Date: TBA

Eden Autism presents
“Planning Through the Life Span”
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Annual California Conference
For information on registration contact:
Susan Bird : susan.bird@edenautism.org

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AUTISM FACTS

• 1 in 110 children is diagnosed with autism (Centers for Disease Control, December 2009).
• 1.5 million Americans are living with the effects of autism spectrum disorder.
• The estimated lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism ranges from $3 to $5 million.
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than cancer, diabetes, Down’s syndrome and AIDS combined.
• Autism knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries, and family income, lifestyle, and educational levels do not affect the chance of autism’s occurrence.
• Autism is four times more likely in boys than girls.
• Autism is not a mental illness. Children with autism and related pervasive developmental disabilities are born with the disorder or the potential to develop it.
• Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others.
• Autism is considered a “spectrum disorder,” meaning that its symptoms and behaviors can present themselves in a variety of combinations, from mild to severe.
• No single cause for autism has been identified.
• Autism can be treated, but there is no cure.

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ABOUT Dr. McCool, President & CEO of Eden Autism Services

Since 2005, Dr. McCool has served as President/CEO of Eden Autism Services, based inPrinceton,New Jersey. Edenprovides a broad array of services to children and adults with autism and their families.

From 1996 to 2005, Dr. McCool served as the Vice President of Development and Government Relations for Devereux nationally.  From 1985 to 1996 Dr. McCool was the Executive Director of DevereuxCaliforniawith responsibility for Clinical, Residential, Recreational, and Educational/Vocational Programs for 235 developmentally disabled children and adults.

Dr. McCool received a Doctor of Education Degree in Educational Leadership from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Institute for Leadership Studies inHackensack,New Jersey, and a Masters of Education Degree from West Chester State University, WestChester, Pennsylvania.

Dr. McCool was a gubernatorial appointee to the California Interagency Coordinating Council, is a Founding Commissioner of the National Commission on Accreditation of Special Education Services, and founding member of the National Association of Residential Providers of Adults with Autism.  He served on the MIND Institute Advisory Board, is also a member of the Autism Society of America and the National Association of Private Schools for Exceptional Children (NAPSEC).

Dr. McCool has presented at numerous professional conferences including the National Association of Private Schools for Exceptional Children, and ASA’s National and International Conferences on Autism.