Autism Center

The Autism Center at Misericordia University, located at 50 Lake Street in Dallas, is comprised of a number of services for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder across the life-span. The services are offered by highly trained and credentialed professionals, along with graduate and undergraduate students in programs that reside in the College of Health Sciences.

A major goal of the Autism Center is to offer that highest quality services available, while endeavoring to establish services and programs based on community needs and to fill gaps in care.

Scroll down for Autism Center Services

Follow the link to learn more about ACCE

The Autism Collaborative Centers of Excellence (ACCE) hub here on Misericordia University's campus is designed to connect people with Autism Spectrum Disorders, along with their families, with services and supports in the region.

ACCE Community Hubs
There are five hubs located across the 13-county region supported by the ACCE network:

• Children's Service Center/Hazleton
• East Stroudsburg University
• Hope Enterprises
• Misericordia University
• The University of Scranton
• Mansfield University 

Click the Icon to join our email list - you will receive information about upcoming events 

Click the Icon to like Misericordia University Autism Center's Facebook Page

RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT MISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY

• Speech, Language and Hearing Center:
  • Offering services from preschool through adulthood.
• Physical therapy Pro-Bono Clinic:
  • PT services for children and adults who are uninsured or under-insured.
• Occupational Therapy Services:
  • Provides a variety of clinics and camp

Occupational Therapy Clinics
Contact: Dr. Orley Templeton, OTR/L
Phone: 570-674-8154
E-mail: otempleton@misericordia.edu

Sensory social camp is held at Misericordia University in the Occupational Therapy (OT) labs during the month of July. It comprises 15 OT treatment sessions where children with autism are encouraged to learn good social skills and strategies to deal with their sensory challenges. The group incorporates a fun, play-based environment that embeds the challenge to the student to use pro-social behaviors throughout each activity. (Child is taught a social skill and is required to use that skill throughout the camp, as each social skill builds upon the next). The group atmosphere allows the children to learn from one another as well as build friendships with each other.

Each session begins with learning and trying out a social skill with the group through a fun activity. Then, the children complete a “sensory obstacle course” where they complete gross motor activities and sensory challenges. Next, they complete a “sensory craft” such as making weighted animals, scented beans, colored rice, calm down jars, etc. Throughout the entire camp, they complete 15 different sensory crafts which they compile into a “sensory toybox” to take home or to school. Parents are invited to attend the final session of camp where they will be educated in the use of each item to assist them with their child’s sensory challenges. Each session ends with a “sensory snack” where the children learn about tolerating different textures in their mouth and proper snacks to choose in order to help the child be more alert and focused.

Children learn how to:

• talk to a friend appropriately.
• ask a friend to play a game.
• encourage friends during game play.
• identify their own emotions, as well as those of their peers.
• “stop, think and make good choices” when they are upset.
• use sensory strategies to be more alert and focused.
• Improve their ability to follow multi-step directions.
• choose good methods to calm their emotions when they become upset.
• maintain an appropriate topic of conversation with a friend.
• reduce restrictive repetitive behaviors (known as stimming).
• reduce sensory aversions.
• use sensory strategies at home, in the community, and at school.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND PARTNERS

Visit the Autism Center Lending Library if you are a parent to a child with Autism looking to try different therapeutic items with your child.

'Check out' therapeutic tools to try with your child with Autism to know if these tools would be worth purchasing on your own. Similar to a typical library, these items can be borrowed & returned after a small period of time from therapists.  Click here to download the Therapeutic Lending Library flyer.  Try what we have or let us know what you need!

COMMUNITY PROFILES

Check the following community profiles to find local resources in NEPA for Autism: 

• Autism For Lifelong Learning (ALL) Program
• Think College 
• Organization for Autism Research ( OAR)
• Offices of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)
• Beyond Behavior Consulting
• Mass Mutual Special Needs Financial Planning
• Unity in the Community 8
• Autism Awareness NEPA
• Autism and Behavior Resources
• Autism Behavioral Services
• The Gregory Center for Applied Behavior Analysis
• Step By Step, Inc.
• Mission Autism Clinics
• Wyoming Valley Children's Association
• Special Education Advocacy Services of Luzerne, LLC
• S.A.F.E., Inc.
• Pennsylvania Autism Action Center
• PA Elks Nurses Service Program
• Attain ABA Therapy
• Keystone Behavior Services 
• Functional Connections, LLC
• Back Mountain Music Therapy  
• Geisinger Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute