TouchPoint Autism Services Goal is to be Single Touch point for families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Judevine Center for Autism changes name to “TouchPoint Autism Services”

St. Louis, MO – August 24, 2009 – Judevine Center for Autism, a pioneer in autism treatment for more than 37 years, today announced its new name, TouchPoint Autism Services. The organization, which serves more than 2,500 families annually, has made the change to better reflect both the services that it provides and its vision for its future.

According to Ron Ekstrand, CEO at TouchPoint, “The Center for Disease Control calls autism a national health crisis with 1 in 150 children being diagnosed with some form of autism. In order to keep pace with the needs for services here in Missouri, TouchPoint Autism Services will continue to grow and to offer additional services. With input from the families we serve, we identified the need to expand services and to fill the role as a ‘single touch point’ families can rely on to receive the services and treatments they need.”

Dr. John Guercio, Vice President of Clinical Services and Research, added, “We want to simplify access and increase early intervention because early intervention leads to better outcomes. Some research studies on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) have shown that early intensive behavioral intervention has lead to 40% of individuals with autism losing the symptoms that lead to their autism diagnosis.”

According to Jeanne Marshall, Vice President of Statewide Services and Quality and a twenty-two year veteran of the organization, “While our name may be changing, our methods and our highly qualified staff are not. All of our programs are evidence-based and grounded in the principles of ABA. And as for our staff, we have deep expertise in autism. Over 40% of our full-time staff has been with the organization for 5 years or more. And 20% have been with us 10 or more years.”

About TouchPoint Autism Services

Although there is no known cure for autism, TouchPoint Autism Services, formerly known as Judevine Center for Autism, has succeeded in providing treatment programs that promise a brighter future for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families. TouchPoint offers treatments and services across the entire lifespan of individuals with autism. These services include behavior and other therapies, parent behavioral training, a transitional classroom, family support services, residential options, supported employment, and adult day habilitation services.

With an organizational budget of $15 million, TouchPoint Autism Services reaches more than 2,500 families directly and more than 30,000 indirectly each year – making it the largest autism services provider in Missouri. With offices in Olivette, St. Louis City, Springfield, Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff, Columbia, and Joplin, Touch Point’s more than 475 employees treat, support, and serve individuals with autism and their families in 92 counties across the State.

www.touchpointautism.org

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Contact Information

David Welborn

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jdw consulting services

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