NYU Child Study Center Expands Clinical Services for Children with Asperger Syndrome
With a recent donation of $30 million, the NYU Child Study Center is expanding its services and initiatives for Asperger Syndrome with the creation of the Asperger Institute.
Included in the newly expanded Asperger services will be clinical services, an educational program, a research program, training programs, and a resource center.
Researchers believe that Asperger Syndrome, a neurobiological condition on the spectum of pervasive developmental disorders, has a genetic cause. Children and adolescents with
Asperger often have difficulty accomplishing tasks involving language, motor skills, communication, and socialization. Although there are no conclusive studies, researchers estimate its prevalence at one in 300 people.
While the Child Study Center has treated Asperger Syndrome since its inception in 1997, the new Asperger Institute will allow the Center to greater enhance its offering of clinical services, including:
- Interdisciplinary diagnostic evaluation, including the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, the Autism Diagnostic Interview, and specialized neuropsychosocial assessments
- Psychiatric assessment and treatment
- Individual cognitive behavior therapy
- School consultation
- Transitional life planning and support
- Preparation and support for college
- Social skills support
- Family support and education
- After-school facilitated social recreation
- Intellectual and adaptive assessment
Educational programs will also be expanded at the new Asperger Institute. Experts at the Institute will design, implement, and assess an innovative learning program for students in grades 8 – 12 with Asperger Syndrome, initially recruiting six adolescents to participate in the program. The visionary program is designed to offer optimal educational opportunities for gifted learners, while providing the specialized social, emotional, and learning support they often lack in typical school settings.
The Institute will also work with NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, and the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as with Hunter College CUNY, to identify college classes for gifted students during their junior or senior year of high school and arrange for students to attend those classes. The Institute will also collaborate with the NYU Henry and Lucy Moses Center for Students with Disabilities to formalize and institutionalize a college track at NYU that is sensitive to the needs of gifted students with Asperger Syndrome. The Institute’s educational program will offer advanced academic electives, custom designed for each student’s unique interests and abilities, and will emphasize the importance of mentorships to academic development.
The principal facilities for the clinical services of the Asperger Institute will be located within the new NYU Child Study Center of Excellence, slated to open in 2009. In the interim, additional space near the existing Center will be provided for the Institute.
The donation will be allocated toward two initiatives, with $20 million dedicated to the educational programs, clinical services, and research at the Institute, and $10 million directed to the capital campaign for the new NYU Center of Excellence in Child Mental Health. More details on the donation and the donors can be found at http://www.aboutourkids.org/news/press_room/news_releases?year=2007.
The Clinical Director of the Asperger Institute is Lynda Geller, PhD. For more information on the Asperger Institute and related services, please call (212) 679-3565.
