How a vision born in a borrowed building became a global force in autism education.

In the summer of 1975, NECC opened its doors to six students in a modest building on the grounds of Taunton State Hospital. At the time, there was little precedent for autism education, little funding, and even less public understanding. But there was a clear vision and a founder determined to build something better. 

Fifty years later, that vision has grown into a world-renowned institution that supports thousands of learners and educators worldwide and advances the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA). NECC’s journey from a fledgling school to a global leader is a story of innovation, determination, and mission-driven leadership. 

The Beginning: A Search for Purpose 

After graduating from Hamilton College in 1969, Vinnie Strully was searching for work that mattered. “I was looking for something positive and productive to do with my life,” he recalled. That changed when he took a job at a residential treatment center in Troy, NY. Many had never known stable adult relationships, yet Strully connected with them. “I knew this was going to be my life’s work, something I could be passionate about and get better at.” 

Seeking deeper training, he moved to the Spaulding Youth Center in New Hampshire, where he met executive director John Pangburn — a pioneer implementing one of the nation’s first behavioral programs for children with emotional and behavioral challenges. “That was the defining moment of my career,” Strully said. “I saw the methodology was a way to teach skills.” 

When Pangburn invited him to help launch a new unit for children with autism, Strully and colleague Dudley Orr dove into a field with little research and almost no established practices. “We divided up the literature, read it, and trained each other,” Strully said. Their early work became the foundation of what would soon grow into NECC. 

In 1974, at the onset of Massachusetts’ Chapter 766 special education law, the team submitted a proposal to establish a program for children with autism. They secured a $30,000 contract but funding was delayed for months. “We had no money, no pay, just the three of us,” said Strully. “But we believed in it. And people came to support us.” 

In August 1975, the Efficacy Research Institute (ERI) opened with six students who, as Strully said, “taught us far more than we taught them.” Articles from the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) were their guide until behavior analyst Paul Touchette joined in 1978 to build a formal research program, strengthening ERI’s scientific foundation. 

“We felt the science of ABA was powerful — and we were right,” Strully said. “In one generation, it took the center from an empty building at Taunton State Hospital to where it is today.” 

The Turning Point: From Surviving to Scaling 

By 1980, ERI had 20 students and took over the failing Spear Education Center in Framingham — a rescue that brought challenges but also opportunity. 

“That was a chaotic time,” said Kathy Foster, Board member and former COO, who joined ERI in 1975. “The Spear Center had spent money on expensive foods rather than staff training. Vinnie turned that around.” 

As ERI stabilized, Strully, Foster, and Chief Development Officer RoseAnn Lovely envisioned growth beyond classrooms. They wanted community-based living for students, a dream that became possible through the “Mega Plan.” In 1986, led by accountant Michael F. Downey and supported by Governor Michael Dukakis, ERI secured a $23 million tax-exempt bond that doubled its size, funded 10 group homes, and made possible the construction of a main campus in Southborough.

With the new campus, ERI was renamed The New England Center for Autism (NECA) and expanded rapidly — adding a center-based preschool, a home-based early intervention program, a day school, a Staff Intensive Unit, and an adult program. A decade later, to better reflect the breadth of its mission, NECA became The New England Center for Children. 

A Global Footprint 

Today, NECC is a global leader in autism education, research, and professional training. Its model has been replicated in diverse cultural and clinical settings; its educational software supports more than 14,000 users worldwide; and more than 1,870 professionals have earned master’s degrees through NECC’s rigorous programs.

“It’s amazing that NECC has effective programs in such different settings,” said Jessica Sassi, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, who succeeded Strully as president and CEO in 2023. “Whether it’s a partner classroom, a clinic in Dubai, or our school in Abu Dhabi — it looks different, but it’s the same mission. We’ve adapted where needed, while staying true to our model.” 

For Strully, seeing NECC’s mission spread globally fulfills the dream that started in that empty Taunton building. “I hoped the Center would be recognized as a leader in autism education and research — and that it would live hundreds of years beyond me,” he said. “There were challenging days, but we were always growing, improving, and developing. And we never stopped.”

This article originally appeared in the 50th Anniversary edition of Insight.