Autism center holds grand opening

By Jedd Rosche

Published May 1, 2007

One of the most common childhood mental disorders has a new enemy in Columbia.

Among faculty, doctors and families connected to Autism Spectrum Disorders, Gov. Matt Blunt spoke about the need for early identification of neurodevelopmental diseases at the Friday morning grand opening of an MU-based research center dedicated to studying and treating the disorder.

Located on the east side of Columbia just south of Interstate 70, the Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders is the product of an $8.5 million donation distributed over two years, starting in April 2005. The center will provide treatment for autism patients and their families, along with a classroom setting for MU students from six schools and colleges within the university.

The Centers for Disease Control reported one in 150 American children develop autism, and a news release from Blunt stated that in Missouri, there are more than 4,200 children who have some form of the disorder.

Blunt congratulated the center's staff on its opening, citing his recent proposal to increase funding for autism research to $3.9 million for next year's budget, which doubles the amount from last fiscal year.

"I believe this center will be a flagship for the entire state," Blunt said.

Blunt stressed early identification of the disorder, reminding attendees that doctors could identify symptoms in children as young as six months.

Chancellor Brady Deaton also spoke before the ribbon-cutting ceremony and said the center will take the quality of autism treatment and research to a new level.

"Students from a number of areas from health professional and medicine to education and other areas of psychological counseling, an outreach will be reinvigorated by this," Deaton said. "It's going to have a long-range effect on the quality of care for the children at sake."

Deaton said he had not communicated directly with Blunt about Friday's opening, but he said the increased support in autism treatment and research was a part of an ongoing discussion about autism with legislators and leadership.

"This is an international issue, and we're very fortunate to have state support and leadership that he's provided," Deaton said.

The donation that facilitated the center came from CEO of Pacific Investment Management Company and MU graduate Bill Thompson and his wife, Nancy.

Thompson said he became familiar with autism two years ago when his daughter, then a toddler, met friends who had autism, which he described as a "terrible disorder."

Thompson said his brother had a child diagnosed with Down syndrome, and Thompson witnessed how having a child with a chronic illness could put a family and a marriage under stress.

Thompson Center Development Officer Kellie Ann Christie said though the colleges and schools involved with the Thompson Center had worked together previously on autism issues, this center would be the first in which they would all be under one roof.

"That way our center can provide a more comprehensive treatment," Christie said. "Now these parents don't have to travel all over town for care."

Prior to the donations, Thompson Center Director Janet Farmer said professors and doctors were treating patients and researching the disorder at different locations at MU.

"There was faculty all over campuses working on autism cases," Farmer said. "Some in the hospitals, some in classroom. We talked to the Thompsons about the idea of a building to hold everything, and they were really excited."

The colleges and schools included in the center are the School of Health Professions, School of Medicine, College of Arts and Science, College of Engineering, College of Education and the College of Human Environmental Sciences. All of these schools and colleges work through MU Extension Telehealth network.

After the ceremony, Health Professions Programs Director Stephen Kannes gave tours of the facility.

Kannes also provided a demonstration of the MU Telehealth Extension, which allows doctors or patients to communicate with each other via video conference.

"It's been a blessing for diagnostics," Kannes said.

Farmer said the use of six schools complemented the variety of treatments needed for families including one-sided mirrors and oral/speech therapy.

"Patients in youth or adulthood need a variety of services," Farmer said.

Farmer described the prevalence of autism, not just in Missouri but nationwide, as really striking to her, especially the one in 150 statistic.

"We're quite concerned about the possibility of environmental factors (on autism)," Farmer said. "We know it's a genetic disorder, but some things in the environment could be affective."