14-year old Dylan Greene has a unique interest. Vacuum cleaners have fascinated him ever since he was 2 years old, about the same time he was diagnosed with autism. The story of his birthday present, a live demonstration from a vacuum salesman and company gift of a Kirby vacuum, has gone viral. NBC12 covered the story and included an interview with Adam Dreyfus, Director of the Sarah Dooley Center for ...Read More
Two special education professors from Mogilev State University in Belarus, Professors Elina Katliarova (PhD in Psychology, Chair of Psychology Department) and Irina Komarova (PhD in Pedagogy, Dean of Faculty of Child Pedagogy and Psychology) toured St. Joseph’s Villa and its Sarah Dooley Center for Autism (SDCA) on December 4. During their visit, the Belarusian professors observed instructional techniques used at SDCA and learned how facilities such as SDCA may address the needs of ...Read More
Today 1 in every 68 children is diagnosed with autism. While the increasing rate of autism is alarming, there is hope. Lifelong differences can be made in a child's social, behavioral and cognitive skills with early detection of treatment. However, even though pediatricians are able to diagnose autism as early as age two, the average age of diagnosis is seven in Virginia. "The key to early intervention is early," said ...Read More
The following was written by Sarah Anderson, parent of children served by St. Joseph’s Villa: April is Autism Awareness Month, and during this time I wanted to make St. Joseph’s Villa aware of their outstanding gem of an employee in Rachel Boggan. Rachel is one of the most compassionate, professional and committed autism behavioral therapists that I have ever had the privilege of working with. You can see in this ...Read More
Information courtesy of CNN.com. According to a new report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 68 U.S. children has an autism spectrum disorder -- up from 1 in 88 in 2012. Autism continues to be much more common in boys (1 in 42) than girls (1 in 189). The report also points out that, while autism can be diagnosed as early as age 2, the average age of diagnosis is ...Read More
While winter slowly but surely makes its way out, our students are eagerly awaiting the return of gardening time at the Villa. Now they have one more reason to look forward to a sunny spring full of planting, harvesting and outdoor learning: the addition of a brand new greenhouse in our Learning & Therapy Garden. Generously donated by The Good Shepherd Fund, the greenhouse will provide a new way for our students ...Read More
The following post was written by Jenny Friar, Director of Development for St. Joseph's Villa: The natural environment constitutes one of the most basically important ingredients of human psychological existence. It is an essential, critical, and irreplaceable part of healthy maturation and development. -- Dr. Stephen R. Kellert, Yale University If you spent time out of doors as a child, then you will already know intuitively much of what ...Read More
For three years Craig Coles has served as a Treatment Specialist for children with autism at St. Joseph's Villa. He became a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) in 2004 and was recently licensed as such through the Virginia Board of Medicine. Credentialed nationally and licensed by the state, Craig now works with Dr. Ken Macurik in the Villa's new Early Autism program. Early Autism Services at St. Joseph's Villa provides therapy for children ages 2 ...Read More
Post written by Dr. Ken Macurik, Director of Developmental Disabilities at St. Joseph’s Villa and Doctoral Level Board Certified Behavior Analyst Modern research shows that early behavioral services may improve overall functioning and produce significant gains in IQ for children with autism who enter treatment at 2 to 3 years of age. With the recommended screening age for autism spectrum disorders recently being lowered to 18 months, there is an ...Read More
