CEO MAKES WISHES COME TRUE FOR FSU PANAMA CITY AUTISM PROGRAM

As the seasons of thanks and giving arrive, Florida State University Panama City’s Early Childhood Autism Program gives thanks to a local donor who has fulfilled their wish list for the past couple of years.

Timothy Bedford, CEO of Emerald Coast Behavioral Hospital in Panama City, has given more than $15,800 to the FSU Foundation since 2021, with the ECAP program specifically receiving nearly $10,000 of that amount.

“My youngest son, who is actually a producer at Channel 7 now, had Asperger’s, a form of autism, and he really excelled when he got to FSU Panama City. He did wonderfully,” Bedford said. “Many times, we don’t even know what’s in our back yard. Obviously, what they do is important to me—and our community.”

Bedford clarified that his son was not an ECAP client. Rather, as an adult student, the small class sizes and relationships built with instructors at FSU Panama City were important to his educational success. Bedford, who joined Emerald Coast Behavioral Hospital in 2010, learned about ECAP after he joined the university’s Development Board in 2020.

“For me, it’s a way of giving back,” Bedford said. “They do amazing work with those kids. It’s wonderful to see. … I mean, most people don’t know, but it’s one of the best programs of its type in the world, and it really needs recognition and community support.”

ECAP is the only nonprofit Applied Behavior Analysis program in the Panhandle to provide in-home and in-clinic services. ECAP serves children diagnosed with (or presenting symptoms of) developmental delays or disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Intellectual Disability. ECAP also has an approved practicum placement for graduate students enrolled in the FSU master’s program in ABA.

“We work very hard at ECAP, but we also play hard to ensure the clients are happy, enjoy their time here and make progress,” said Nikki Dickens, ECAP director. “The hard work the clients are putting in means additional wear and tear on the toys and other items we use.”

Dickens said ECAP was fortunate to have fostered community relationships that drive donations in various forms, including those from Bedford. His gifts provided a variety of items, such board games, trampolines, gaming consoles and other toys that are matched to the interests of the children.

“In short, these are the types of vested community members that directly put smiles on the children served at ECAP,” Dickens said.

“They had a wish list of many items, and I thought this would make their year, their Christmas,” Bedford said. “It was a small token of respect. It was something they were asking for, a need that just needed to be met.”