A press conference will be held on Wednesday, May 14, at 2:00 p.m., in the Larson Bland Conference Center to announce the George A. Butchikas Autism Foundation’s contribution to support the Early Childhood Autism Program (ECAP) at Florida State University Panama City.

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 2013 gift marked the twelfth year the Butchikas Autism Foundation has supported the ECAP program bringing the Foundation’s total contributions to $385,000.The fall of 2012 also saw the opening of the Camille Butchikas ECAP Clinic at FSU Panama City.Previously an “in-home only” program, the new clinic gives parents the option to have therapy in the clinic, in the home or a combination of both.

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.

For additional information about the Butchikas Autism Foundation, contact Carolyn Butchikas, Foundation Director, at (850) 258-3588.  For additional information about ECAP, contact, Kassi VanderPloeg, Clinical Director, at (850) 770-2241.