| DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
J.A.C.K. (Justice for Autism with Community and
Kindness) is a non-profit program designed to provide residential care and
day school education for children, ages 6-21, with autism spectrum
disorders. Services will include appropriate and scientifically validated
educational and behavioral intervention for children with autism. The
initial phase of the program will include a facility that will provide a
residence for 12 students with day services in a separate area. Phase one
will provide services for up to 10 additional non-residential students.
Staff includes medical and educational professionals modeled from existing
programs outside of Maine such as, psychologist, physicians, social workers,
nurses, teachers, speech and behavioral therapists, and management and
support staff. As the program matures, J.A.C.K. will provide needed services
to more of Maine's children. The program will be located in Hancock County
Maine, with services available to children across the entire state of Maine.
It is conceivable that J.A.C.K. can benefit all of Maine's students.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT
Because Maine has no residential facilities to
appropriately manage and treat children with autism, J.A.C.K. will provide
those services in a cost-effective manner within the state. Maine has a
total of 846 children from ages 3-21 with autism (Dec 2002); there are 91
within a 25-mile radius of Ellsworth. A comprehensive in-state program
provides a sociologic as well as economic benefit. It provides local
education and care for residential students as well as appropriate
educational day school services. J.A.C.K. is a vehicle to optimize existing
educational funds that currently are being used to send only the most
severely disabled to out of state facilities for residential care. Current
practice depletes funds on out of state programs, leaving little to no funds
for children with autism in the existing in-state educational system.
According to the Autism Society of America, the cost of lifetime care can be
reduced by two thirds with early diagnosis and appropriate intervention.
J.A.C.K. will provide such services. Additional benefits exist for all
citizens who support school programs through their local taxes. By
transferring the special needs of children with autism to J.A.C.K., it can
reduce the local tax burden.
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