools and a resource center for families and professionals seeking to better understand how to respond to the unique needs of autism. An open house will be scheduled for later in September.
"The CDC reports that one in 110 children born today is expected to develop autism. That's an increase from one in 150 just a few years ago," says Steve Muller, Executive Director of The Homestead. "According to the Iowa Department of Education, over 4,000 students enrolled in Iowa's public school system have autism or display autism characteristics. Because the incidence of autism is on the rise, there is an even greater need for our services."
The Autism Center in Altoona will serve children with autism and their families within a 60-mile radius of the center. With the establishment of a centralized location dedicated to autism, The Homestead Autism Center will have the ability to treat more children, recruit and train more staff, and provide a resource center for families and professionals seeking to better understand how to respond to the unique needs of autism. The Autism Center will serve as a model for similar centers across the Midwest.
About The Homestead
The Homestead is a private, non-profit organization that provides innovative solutions for children and adults with autism, their families and allied professionals. Services are provided in the community, in homes and in a unique agriculture based campus program. Autism is a neurological disorder that severely hinders the way information is gathered and processed causing problems in communication, learning and social skills. It occurs in roughly 1 of every 110 births.
