The New England Center for Children's Inaugural Board of Advisors Meeting

The first annual meeting of The New England Center for Children's (NECC) Board of Advisors (BOA) took place on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 at the Downtown Harvard Club in Boston, MA. Over 60 BOA members attended this inaugural meeting in order to get updated on the work being done at The New England Center for Children as well as their role responsibilities as a BOA member.

The two-hour gathering included a Chairman's Welcome by Thomas J. Hollister and an introduction by the Panel Moderator, Governor Michael S. Dukakis, followed by two panels of experts and speakers whose topics included Current Issues in Autism and the Role of the Board of Advisors.

The first panel was themed "Issues in Autism" and included a presentation by Chief Operating Officer of The New England Center for Children, Katherine Foster on NECC. Dr. Richard Foxx, Professor of Psychology at Penn State University School of Behavioral Sciences and Education then presented on autism treatment, specifically Applied Behavior Analysis, what it is and why it works. The final presenter of this panel was Janice Ware, Ph.D., the Associate Director of Developmental Medicine Center at Children's Hospital Boston and the Director of Pediatric Psychology in the Division of Pediatrics presented on the current issues in autism.

The second panel was entitled "The Role of the BOA" and included presentations about the opportunities and responsibilities of BOA members. The first presenter was NECC parent and Deputy Director of MassHousing, Robert Ruzzo, who spoke about what autism impacts the family. Next, Robert K. Sheridan, President and CEO of Savings Bank Life Insurance, presented on the role of an advisor and the importance of corporate partnerships. James Brett, President and CEO of The New England Council and Member of The President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, spoke to the BOA members about the government's role in autism treatment. Finally, Jim Kitendaugh, President of The Wayland Group spoke to the gathered group about the role of outreach and image building.

The Inaugural Meeting concluded with a talk by Chief Executive Officer & Founder , Vincent Strully, Jr. and a video presentation that included a message from Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

The mission of The New England Center for Children is to provide state-of-the-art education and individualized treatment--with care and respect--for children with autism and other disabilities. For 30 years NECC has maintained a steadfast dedication to helping individuals reach their potential and live productively.

The New England Center for Children is located in Southborough, Massachusetts, 20 miles west of Boston. NECC comprises a central school facility and 17 community-based group homes. NECC serves approximately 240 students with autism and related disorders from across the United States and many foreign countries. NECC employs close to 700 people and serves as a graduate research and training center formally affiliated with Simmons College and Northeastern University, among others. NECC's applied research is published frequently in scientific journals.