Durand Academy & Community Services, Inc.Awarded Grant from The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation for After-School Program for Teens with Aspergers Syndrome

Mount Laurel, NJ  March 4, 2008

Durand Academy & Community Services, Inc. has been awarded a $10,000 grant from The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation to implement a therapeutic after-school program for students ages 16-21 with High Functioning Autism (HFA) or Aspergers Syndrome (AS).  Durand’s initiative will address a need that has historically been under-funded, if not non-existent.  As the numbers of autistic children (1 in 94 in the state of NJ) continues to rise, the critical need for programs addressing the needs of HFA or AS students has never been more apparent.  The program will be housed at the Durand Academy & Community Services, Inc. Mount Laurel location.  The curriculum will focus on real-life community & social skills, job development skills and financial literacy.  The program will include interaction with peer mentors and be facilitated by a special education teacher.

Durand Academy & Community Services, Inc. was established in 1972 to serve Southern New Jersey children and adults with behavioral challenges and their families.  Focusing on individuals with developmental disabilities, autism spectrum and other learning disorders, the agency runs community programs for adults and children and a school for young people aged 4-14.  Services are provided primarily to residents of Gloucester, Salem, Burlington, Camden, and Cumberland Counties.

The mission of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation is to award grants nationwide to programs that enrich the lives of adolescents and adults with Autism. The foundation’s expertise encompasses developing, identifying, supporting and supervising exemplary programs.  http://www.djfiddlefoundation.org/