ST. CLOUD — St. Cloud State University is opening a new center to train the next generation of clinicians to help autistic people.
St. Cloud State will open the Autism Discovery Center on Wednesday, April 26, in Brown Hall on campus.
The center aims to teach clinicians of all levels and backgrounds treatments for autistic people and their families, according to a news release. The center will also feature paintings made by autistic artists from around the world.
Contributed / St. Cloud State University
Students of Applied Behavior Analysis at St. Cloud State will be involved in all the services provided at the center.
Applied Behavior Analysis, also known as ABA, is a frequently used intervention for autistic people. It has been documented as effective in teaching a range of skills, including academic, social, communicative, motor and adaptive skills, according to the Organization for Autism Research, or OAR.
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St. Cloud State's ABA program is accredited by the Association for Behavior Analysis International Accreditation Board , and graduates meet the academic requirements for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board .
St. Cloud State students will be supervised by doctoral-level and nationally certified faculty at the center. The students will receive hands-on training in running sessions, developing programs, collecting data, evaluating progress, meeting with families and training other student clinicians.
Contributed / St. Cloud State University
The artwork at the center will be accompanied by a QR code, which visitors can scan to learn more about the artists. That includes the work of 14-year-old Victor Bevanda, of Florida. Raised in Serbia, Bevanda was diagnosed with autism at age 2 and is nonverbal. As a child, he began to express himself through art. Learn more about Bevanda at vichysart.com/pages/vichys-story . Other autistic artists include Blake Henkel , Ibrahim Maseeh , Angela Weddle and Mesbah Prosser .
For more about St. Cloud State's ABA programs, visit stcloudstate.edu/cpcf/programs-grad/applied-behavior-analysis .
Stephanie Dickrell is a reporter with St. Cloud LIVE, a news website covering Central Minnesota and the St. Cloud area. Stephanie has covered the St. Cloud area for nearly a decade, covering everything from city government and arts and entertainment to health care and social justice issues.
Stephanie welcomes your story ideas and feedback. You can reach her at 320-763-1226 or stephanie@stcloudlive.com.
