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The facility a lso includes dedicated rooms for specia lized interventions — including sequential oral sensory feeding t h e r a p y, a t e c h n i q u e s p e c i f i c a l l y d e s i g n e d t o a s s i s t c h i l d r e n w i t h ex tremely limited tolera nce to food. Observation windows allow parents and mu ltidisciplina r y prov ider tea ms to monitor children without interfering with their concentration or progress. Parents play a major role in the ultimate success of children who participate in St . Dav id 's Cent er prog ra m s . Work accomplished on-site must continue at home to ma ke a di•erence. The ability to watch therapists demonstrate tech- niques, perform therapies and interact w it h t hei r ch i ld ren is i nva luable to parents who will extend the continuum of care into their own homes. " When we began conceptualizing this project in 2010, we served 232 children in our pediatric therapy program," says Maureen Walsh, Director of Community Relations and Development at St. David's Center. "Now, we anticipate being able to work with upwards of 500 a year in this expanded space." AUTISM: A GROWING CONCERN W hen pla nning the building project, the tea m f lagged A SD a s a need, a nd the population hea lth study 's results emphasized the importance of increased access to behaviora l hea lthcare services a nd ea rly inter vention for the full a rray of developmenta l issues. At the time of the survey, St. David's Center was developing enhanced pro- grams to address the area's increasing ASD caseloads. In 2013, the Minneapolis S om a l i Aut i sm Spec t r u m Di sorder Prevalence Report illustrated how neces- sary such services were — and continue to be — in Minnesota. "From the time we conducted the survey to the present, the rate of ASD among children increased to one in 68," Walsh says. "In one of the key populations we serve, children of Somali descent, the rate is one in every 32 children. There is a clear need for our services in our community, and we have answered the call." As a spectrum disorder, autism can a•ect children in a wide variety of ways with extremely di•erent presentations. Children with ASD may struggle to con- nect with others, prefer not to be hugged or touched, or deal with a number of social, communication and behavioral challenges that may interfere with their ability to live typical lives. Children with ASD also often struggle with changes in environment and feel uncomfortable in their surroundings. The my riad presentations of A SD directed much of the conceptualization Celebrating 10 Years of Inclusive Autism Care THIS YEAR MARKED the 10th anniver- sary of the St. David's Center autism day treatment program, which offers half-day preschool treat - ment sessions five days a week for children ages 2 to 6 with a primary diagnosis of autism. The goal of this program is to help children prepare for school through interactive learning and engagement. Autism treatment- centered preschool takes place on St. David's Centers' beautiful 10-acre campus, with green space, access to specially trained professionals, and opportunities to interact with typical children who also attend preschool on-site. "This is small group therapy done with a multidisciplinary approach," says Maureen Walsh, Director of Community Relations and Development at St. David's Center. "Our professionals build individual treatment plans based on relation- ships, an approach that helps make sure each child gets the most out of the day program." Rich Local History St. David's Center has provided supportive services to families for nearly 60 years since the organization's humble beginnings as an early education program in a small basement room in St. David's Episcopal Church. St. David's Center continues to deliver care for an expanding patient population. Last year, nearly 3,000 children, teens and adults received treatment from the organization's specialists. Now an independent nonprofit organization, St. David's Center maintains its focus on meeting the needs of children and their families. The organization's mission is "to build relationships that nurture the development of every child and family" through early intervention, programming that educates and empowers and a focus on community health that connects services with populations in need. With the knowledge of current research and best practices in the area of speech-language pathology, St. David's Center therapists create play experiences that facilitate productive and appropriate social interactions and improved skills. 0 7 M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S M I N N E S O TA ■ 2 016

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