Developmental Disabilities Institute Receives Gift of Communication from Autism Speaks
January 19, 2009
(Smithtown, N.Y.) The Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI), a leading service provider for children and adults with autism on Long Island, was awarded a Family Services Community Grant from Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy group that sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities. DDI has established the Adult Assistive Technology Program to serve individuals with autism (age 21 and older) in DDI’s Adult Services division teaching communication skills through this generous grant.
“During their childhoods, the vast majority of the 400 adults we serve did not have the benefit of formal communication interventions which are commonly provided to children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder today,” stated Peter Pierri, DDI’s Executive Director. “Without such therapies as ABA, enhanced curriculum development and other language therapies, these adults have very limited receptive and expressive language skills. Clearly, the absence of such intervention has negatively impacted every aspect of their lives, from an inability to indicate the most basic wants and needs, to high levels of frustration and inappropriate or self-injuring behaviors, to severely limited opportunities for inclusion in their communities.”
Over 100 adults served by DDI with autism and other developmental disabilities will benefit from this new program with the use of assistive technology. Through the creation of an assistive technology program at DDI’s Adult Day Habilitation sites, DDI will directly address the need to enhance the communicative abilities utilizing multiple learning tools and modalities. The software chosen will address a broad variety of learning needs, including: functional living skills, following directions, visual support for behavior management, utilizing social scripts to engage in conversation, assistance with difficult concepts, creating drawings/artwork, making talking books and slide shows using photos taken by our participants.
“It is our hope that enhancing the receptive and expressive language skills of our adults with autism will also lead to decreased frustration and problematic behavior, and increased community inclusion,” added Pierri. “DDI believes that, with success in the Adult Assistive Technology program, our adults with autism will speak, and more importantly, they will be heard thanks to the grant provided by Autism Speaks.”
“It is an honor to include DDI as a recipient in our third round of Autism Speaks Family Services Community Grants,” stated Lisa Goring, Director of Family Services for Autism Speaks. “We truly appreciate DDI’s dedication and ability to increase services available to those with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families.
Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders, to funding research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism, and to advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. It was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. Bob Wright is Senior Advisor at Lee Equity Partners and served as vice chairman, General Electric, and chief executive officer of NBC and NBC Universal for more than twenty years. Autism Speaks merged with both the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) and Cure Autism Now (CAN), bringing together the nation’s three leading autism advocacy organizations.
DDI is a not-for-profit agency headquartered in Smithtown, NY, with more than 30 locations throughout Suffolk and Nassau counties. Serving nearly 1,000 children and adults with a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), DDI is the largest provider of services for individuals with autism on Long Island. It provides educational, vocational, and residential programs, as well as medical and dental services for over 1,500 children and adults with autism or other developmental disabilities. DDI also operates family-centered preschool programs for both children with disabilities as well as typically developing students. DDI was founded in 1961 by a group of parents to address the special educational and therapeutic needs of their children with autism or other developmental disabilities. DDI is a member agency of the United Way. For more information about DDI, visit www.ddiinfo.org.
###
Posted by News LI Editor · Filed Under Health
Have a press release or local story you would like us to review? Let us know about it!
| You can Bookmark & Share this page by clicking here: |
|
More Long Island News
-
Long Island Exchange is the leading resource on Long Island New York for news and business. Find Long Island news, check local weather, real estate, classifieds, and auto dealer listings for Long Island.
News Comments for this Article
Got something to say? Be sure you've read and understand our (Terms of Service)
You may not post any unlawful, threatening, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. All comments should be relevant to the topic and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. You are solely responsible for your own comments, the consequences of posting those comments, and the consequences of any reliance by you on the comments of others. More...
