Boston, MA – Boston Medical Center is pleased to announce it has received a $10,000 grant from the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism.
The Autism Program at Boston Medical Center, located within BMC’s Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, provides comprehensive care and support to patients who receive a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. The Behavior Clinic is offered free of charge and not billed through insurance, thereby alleviating the considerable barriers that would be prohibitive to many patient families. With the support of the Flutie Foundation, Boston Medical Center anticipates serving 75 children through the Clinic in the next year.
“Navigating ASD can be stressful for families, and that stress is amplified by the pandemic,” says Shari Krauss, MA, MPH, program director of The Autism Program at Boston Medical Center. “Philanthropy means we can support children and their families quickly without long wait times and lots of red tape—families routinely tell us what a lifesaver the Clinic is at a time when they feel isolated and out of options.”
The Behavior Clinic, facilitated by a nurse practitioner and a board certified behavior analyst, provides timely, critical interventions for families who otherwise might wait months for help due to long waitlists, staffing shortages and language barriers. Boston Medical Center’s trained providers see children over 4-6 visits with a goal of decreasing patients’ challenging behaviors, implementing new routines, and reducing general stress and anxiety for patients and families. A tailored behavior response plan is developed for each family, and family training and troubleshooting is conducted during subsequent appointments with the ultimate goal of helping families navigate behavioral needs at home with greater ease and autonomy.
“The Flutie Foundation Signature Grants help our partner agencies address a variety of significant needs in the autism community,” says Nick Savarese, Executive Director of The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. “Programs like these are helping people on the autism spectrum live life to the fullest and we are proud to support their efforts.”
The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, based in Framingham, MA, awards grants annually through a competitive application and review process. The signature grants that the Flutie Foundation distributed this year support traditionally under-served, under-funded, culturally diverse communities reflected in the Foundation's areas of interest; providing a path for educational and vocational skills, supporting recreational and active lifestyles, and ensuring people with autism are safe, supported and informed.
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