Treatment Innovations at the Emory Autism Center
The state-of-the-art programs at the Emory Autism Center (EAC) for early intervention and school aged children provide live examples of the enormous treatment possibilities that have come from recent research. The EAC is committed to developing similar standards of excellence in new programs for adolescents and adults with autism.
Walden Early Childhood Programs
The EAC's nationally acclaimed Walden Lab Schools provide early intervention in toddler, preschools and pre-kindergarten classrooms. This continuum of highly specialized treatment help children with autism learn from the behavior of their typically developing classmates.
The Incidental Teaching procedures used at Walden have produced significant outcomes of nearly all children enrolled. More than 95% of graduates with autism have been included in their neighborhood regular education kindergarten classrooms (with various levels of support) and more then 92% of children left the program with functional verbal language. Walden serves as a model for programs across the United States.
Monarch School Inclusion Program
This highly successful EAC program has made it possible for many students with autism to be included in regular classes in their neighborhood schools. This program emphasizes participation of administration, professional support staff and regular and special education teachers in order to optimize inclusion success for children with autism.
Instruction of social skills and involvement of typical peers with the students with autism allows for new skill development as well as fosters the formation of numerous friendships among all of the students. As a result of the Inclusion Project, the EAC has established lasting collaborations with schools systems across many Georgia Counties.
Adult Community Assistance
Services for adults with autism consists of support for inclusion in community settings through technical assistance to individuals and their families, employers, school systems, and other agencies. In addition, support groups for adolescents and adults with Asperger's Syndrome meet monthly at the EAC, and a self-management group assists individuals who have selected personal goals.
The EAC is also associated the "Best Buddies" program, a volunteer organization in which college students provide community outings and social interactions for young adults with autism.