[picture caption] NeurAbilities Healthcare staff members show their “giant” donation to Autism New Jersey – and the special T-shirt that helped them raise the funds. Shown at NeurAbilities new autism center in Cherry Hill, from left: Suzanne Buchanan, executive director of Autism New Jersey; Sandra Lewis, NeurAbilities director of marketing and public affairs; and Kathleen Stengel, CEO of NeurAbilities.
(CHERRY HILL, N.J., June 24, 2021) Staff of a local program for children with autism are showing their support for adults on the autism spectrum.
The employees of NeurAbilities Healthcare — with facilities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania — recently donated $1,500 to Autism New Jersey. The workers purchased specially designed T-shirts, with proceeds going to help the statewide nonprofit.
“As service providers for those with neurodevelopmental delays, our staff is passionate about supporting the autism community through the lifespan,” said Kathleen Stengel, CEO of NeurAbilities. “Each day, our team sees how people with autism of every age offer unique and valuable contributions.”
NeurAbilities employees present an “autism acceptance” T-shirt to Suzanne Buchanan (center), executive director of Autism New Jersey. The NeurAbilities staff created and bought the shirts to raise money for Buchanan’s organization. Also shown are Kathleen Stengel (left), CEO of NeurAbilities; and Christina Jackey of Mount Laurel, clinic manager at NeurAbilities’ Cherry Hill treatment center.
In addition, while funding and services are available for children with autism, few resources exist for adults with autism in New Jersey, Stengel noted.
“That’s why this year we decided to raise money in support of Autism New Jersey’s advocacy for adults with autism,” explained Christina Jackey, clinic manager at NeurAbilities’ Cherry Hill treatment center.
Suzanne Buchanan, executive director of Autism New Jersey, is grateful for the contribution.
“People with autism have tremendous unmet needs — especially those with severe behavioral challenges and those who are aging out of their educational entitlements,” she said. “This donation from the NeurAbilities staff is critical to support our efforts to build a full continuum of specialized care for every stage of life.”
The fund-raising T-shirts also help the cause by promoting acceptance of people with autism. The dark blue tops feature word clouds filled with positive terms like “respect,” “joy,” “care,” and “hope.”
NeurAbilities therapist Erin O’Brien, BCBA (left), of Oaklyn greets Suzanne Buchanan, executive director of Autism New Jersey, at NeurAbilities’ Cherry Hill treatment center. The new facility features a kid-friendly, Boardwalk theme – including a mural showing the organization’s core values on a sign post. Despite the center’s lighthearted look, its highly trained staff provides essential, life-changing services.
Based in Voorhees and with its flagship N.J. facility in Cherry Hill, NeurAbilities is the only provider in the South and Central N.J./Philadelphia region that offers diagnostic testing – including diagnostic medical evaluations and standardized testing for autism (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, ADOSTM-2, considered the gold standard) – as well as ABA (applied behavior analysis) treatment, from one coordinated source.
Autism New Jersey helps connect families to the services they need, works to shape state policy on behalf of people with autism and their families, and seeks to remove barriers to care.
