Autism And Developmental Disabilities: Community-Based Support Fails In Ohio

Community-based support for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities have been meeting with varying degrees of success and failure in the US. While New Jersey is among the states progressing in providing help for those with these disabilities, Ohio is one state that is being called out for failing those with developmental disabilities.

NJ.com points to the 133-year history of the Bancroft organization in New Jersey in providing services and facilities for those with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Bancroft recently acquired an 80-acre property in Mount Laurel to expand its center.

Currently New Jersey, through Bancroft, features The Bancroft School, The Lindens Center for Autism, the Campus Residences, the Bancroft NeuroRehab Resnick Center and the Enrichment and Training Institute. With the Bancroft center expansion in Mount Laurel, more services and facilities will soon be provided for the intellectually and developmentally disabled.

The expansion is projected to be ready by next school year. Bancroft's services and facilities had been helping a significant number of individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities to incorporate and enjoy quality of life.

"This is a significant step towards our goal of reaching more children and families who need our resources in the special needs community," Bancroft President and CEO, Toni Pergolin, stated. "We have envisioned a campus that takes our school and pediatric programs to a new level and provides new opportunities for engagement.

In contrast, the state of Ohio is currently being sued over reported violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. WFMD reports that Ohio has 5,800 patients, who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, that receive care and assistance while living in institutions. Meanwhile, another 40,000 are wait-listed without any care or service available to support them.

Kerstin Sjoberg-Witt of Disability Rights Ohio pointed out that Ohio could do without further service cuts and shut-down of much-needed institutions. Sjoberg-Witt explained that the lawsuit is aiming to make support available to a wider number of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community.