In his “State of the State” address this week, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon will propose a $5 million contribution to the University of Missouri’s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
"Here in Missouri, we believe that all children – including those with autism – deserve the opportunity to live up to their God-given potential," Nixon said Friday at the center, which is one of 14 sites in the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network.
“This funding would go far in expanding much needed autism services in Missouri,” comments Donna Murray, who oversees the ATN, as Autism Speaks’ vice president and head of clinical programs. “The Thompson Center ATN is a recognized leader in the diagnosis and treatment of autism, as well as in innovative training methods to broaden services for children with autism in underserved regions of the state.”
The funding, part of Nixon’s fiscal year 2017 budget, would allow the Thompson Center to train an additional 100 autism specialists and allow an estimated 2,000 more clinic visits a year over the next five years. During fiscal 2015, the center served an estimated 2,800 children with autism over 9,400 visits, The Missourian reports. Read the full story here.
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