The Discovery Group program helps students with autism improve their academic skills by using programs, materials, and technology tailored to their individual needs. The space clears and additional clinical supervisor reduces the bottleneck in service delivery. The grant includes the cost of installing a mobile unit, rental fees, and salary support:
- Office space for the Academic Program Coordinator to provide individualized instruction using guided reading lessons combined with independent work time; skill practice using independent reading, work tasks, computer phonic work and comprehension; and small group time that includes read-aloud literature.
- Group ABA classroom space for the Discovery Program.
- Available space after school for year-round Connect Program delivery.
- Clinical supervisor so SGH can expand all programming.
St. Gerard House began its work in 2010 with a mission
to help individuals with autism and their families experience more joy and achieve meaningful life outcomes. All St. Gerard House programs are rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) techniques that apply familiar concepts, such as reinforcement, prompting and generalizing, in systematic ways to teach skills and to replace problem behaviors with more functional ones.
Autism rates in the United States have escalated
782% in the last 12 years—a rate faster than any other disability or disease, including cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated in 2014 that
1 in 59 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Today that estimate has been revised to
1 in 40 children. Estimated annual costs of autism in the US total between
$11.5 billion - $60.9 billion and include both direct and indirect costs (medical care, special education, lost parental productivity) and social impacts to the family including high rates of divorce and abandonment. This cost can be
reduced by two-thirds with the services we provide at SGH. St. Gerard serves nearly 400 individuals and their family members with comprehensive programs and services.
WNC Bridge Foundation empowers carefully selected non-profits to impact individual and community wellness in our communities throughout the WNC region. Their mission is to serve as a catalyst for change in our community and create a better Western North Carolina for all. “Through these strong community partnerships, we can connect caring people with experienced non-profits to have the strongest impact in WNC and create real and lasting change,” Scott Buchanan, Executive Director.