AVON PARK — It is well known in the community that Drs. Vinod and Tarlika Thakkar are supportive of students in the Highlands County School District. The Thakkar Award has become synonymous with STEM learning and leadership excellence, but their recent partnership with Ridge Area Arc’s Autism Initiative proves their commitment to life-long learning.
“We have always felt that it is important to, not only support students in their learning environments, but to support the community as a whole,” said Dr. V. Thakkar. “We know that Ridge Area Arc is serving a great need and we want to empower them to better care for people on the autism spectrum.”
In the past 30 years, the prevalence rate of Autism Spectrum Disorder has skyrocketed. Recent estimates by the Centers for Disease Control indicate that Autism Spectrum Disorders occur in 1 out of every 54 children born. Autism is not rare. The Ridge Area Arc Autism Initiative, affectionately called The A-Team Initiative, will provide local families with a resource for life skills education beyond the school system.
“According to staffers at the School Board, they currently serve close to 160 students on the autism spectrum. When those students graduate, we want to help them bridge the gap between school and independence.” said Kathleen Border, Arc CEO. “We will have the training resources they need to move into their own homes or to gain employment. The possibilities are out there and they are endless.”
The alarming increase in the prevalence of autism has caused, not only an increase in the number of cases, but also an increased need for better awareness and understanding of the condition, its assessment, and management among professionals, like Arc, in the field of disability advocacy. Ridge Area Arc’s more than 70 staff members will receive additional hours of comprehensive professional development training specific to the post-secondary classroom environment paid for, in part, by the Thakkar Foundation. The training will drive proficiency in the implementation of current evidence-based interventions that research has proven to be effective in caring for adolescents and adults with disabilities. The Arc campus will be additionally secured for the safety of students with existing classrooms being retrofitted to better accommodate autistic students. Future plans might be for an additional group home and possibly added buildings to the existing grounds.
