On Saturday, November 4, 2006, the Parents Organization of The New England Center for Children (NECC) will sponsor its Fifth Annual “A Night of Music,” at historical Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. This event will serve as a fundraiser to benefit children and young adults with autism and related developmental disorders. The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m., again hosted by CBS4’s Dan Rea. The night will feature a silent auction, followed by dinner and dancing. Music will be provided by the Worcester Polytechnic Big Band, directed by Professor Rich Falco with special guest jazz vocalist Linda Dagnello and WPI’s Medwin String Ensemble, directed by Professor Douglas Weeks.

Founded thirty years ago by Vincent Strully, Jr., The New England Center for Children has received the United States Department of Education Award for Professional Development, serving as a model for other educational institutions worldwide. NECC was the 2005 recipient of the Award for Enduring Programmatic Contributions to Behavior Analysis from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA). Most of NECC’s students have been diagnosed with severe autism or developmental disabilities and are enrolled in the residential and day programs. NECC is also a world-renowned research center committed to developing educational programming and specialized teacher training. NECC’s applied research is published frequently in scientific journals.

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 241 students with autism and related disorders from 10 states and 5 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.