Families
unite in effort to start school for children with autism
Tuesday,
April 22, 2003
TENAFLY - A borough family has united with other
to start a school for children with autism.
"It's
one of the most exciting things that has really ever happened," said Jon
Singer,
whose
6-year-old daughter, Rebecca, has autistic tendencies. "Knowing that the
school will
have a credible impact on Rebecca's future and so many children is a
great
feeling."
Singer and
his wife, Michey, of
school that
would benefit their daughter. After talking to officials from the Alpine
Learning
Group in Paramus, the Singers found there were five
other
families who
had a similar mission for their own children.
"We
were on the same track," Singer said. "We wanted to start a school
and they
wanted to
start one, too, so it was a clincher to work together."
Resources
for Effective Educational Development or
to open
in the fall. Denise Gonzalez, a school spokeswoman, said a location in
County has
yet to be determined.
She said
that at first, the school will serve about seven children, ages 3 to 7.
Gonzalez, a
school founder, has 5-year-old twins with autism who will attend the school.
"We
felt that joining together we would be stronger in advocating for our
school," Gonzalez said.
In August,
Singer and his daughter, set out on a 3,500-mile trip from
"The
Drive for Rebecca" was designed to increase autism awareness and to
promote and raise
funds for advanced
medical and educational research.
The Singers
raised more than $80,000 through pledges and other donations. Singer said they
have
distributed more than $20,000 to two autism medical research organizations, and
to three
autism
educational institutes in
announcements. He said about $60,000 was raised for the new school.
For Autism
Awareness Month, which is this month, the
Borders
Books and Music on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
For every
customer who makes a purchase and presents a special coupon on those days, the
store will
donate 15 percent of the proceeds to the school and other autism organizations.
The
coupons can
be printed from the Singers' Web site.
Autism is a
lifelong disability that affects communication, social, and life-skills
development. It
is
sometimes characterized by repetitive movements and children who seem
emotionally distant
from
their families. At least one in every 500
Americans is affected by some form of autism,
according to
the National Institutes of Health. The cause of autism is not known and there
is no cure.
The new
school will teach students through the method of "applied behavioral
analysis." Students
will all
have a one-on-one assistant to focus on life skills, who will help them
interact with their family
and
community. For more information about
the school or the fund-raising efforts, visit the school's
Web site at www.reedacademy.org.
Monsy
Alvarado's e-mail address is alvarado@northjersey.com
About | Why | Donations | Home | Autism Resources | Heroes | Sponsors | Team Rebecca | Drive Video
For updates 1) about upcoming events to help find the cause and a
cure 2) with more helpful information
and 3) and to be notified of the
publication of The Special Needs Caregiver Survival Guide,
send email to: 
The Drive for Rebecca, Inc.
