Light It Up Blue, a 5K, a Quiz, and New Research Help Raise Awareness of Autism

Southborough, Mass. – April 2, 2017 – The New England Center for Children® (NECC®), a global leader in education and research for children with autism, announced today a global program for autism awareness in April as part of the UN-sanctioned World Autism Month and National Autism Awareness Month in the United States. NECC will join the Light It Up Blue campaign in both its Massachusetts and Abu Dhabi, UAE, locations in addition to other activities including its annual 5K Walk/Run for Autism, a “Test Your Autism Awareness” quiz educational campaign, and new research on behavior analysis and autism.

NECC honors Autism Awareness Month with a variety of educational and fund raising events:

  • Light It Up Blue. NECC will join the Light It Up Blue campaign with thousands of landmarks and buildings across the world to “light blue” in support of people living with autism. NECC’s John and Diane Kim Autism Institute in Southborough, Mass., and NECC Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, will be lit blue all during April.
  • The 11th Annual New England Center for Children 5K Walk/Run for Autism 2017. Last year more than 1,500 participants raised close to a quarter-million dollars in this professionally timed road race. The Walk/Run will take place on May 6, 2017, in Southborough, Mass. https://www.necc.org/5K 
  • Test Your Autism Awareness Education Campaign. NECC presents an interactive, online quiz that surveys one’s basic knowledge of autism and NECC. To take the quiz please visit https://www.necc.org/about-necc/understanding-autism/
  • New Research on Behavior Analysis and Autism. NECC will present 38 presentations, workshops, symposia and papers at the 2017 ABAI Convention in Denver, CO, May 25-29. Research includes “Training therapists and parents to implement joint attention procedures,” Holohan, B.R., & MacDonald, R.P.F. and “Evaluation of a visual imagining procedure to teach remembering to adolescents with ASD,” Stine, J., & Bourret, J.C. The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) is the leading trade organization for those interested in the philosophy, science, application, and teaching of behavior analysis.

About The New England Center for Children

The New England Center for Children® (NECC®) is a world leader in education, research, and technology for children with autism. For more than 40 years, our community of teachers, researchers, and clinicians have been transforming lives and offering hope to children with autism and their families. NECC’s award-winning services include home-based, day, and residential programs; public school partnerships and consulting; the John and Diane Kim Autism Institute; and the ACE® ABA Software System used by more than 4,620 students in 24 states and nine countries. NECC received the 2017 Award for International Dissemination of Behavior Analysis from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA). A 501c3 non-profit, The New England Center for Children is based in Southborough, MA, and also operates a center in Abu Dhabi, UAE. More information is available at www.necc.org.

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Contact:

Michele Hart                                                                                                                                                         
The New England Center for Children                                                                                                          
(508) 481-1015 x4049                                                                                                                               
[email protected]