After years of planning, the Greenwood Interprofessional Autism Center will provide services for the community and give students hands-on experiences in a growing field.
This summer, the long-awaited Greenwood Interprofessional Autism Center should be fully operational, providing in-depth, interdisciplinary assessment and intervention for children with autism or suspected autism, as well as other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Since 2015, Truman has worked to convert the former elementary school into a resource for the community that also trains interested students for careers in the autism sector. With the help of the Missouri Legislature, federal funding secured by U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt and a grant from the Sunderland Foundation of Kansas City, a total of nearly $9.4 million was generated to bring the center to fruition. Adair County SB40 also contributed to salary for the center’s director.
“The community effort to bring this project to reality has been truly inspiring,” said University President Sue Thomas. “It is very exciting that Greenwood will now provide a much-needed service in the region, and Truman is proud to be the driving force behind this impactful project.”
A majority of the funding for the Greenwood Center came by way of the Missouri Legislature where the project received bipartisan support through three gubernatorial administrations and a number of local officials, most recently Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin and Reps. Danny Busick and Greg Sharp.
During the planning phase, many of the steps required to establish the center were conducted remotely. As the launch phase approached, Dr. Maryellen Jensen was selected as the new director to oversee the activity taking place on site. She previously served as a special education teacher at the Early Childhood Learning Center in the Kirksville R-III School District where she was the lead teacher in an early intensive behavior intervention classroom for four years. She continued to work with students as an in-district autism consultant and eventually as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst for the next six years at the school district. Before coming to Truman, she worked as a BCBA serving adults with autism and behavioral challenges in their homes and the community. She also worked for the State of Missouri as a BCBA contracted to rural school districts in need of behavioral analytic services.
“The Greenwood Interprofessional Autism Center is a dream come truevfor Kirksville and northeast Missouri,” Jensen said. “I know I speak for the entire Greenwood team in the belief that everyone deserves excellent service and opportunities to help them reach their full potential. We are excited to be a part of Truman and to serve the individuals in our community.”
As the center gets established, the academic components of its mission will soon be integrated and offer an outlet for students to enhance their skills. Licensed professionals will supervise Truman students enrolled in health-related academic programs including applied behavior analysis, communication disorders, counseling, education, exercise science, health science, nursing and psychology.
Services will also be available for Truman students who are on the autism spectrum.
More information about the center, including updates, available services and online inquires for potential clients and their family members, can be found online at greenwood.truman.edu.
