Baylor Autism Resource Center to Host Fundraiser to Support Program Expansions

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Contact: Tonya B. Lewis, Assistant Director of Media Communications, (254) 710-4656
WACO, Texas (Nov. 6, 2012) -- The Baylor Autism Resource Center (BARC) will host a fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, at Rosa's Café, 4200 Franklin Ave.
To participate in the fundraiser, patrons can either dine-in or use the drive-thru at Rosa's Café and must present a BARC fundraiser flyer at the time of purchase to the cashier. The BARC will receive 15 percent of the sales.
"We are extremely excited as this is our first fundraising opportunity for the BARC and we hope to receive a great deal of support to further help our local communities. Taking advantage of fundraising opportunities will allow us to continue to offer our services at little to no-cost for families that have children with autism in the Central Texas area," BARC coordinator Kristen Mainor said.
In October, BARC staff expanded their services and began providing low-cost assessment services, parent workshops, as well as, special education consultation and advocacy services. The BARC continues to offer a resource library of more than 200 items for check-out, one-on-one Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy services for children aimed at improving behavior, a support group for college students with Asperger Syndrome, and the Autism Summer Day Camp.
Mainor said that the fundraiser proceeds will be used to purchase resources for the parent workshops and autism curriculum resources for "Social Circles," a program where children with ASD interact and develop their social skills.
"For those that are not able to attend the fundraiser or would like to provide even more support for the BARC, they can purchase gift cards in increments of $10. Of those gift card sales, the BARC will receive an additional percentage of the proceeds," Mainor said.
The BARC was opened in January 2008 with a grant from the Waco Foundation and support from Baylor University.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.

ABOUT BAYLOR SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
The Baylor School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and consists of four departments: Curriculum and Instruction (preparation for classroom teachers and specialists); Educational Administration (post-graduate preparation for school leadership); Educational Psychology (undergraduate and graduate programs for those who are interested in learning, development, measurement, and exceptionalities); and Health, Human Performance and Recreation (preparing for sport- and health-related careers, athletic training and careers in recreational professions, including churches).The School of Education enrolls approximately 1,024 undergraduate students and 320 graduate students, employs 72 faculty, and is one of the few school s in the State of Texas that offers a yearlong teaching internship.