ECAP currently serves about 30 clients aged 2 to 21 who have been diagnosed with developmental delays and disabilities, including autism. About 550 children in the Bay County area could be diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and with a wait list of families requesting ECAP's services, funding for scholarships is crucial.
Using positive reinforcement and individualized teaching, graduate student therapists in FSU Panama City’s Applied Behavior Analysis program work alongside professional clinicians as they follow individual behavior treatment plans to help children develop academic, social, language, cognitive, daily living and other motor skills. Parents take part in the process as well by watching therapy in the clinic via live video feeds or by participating in parent trainings offered by ECAP.
ECAP has been helping children with autism learn to communication, navigate social challenges, and improve adaptive functioning skills since 2001. Through their scholarship program, as a nonprofit under the FSU Foundation, ECAP provides free and reduced therapy that is critical for local children in need. With over 120 families helped so far, additional benefactors can choose to fund an individualized amount of therapy. No amount is too small as ECAP uses this funding to make big gains in the lives of children impacted by autism.