Marking Autism Acceptance Month and the 3rd Anniversary of Its Founding, Puddingstone Place Announces Expansion of Centers in Danvers and Middleboro

Doubling of Square Footage at Each Center Will Allow Puddingstone to Expand Programming and Support More Children with Autism Currently Waiting for Services

DANVERS, Mass. - April 8, 2021 - (Newswire.com)

Marking Autism Acceptance Month and the third anniversary of its founding on World Autism Awareness Day in 2018, Puddingstone Place today announced a significant expansion of its therapy centers in Danvers and Middleboro, Massachusetts. The two centers will each double in size, allowing Puddingstone Place to expand its program offerings and, most importantly, support more children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities who are currently on waitlists for services.

"I joined with Dr. Howard Shane to co-found Puddingstone Place after hearing the struggles of parents trying to identify and access therapeutic center-based programming for their children diagnosed with autism," said Elaine Crosby, Puddingstone's chief executive officer. "I also believed that our evidence-based model of care, which incorporates world-renowned programming developed at Boston Children's Hospital, would make an enormous difference for children with autism by enhancing their communication, supporting behavioral changes and improving their overall quality of life.

"In the last three years—despite the ongoing pandemic—we have assembled an incredible team of talented clinicians dedicated to the children and families we serve," added Crosby. "I am enormously proud that we have been able to positively impact the lives of so many, but we can do so much more. The expansion of our centers will allow us to provide life-changing therapy to additional children and families who might otherwise lack access to high-quality care."

Puddingstone Place is the only provider licensed by Boston Children's Hospital to offer the Visual Immersion System (VIS). Developed at Boston Children's Hospital, the VIS is a comprehensive framework and instructional philosophy for supporting communication and teaching language skills to individuals with ASD and other developmental disabilities.

The expansions will allow Puddingstone Place to:

• increase the numbers of classrooms for applied behavior analysis therapy;
• add gross-motor skills rooms to promote skill development;
• provide more gym equipment to support occupational therapy; and
• expand its speech, occupational, feeding and school outreach programs.

The Middleboro and Danvers expansions are expected to be completed in May and July, respectively. Puddingstone has recently begun considering how it might expand capacity at its third location in Wellesley.

About Puddingstone Place:

Our innovative, evidence-based instruction incorporates cutting-edge technology and customized visual supports. We collaborate with caregivers and educators to develop personalized treatment plans for each learner, and we provide training to support carryover of skills to home, school and community settings. In addition to working directly with individuals in our Puddingstone Place locations, we are committed to the broader goals of contributing to research on best practices, furthering our unique, visually-based instructional model, and integrating new technologies into our treatments.

A virtual introduction to Puddingstone Place, its team, and its impactful work is available through this new video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5Cyqg7GjiQ. More information about Puddingstone Place and the VIS is available at https://puddingstoneplace.com.

About Dr. Howard Shane:

Howard C. Shane is co-founder of Puddingstone Place and Director of the Autism Language Program at Boston Children's Hospital, where he also conducts a clinical practice that concentrates on persons with ASD. He is an associate professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School and professor of communication sciences and disorders at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Dr. Shane is renowned internationally for creating inventive communication procedures and technology applications for persons with autism as well as innovative ways to operate and control computers for those with motor control difficulties.

About World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Acceptance Month:

In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously approved a resolution establishing April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life for those with autism so that they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society. Each year, hundreds of thousands of landmarks, buildings, homes and communities around the world come together on April 2 to "Light It Up Blue" in recognition of people with autism and those who love and support them. April is Autism Acceptance Month, and many organizations will sponsor and participate in autism-friendly activities and educational events throughout the month to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism and encourage more inclusive communities.

Media Contact:

Dwight Robson

617.875.9452

[email protected]

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Original Source: Marking Autism Acceptance Month and the 3rd Anniversary of Its Founding, Puddingstone Place Announces Expansion of Centers in Danvers and Middleboro