“Giving Autism a Voice” Media Campaign Garners Honor for National and Regional Media Coverage

Southborough, Mass. – June 18 2019 – The New England Center for Children® (NECC®), a global leader in education and research for children with autism, announced today they have received the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Award of Excellence 2019 for Most Effective Campaign for Nonprofit Organizations.

PRSA is the nation’s leading professional organization serving the communications community. The Silver Anvil Awards honor the best public relations campaigns of the year and the highest standards of performance for the profession. NECC received their award at the Silver Anvil Awards ceremony in New York’s Edison Ballroom on June 6.

PRSA’s Award of Excellence was given to NECC for their “Giving Autism a Voice” campaign, which resulted in major national and regional media coverage including The New York Times, Boston Globe (front page), Washington Post, major market broadcast, and dozens of regional, online, and trade media.

“Increasing autism awareness and understanding is key to helping children with autism and their families. We are proud of our work in communicating NECC’s mission via the media,” said Vincent Strully, NECC President and CEO. “Behind this award was a strategic PR program built on media-friendly messaging, thought leadership, smart packaging and creative pitch angles. NECC uncovered the human interest stories and wove the school’s education, technology and research into the fabric of our students’ successes.”

“As a former Silver Anvil Awards judge, I understand and admire the hard work that goes into planning, creating and executing these campaigns,” said Debra Peterson, APR, 2019 PRSA Chair. “This year’s entries were among the most innovative we’ve seen in the history of the Awards, truly reflecting the rapid transformation that technology, social media and myriad cultural forces are bringing to the communications industry.”

About PRSA

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the nation’s leading professional organization serving the communications community. Founded in 1948, PRSA is the principal advocate for industry excellence and ethical conduct and provides members lifelong learning opportunities and leading-edge resources to enhance professional connections and support them at every stage of their career. With more than 30,000 members, PRSA is collectively represented in all 50 states by 110 Chapters and 14 Professional Interest Sections, and on nearly 375 college and university campuses through its student organization, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). For more information, please visit www.prsa.org.

About The New England Center for Children

The New England Center for Children® (NECC®) is an award-winning autism education center and research institute. Our community of teachers, researchers, and clinicians have transformed the lives of thousands of children with autism worldwide through education, research, and technology. The Center provides comprehensive services to maximize independence: home-based, day, and residential programs, partner classrooms in public school systems, consulting services, the ACE® ABA Software System (www.acenecc.org), teacher professional development, and research on educational best practices. The New England Center for Children is based in Southborough, MA, and operates a center in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Learn more at www.necc.org.

Contact:

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