Autism Tree Project Foundation partners with Alpha Kappa Alpha Head Start Program to provide Early Intervention Screenings for 1,200 low-income students
SAN DIEGO, January 6, 2014 – The Autism Tree Project Foundation 501(c)(3) (ATPF) has partnered with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Head Start Program in El Cajon to provide free Early Intervention Screenings to more than 1,200 low-income children annually at 14 locations throughout San Diego County.
In 2005 ATPF launched an initiative to provide free screenings of children in local schools throughout California for language and developmental delays providing 5,908 screenings to date with an annual rate of 735 children screened per year. Partnering with Kara Dodds and Associates in San Diego, these screenings have caught warning signs in many children, allowing parents to get further diagnosis and treatment at a crucial time in their children’s lives. ATPF provides all screenings & teacher trainings free of cost to both the families and schools.
This new partnership with Alpha Kappa Alpha Head Start Program in El Cajon will implement free annual screenings to over 1,200 low-income children thus providing solutions that allow each child to reach their full potential. Autism affects 1 in 50 school aged children, ages 6-17. *Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 2013.
This new program launched with Phase I Teacher Trainings the first week of January 2014 and the Phase II Early Intervention Screenings will begin the week of January 20, 2014.
About Autism Tree Project Foundation San Diego, CA
Supporting Families Affected by Autism
Founded in 2003 Autism Tree Project Foundation (ATPF) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving communities in San Diego County and The Bay Area by assisting with education, advocacy, screening and mentoring for families impacted by autism.
More than 1,500 youth and families participate in annual activities. An average total of 735 youth are screened annually with 5,908 preschoolers screened since 2006.
ATPF’s Youth Education and Developmental Services coordinates a variety of intensive programs designed to engage youth with autism in a variety of services, aimed at improving their confidence and behaviors, plus improving their social communications.
Every family tree is touched by autism. If you don’t know someone with autism you will.
About Kara Dodds and Associates Speech Therapy Center, San Diego, CA
Kara Dodds & Associates was established in 2001 and has family-friendly centers located in San Diego and Encinitas, California. We provide the highest level of individualized speech, language and social communication services to children in need, including diagnostic and therapy services. As comprehensive speech-language therapy center, we offer a broad spectrum of communication related services to meet the needs of children and their families in the San Diego area. Our team of highly qualified Speech-Language Pathologists design individual treatment programs and carefully evaluate these programs on an ongoing basis in order to make changes depending on the child’s progress.
About Alpha Kappa Alpha Head Start Program, El Cajon, CA
Head Start is a federally funded program designed to give three to five year old children and their families the experiences they need to bring about success in public schools and improve their quality of family life.
Children receive medical, dental, speech, hearing and developmental screenings. Follow-up services are provided as needed. With 14 centers throughout San Diego County, the Head Start Program accepts applications for children 3 to 5 years of age year round, mainstreaming children with disabilities. The agency also offers services to children ages one-three years of age through the Early Head Start Program.
For Immediate Release:
Media Contact:
Lisa M. Kaufmann
Director of Program Development
619.318.6713
Lisa@autismtreeproject.org
