Sheppard Pratt hosted a grand opening celebration today for The Center for Autism. Located on Sheppard Pratt’s hospital campus in Towson, Maryland, the new center offers diagnostic services and subsequent autism case management for individuals throughout their lifespan. The Center for Autism was made possible by a generous grant from the Women’s Hospital Foundation, a Maryland-based charitable organization that provides support to improve health care education and broaden access to health care services.
Sheppard Pratt's Center for Autism is one of the few programs nationally that will provide evaluation and treatment for patients from age 2 through adulthood. This new service adds a key component to the development of a unique and comprehensive continuum of care at Sheppard Pratt for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
“There is a critical need in our community for more readily available care for individuals with autism. Many parents are waiting a year or more to get a diagnostic evaluation for their child,” said Harsh K. Trivedi, MD, MBA, President and CEO of Sheppard Pratt. “With the generous support of the Women’s Hospital Foundation, we can meet the pressing need and expand Sheppard Pratt’s programs to provide the most comprehensive care throughout life.”
The Center for Autism is a valuable resource for families of individuals with autism, as it connects families with a multidisciplinary team of providers. The center will offer new programming with a focus on diagnosing children as young as 2 years of age and bringing together existing Sheppard Pratt services for older children and adults at each stage across their lifespan. In addition, clinicians will provide evidence-based therapies to people of all ages to address communication, social interaction, and other symptoms of this lifelong disorder.
“With like-minded goals to improve access to health care services, The Women’s Hospital Foundation is honored to support Sheppard Pratt’s new Center for Autism so that individuals with autism and their families can be connected to the care and services they need,” said Pedie Killebrew, past board chair and currently a director of the Women’s Hospital Foundation as well as a Sheppard Pratt board member.
The center features separate waiting rooms for pediatric and adult patients. An additional comfort room allows individuals of any age to regroup if they are feeling overstimulated. It also features four examination rooms for assessments and video monitoring to assist parents and other clinicians throughout the assessment process.
Sheppard Pratt is the largest provider of nonpublic special education programs in Maryland. It also has neuropsychiatry specialty units providing inpatient care for youth and adults, which are unique in the nation. Sheppard Pratt also provides vocational programs and housing supports for individuals with autism spectrum disorder once they reach adulthood. Last year, existing programs served over 1,600 individuals with autism.
For more information, click here.
About Sheppard Pratt
Sheppard Pratt is the largest private, nonprofit provider of mental health, substance use, developmental disability, special education, and social services in the country. A nationwide resource, Sheppard Pratt provides services across a comprehensive continuum of care, spanning both hospital- and community-based resources. Since its founding in 1853, Sheppard Pratt has been innovating the field through research, best practice implementation, and a focus on improving the quality of mental health care on a global level. Sheppard Pratt has been consistently recognized as a top national psychiatric hospital by U.S. News & World Report for more than 30 years.
1 / 4
2 / 4
3 / 4
4 / 4
The Center for Autism
At Sheppard Pratt's Center for Autism, we offer diagnostic services and subsequent case management services. Our multidisciplinary team can get you connected to the care and services you and your loved ones need.