TeachTown Receives Federal Funding For Autism Treatment Research And Development

Main Category: Autism
Article Date: 27 Apr 2007 - 12:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

TeachTown, a Seattle based autism research and technology company, received its second Department of Education grant. With recent increases in autism prevalence, estimates are now 1 out of 150 births, "We have a rapidly growing school-age autism population that is severely under-served," says Dr. Whalen, Founder and Chief Science Officer. "Our goal is to provide affordable, available, and effective treatment."

In a two year project TeachTown will conduct research studies which will include children with autism or Asperger's Syndrome, parents, and professionals from the autism community. This research will guide the development of a new education and treatment program targeted at grade levels 2nd - 5th. This innovative treatment will build on the success of TeachTown: Basics, which is now helping hundreds of younger children and being adopted by major school districts across the U.S. The new program, like its predecessor, will teach language, cognitive, and social skills and will include computer and off-computer activities in a comprehensive curriculum.

"After the age of 5-6 years, there are very few treatment options for children with autism. Parents and professionals are particularly frustrated. They need cost-effective solutions today, and TeachTown is providing them with one," says Brad McGuire, parent of a school-age child with autism, and TeachTown Vice President.

What makes the TeachTown programs unique is the treatment portability. The children can use the TeachTown software at any location with internet access. This solves one of the biggest problems for therapists, teachers and families; monitoring and sharing the child's progress and identifying key areas to work on. The curriculum will target children who are functioning developmentally with their language and cognitive skills in the 6 to 12 year old range. TeachTown anticipates a finished product in 2008.

"Thanks to organizations like Autism Speaks, there is greater awareness of the autism epidemic and the challenges families face," says Dr. Whalen. "There is a critical need for ongoing research, but we are facing a crisis point for children already diagnosed. We have to meet the education and treatment needs of these children. The shortage of available services and the immense cost of treatment, little of which is covered by medical insurance, prevent many children from getting any help at all. TeachTown's mission is to help these kids now, on a massive scale."

About TeachTown

TeachTown is a privately held company based in Seattle with offices in San Francisco, and is funded by the Washington Research Foundation and private investors led by Richard Fade, founder of the Autism Treatment Network. The results of the first TeachTown: Basics study was published in the Journal of Speech and Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis in March 2006.

http://www.teachtown.com

• Additional
• References
• Citations