August 7, 2008
Contact:
Felecia Henderson
NSU Office of Public Affairs
fhenders@nova.edu
(954) 262-5315
Lourdes Rodriguez-Barrera
NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5309
rodrlour@nova.edu
UM – NSU Launch Mobile Autism Family Clinic in Broward County
Community Open House Offered on August 23
Fort Lauderdale-Davie, Fla. - The University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities’ new mobile autism clinic will be in Davie on Saturday, Aug. 23rd.
This first-of-its-kind Mobile Family Autism clinic is a 23-foot bus that’s equipped with high-tech tools that allow health care providers to evaluate children for signs of autism.
The vehicle is customized with a therapy and evaluation room as well as a waiting room and work station. The therapy and evaluation room has video cameras and the waiting area has a monitor.The clinic’s therapy room uses materials that allow clinicians to evaluate whether children exhibit abnormal social, communication and behavioral skills, which may be signs of autism.
The public is invited to tour the new autism vehicle on Aug. 23, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the UM-NSU autism center’s Clinic for Speech, Language and Communication located at the Fischler School of Education and Human Services at 6100 Griffin Road in Davie.
This unique vehicle will reach out to families in Broward County who cannot travel to access screenings, resources and autism awareness information“We are proud to make this free service available to the South Florida community,” said Brian Roselione, Nova Southeastern University’s Site Director. “This program allows us to enhance the quality of life of families and those affected by autism by bringing autism screenings and therapy to them.”
The UM-NSU autism center, in operation since 1993, is a Florida Department of Education project funded by an appropriation from the state legislature. The Florida Center for Autism and Related Disorders program seeks to provide support and assistance with the goal of optimizing the potential of individuals with autism, dual sensory impairment, and related disabilities throughout the state.
The UM-NSU autism center is currently servicing 4,000 families in Florida’s southernmost counties of Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe. It provides free family support, outreach, and educational support services to children and adults of all levels of intellectual functioning who have autism and autistic-like disabilities.
To schedule an appointment, please call the UM-NSU autism center at 954-262-7111.
About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 300 beautiful acres in Davie, Florida, Nova Southeastern University is a dynamic fully accredited institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs of distinction from preschool through the professional and doctoral levels. NSU has more than 26,000 students and is the sixth largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally. The university awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, early childhood, psychology and other social sciences. For more information visit www.nova.edu.
