Autism Central PA
In keeping with the spirit of collaboration to benefit the autism community, the Central Pennsylvania Regional Autism Partnership is a joint effort of Penn State Hershey, Philhaven’s Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, and the Vista Foundation. Each of the partnering organizations has a long history of providing quality services to the autism community of Central Pennsylvania. The partnership allows for the pooling of resources and expertise to further enhance quality clinical services, cutting edge applied research, and innovative educational and training experiences.
Penn State Hershey: Penn State Hershey’s Department of Psychiatry has a long history of providing services to individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The department’s Division of Autism Services has taken a major leadership role in coordinating these services within the medical center. On an on-going basis, the Developmental Disorders clinic cares for over 300 individuals with ASD. The great majority of these individuals are 2 to 22 years of age. Over 1800 children with ASD have been evaluated in this clinic. For more information about Penn State Hershey’s Department of Psychiatry please click here.
Philhaven and the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities: In October 2005, Philhaven launched the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, a program designed to address the need for a single location where individuals, child through adult, with autism and mental retardation could receive accurate diagnosis by a multidisciplinary team, as well as, longitudinal care to address social, emotional, and behavioral needs. The Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities currently cares for over 400 individuals over the lifespan with an age range of 2 to 65. To learn more about Philhaven and the Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders please click here.
The Vista Foundation: The Vista programs were founded in February 2002 with the opening of The Vista School, which then served four children, and now has 49 children enrolled in its day school program with plans to serve up to 75 children by 2011. In July 2005, The Vista Foundation began providing direct behavioral health services to children attending the school through its innovative Educationally-Integrated Behavior Support (“EIBS”) program. The Foundation also supports numerous school districts in the Central Pennsylvania region through its Outreach Services program. The Foundation provides summer therapeutic activity services to adolescents with autism at its Hershey facility. The Vista programs are the product of a collaborative effort of dedicated parents, educators, and mental health professionals, and exist to bring world-class autism educational and clinical services to Central Pennsylvania based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis.
