On Monday, April 23, at 12:45 p.m., in the Holley Academic Center Lecture Hall, the George A. Butchikas Autism Foundation will make a $40,000 contribution to support the Early Childhood Autism Program (ECAP) at Florida State University Panama City.  The Butchikas Autism Foundation joins others across the United States in celebrating National Autism Awareness Month which began April 1.               

The establishment of a new ECAP Clinic at FSU Panama City will also be announced.  The clinic will begin providing services in fall of 2012.

The partnership between the Butchikas Autism Foundation, the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program and ECAP began in 2001 soon after the programs were first established at FSU Panama City.  The ECAP program provides intensive behavioral therapy services to children with autism through the specialized training graduate students receive in the Master’s of Psychology degree with emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis at FSU Panama City.

Since that time, hundreds of children in Bay County and their families have benefited from the program’s services and from the funding provided by the Butchikas Autism Foundation.  The 2012 gift marks the eleventh year that the Butchikas Autism Foundation has supported the ECAP program and brings the Foundation’s total contributions to $330,000. 

According to George and Carolyn Butchikas, the donations would not have been possible without the community’s strong support of the Butchikas Autism Foundation’s annual Silent Auction & B.B.Q. Bash held at Angelo’s Steak Pit on Panama City Beach each year.  Planning is already underway for the 15^th Annual George A. Butchikas Autism Foundation Silent Auction & B.B.Q. Bash which will be held in fall 2012.

To support the event or for additional information about the Butchikas Autism Foundation, contact Carolyn Butchikas, Foundation Director, at 850.258-3588.  For additional information about ECAP, contact clinical director, Rachel Wagner at (850) 770-2241.