Recent estimates reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014) suggest one in every 68 people in the United States is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, making this a very real issue that many families face. Bay County families are no different. As a local non-profit, applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy provider, the FSU Early Childhood Autism Program (ECAP), is doing its part to make a difference.

During the National Autism Awareness month of April, ECAP is raising funds to assist local families in need of financial assistance for ABA services, which are considered medically necessary for children with autism.

The month of fundraising events kicks off with a check presentation at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 7, at the ECAP Clinic (FSU Panama City Technology Building, room B129). The funds were raised last month during a Spaghetti Cookoff hosted by event coordinator Roberta Collins, who has a daughter with autism, and Crazy 8’s Billiards owner Gary Lemanski.

ECAP will continue the week with its own fundraising event, the 5th Annual Auction for Autism Awareness, hosted in conjunction with the Emerald Coast Association for Behavior Analysis. The family-friendly auction will be 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 10, in the Holley Academic Center Lecture Hall at FSU Panama City. Admission is $25 at the door, which includes food, refreshments and raffle tickets for the auction.

All auction proceeds benefit ECAP’s Butchikas Scholarship Program, which provides funding to families in need of ABA services who do not have insurance or financial means to afford therapy. This year’s goal is to raise $10,000 for the scholarship.

Since 2001, the George A. Butchikas Foundation for Autism has provided annual donations totaling about $450,000 to the scholarship program, which is utilized by about one-third of ECAP’s clients. The scholarship typically funds a full year of ABA services for Bay County families who do not have insurance or the means to pay for their child’s therapy.

The Butchikas Foundation will continue their support of ECAP this year with a donation to be scheduled later in April.

 “Our local community is incredibly giving, and each year we are more and more impressed with the support we receive in helping our local children,” said Amy Polick, Ph.D., ECAP Director and psychology faculty at FSU Panama City. “Every day at ECAP we have children learning new skills and making great strides in their fights against autism, and without these organizations we would be unable to have these success stories.”

For more information about ECAP events, contact Polick at apolick@pc.fsu.edu or (850) 770-2252. To learn more about ECAP, visit ecap.pc.fsu.edu.