03/12/08
Santa Cruz, Calif. — The Bay School, a specialized school for children and adolescents with autism and other developmental disabilities, is expanding its campus to include a state-of-the-art 6,600-square-foot building that will house the school’s middle and high school transition programs and vocational/life skills training center. This new facility is located at 2400 Chanticleer Avenue, Suite A, directly across from The Bay School’s current site at 5400 Soquel Avenue, Suite F.
Autism is the fastest growing condition in California’s Developmental Disabilities System. According to a recent California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism Report, 12 new children are diagnosed with autism every day in the state, which is one child every two hours. As the population of students with autism continues to age, so does the demand for services.
“This campus expansion allows us to respond to the rapidly increasing needs of older students to develop essential work and life skills necessary for them to achieve as much independence as possible” said Ethan Long, Ph.D., BCBA, Executive Director of The Bay School and Vice President of May Institute’s West Coast region. “Through collaborations with local businesses, we are providing part-time employment opportunities to our students and, therefore, further building relationships with community members that will bring mutual benefits to both the student and business owner.”
According to Dr. Long, “A crucial component in the education of any individual with autism is having in place a system for continuity of care that spans from childhood to adulthood, and encompasses all of the age-appropriate transitions relevant to each stage of an individual’s development.”
About The Bay School
The Bay School is a nonpublic, nonprofit school dedicated to providing education and intervention services to individuals with autism and their families. Founded in 1998, this year-round school and Early Intervention program in Santa Cruz, California, serves students with autism between birth and age 21. The Bay School employs the latest applied behavior analysis treatment and research findings to produce measurable and lasting improvements in the lives of children with autism. The school’s ultimate goal is to facilitate each student’s successful transition into public schools.
The Bay School is part of May Institute, a national nonprofit organization that provides educational, rehabilitative, and behavioral healthcare services to individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, brain injury, mental illness, and behavioral healthcare needs. The Institute also provides training and consultation services to professionals, organizations, and public school systems.
Over the past 50 years, May Institute has evolved into an award-winning national network that serves over 25,000 individuals and their families annually at nearly 200 service locations in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, and on the West Coast.
For additional information about The Bay School please call 831-462-9620 or visit www.thebayschool.org.
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