Educational Services of America

Florida Autism Center of Excellence, Inc., a non-profit corporation dedicated to the education of children and young adults with autism, today announced it has been awarded a $700,000 grant from the Florida Department of Education to plan and develop an autism education center of excellence near Tampa.

Florida Autism Center of Excellence (FACE) will apply for a charter and request authorization to serve students in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Manatee and Polk counties. The center is scheduled to open in August 2007 and will serve students ages three to 22.

The need is great in Florida, where the most recent U.S. Department of Education figures available ranked the state sixth in the nation in 2005 with 7,918 cases of autism in children ages six through 21. It is estimated that autism affects one in 166 children born today. Nationwide, the number of children diagnosed with autism continues to increase at a rate of more than 20 percent a year, according to the U.S. Department of Health.

FACE plans to engage Educational Services of America (ESA), the nation’s leading provider of special and alternative educational programs for children, to manage the program. ESA is based in Nashville, Tenn., and manages more than 100 schools and programs in 16 states to serve children with physical, emotional and developmental disabilities, including autism. ESA operates 38 schools and programs in Florida, including nine programs specifically for students with autism.

“The Florida Center of Autism Excellence will provide a comprehensive program to address the unmet needs of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders,” Mark Claypool, president and chief executive officer of ESA, said. “We believe that children and young adults with autism can advance in their academic and interpersonal skills if they are given the right type of instruction, encouragement and tools to learn in a safe and healthy academic environment.

“Unfortunately, current public education and social programming for students with autism is severely limited by a lack of resources and expertise, and many students simply do not receive the individualized programming that will help them progress from elementary school through high school and transition to post-secondary education,” Claypool said. “That’s exactly what FACE will provide students in these six counties.”
FACE will offer three specific programs:

• Spectrum is a nationally recognized program serving students ages three to 22 with moderate to severe autism. Spectrum offers an individualized, language-focused, outcomes-based approach in a highly structured environment to help students transfer their newly acquired skills to everyday life.

• College Living Prep serves middle and senior high school students with Asperger’s Syndrome, an Autism Spectrum Disorder, and non-verbal learning disabilities and offers academic, social development, recreational therapy and independent living skills programs.

• College Living Experience is a comprehensive program that provides structured and highly individualized assistance with academic, independent living and social skills to assist students with special needs who attend college or vocational school.

People interested in learning more about the Florida Autism Center of Excellence may contact ESA at 605-332-4900 or visit www.esa-education.com

About Educational Services of America

Educational Services of America is the nation’s leading provider of special, alternative and post-secondary educational programs. Based in Nashville, Tenn., ESA owns and operates more than 100 schools and programs in 16 states. ESA provides highly personalized academic and behavioral services for students through four branded areas: College Living Experience, ESA Exceptional Schools, Ombudsman Educational Services and Spectrum Center Schools. For more information, visit www.esa-education.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Cate Lewandowski
Lovell Communications Inc.
(615) 297-7766
cate@lovell.com