With the number of autism cases in the area up more than 220% in the last ten years, the Autism Treatment Center today began construction on a new 20,000 square foot Learning and Opportunity Center of Nocogdoches Rd. for treatment of autistic children and vocational training for adults, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Development Director Cynthia Hamilton says the center will provide state of the art design in support of people with autism."The texture on the walls and the colors on the walls, you don't want to use bright colors, you want more calming colors," she said. "Windows are higher, so if we have students with behaviors, we have students who can break out windows, and that's what they like to do."
She says students will be referred to the Center from schools and by doctors to obtain the services that are available.
"What we've done with this building is having everything about it be conducive to the best learning environment for a child and adult with autism."
The goal is to provide people with autism the training and the education that they need to become successful members of the community. She says many autism patients are very smart and very high achieving but need, for example, interpersonal and social skills training. Others will require more behavioral training.
The new building was built largely through meeting $1.1 million in challenge grants.
There are a total of 5607 individuals in metro San Antonio public schools who have been diagnosed with autism. That is up from 1708 ten years ago.