School at Finan will work with autistic children
October 17, 2009
CUMBERLAND — A new educational center for autistic children is expected to draw clients from the tri-state area when it opens next month on the campus of the Jefferson School at the Finan Center.
Sheppard Pratt Health System plans a mid-November opening for the center, which will provide services for up to 30 children, said Bonnie Fetzer, principal of Jefferson School, which is operated by Sheppard Pratt.
“Our community is not unlike other communities across the state and nation,” said Fetzer, referring to a recent study indicating that autism is on the rise.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that one in 100 8-year-old children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with autism. Previously, the government’s estimate was 1 in 150.
“There’s greater awareness of it, and children are being diagnosed at an earlier age,” Fetzer said. “The real concern is that there’s definitely an increase, and we need to respond to that.”
Last year in Allegany County, 51 children enrolled in the public school system had been diagnosed with autism, according to figures provided by the Maryland State Department of Education. Statewide, more than 7,500 school children were autistic, 2008 figures showed.
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