Easter Seals becomes first CARF-accredited autism program in central Illinois

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[March 26, 2014]  PEORIA — CARF International announced that Easter Seals Peoria-Bloomington has been accredited for a period of three years in behavioral services and supports for children with autism spectrum disorder, making it the first CARF-accredited autism program in central Illinois.

Today, as many as one in 88 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, making autism the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States. Autism spectrum disorder is a complex neurodevelopmental disability that typically appears during the first two years of life and affects a person's ability to effectively communicate and interact with others.

The Easter Seals Autism Program provides high-quality, specialized, comprehensive services for children with autism and their families. The Easter Seals Autism Diagnostic Clinic, a one-day diagnostic service led by a developmental pediatrician, is unique to the region, delivering over 35 percent of all comprehensive clinical autism evaluations in Illinois.

Among other services, Easter Seals offers the Autism Learning Center, an intensive therapeutic autism program for children ages 3 to 5; applied behavior analysis services; the P.L.A.Y. Project, a family-focused intervention that occurs in the child's home; and social skills groups. Autism Resource Centers are located in Peoria and Bloomington and offer trusted resources for autism information and referral services across the lifespan. The Easter Seals Autism Helpline is available at 1-855-511-3773.

For over 30 years, Easter Seals has been accredited through the international accrediting body CARF for its Outpatient Medical Rehabilitation Pediatric Specialty Program, and that accreditation was also renewed at the last site review.

These accreditation decisions represent the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and demonstrate the organization's substantial conformance with CARF standards. An organization receiving a three-year accreditation has been through a rigorous peer review process and site visit, demonstrating its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable and of the highest quality.

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Easter Seals provides services to ensure that all people with disabilities and their families have equal opportunity to live, learn, work and play in their communities. The organization is committed to providing quality therapy services and family support. CARF accreditation underscores the commitment to children and families in the communities served.

CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the people served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services. For more information about the accreditation process, visit the CARF website at www.carf.org.

[Text from file received from Easter Seals Central Illinois]
 

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