Institute for Autism Research has moved to UB, thanks to The Children’s Guild Foundation grant

BUFFALO, N.Y. – More Western New York children with autism and their families will benefit from the highly effective, evidence-based clinical intervention programs of the Institute for Autism Research (IAR) in its expanded new location at the University at Buffalo.

The move to UB, effective June 2, is made possible by a $450,000 grant from The Children's Guild Foundation and support from the university. The nationally-known IAR is being welcomed into the Department of Pediatrics in the  Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB.

Its new quarters are located on UB’s South Campus, where it will provide all of its  programs including summerMAX, the institute’s highly effective, 5-week summer program for children ages 7-12 years, which will be held June 29-July 31.

“The work of The Children’s Guild Foundation is about much more than grant making,” says Darci Cramer, PhD, The Children’s Guild Foundation Board Chair. “We work to change what is, into what should be. As a foundation, we see our grant making and advocacy blending together to ensure our vision is not just a hope, but something to be achieved. Our partnership with the Institute for Autism Research exemplifies this goal.” 

“We are so grateful that the funding from The Children’s Guild Foundation is making our relocation to UB possible so that we can expand our reach to serve more families and continue leading-edge research,” says Marcus Thomeer, PhD, co-founder of the IAR with Christopher J. Lopata, PsyD; both joined UB as professors of pediatrics, effective June 2.

The grant will allow the IAR to establish needs-based tuition fees so that it can serve a larger and more diverse population. Funds will also support the training and hiring of student intern clinicians and staff.

The IAR will be integrated within The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Spectrum Disorder Center housed at the Robert Warner Center for Developmental Pediatrics and Rehabilitation at Golisano Children’s Hospital (GCH) of Buffalo. The center is jointly operated by Kaleida Health and UB and is the only center in Western New York that offers access to a wide range of specialists who work collaboratively to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care tailored to each child’s individual needs. It has the additional benefit of direct access to hospital-based services and support resources when needed.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to The Children’s Guild Foundation for this important grant,” says Benny L. Joyner, MD, A. Conger Goodyear Professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics in the Jacobs School, pediatrician-in-chief at GCH Buffalo and president and CEO of UBMD Pediatrics. “The incredible work that the IAR does both in research and in the community so perfectly complements the goals of our center, providing transformative care and engaging in groundbreaking research. Their work will help connect children and families with impactful interventions much more quickly while providing our trainees with access to one of the most effective programs available for children with autism.”

“The IAR is a pillar of our community, so having them in our department really enriches our center,” says Michelle Hartley-McAndrew, MD, clinical associate professor of pediatrics in the Jacobs School and medical director of The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Spectrum Disorder Center at GCH Buffalo. “They have such a dramatic impact on the quality of life for families. It’s crucial to be able to provide these social skills programs for children with autism that they might not be able to access anywhere else. We simply would not be able to make this impact without the generosity of The Children’s Guild Foundation.”

Established in 2009 at Canisius University by Lopata and Thomeer, the IAR is an interdisciplinary research-based center focused on enhancing the lives of children with autism and their families through a range of social skills programs.

The IAR has completed and published the results of federally-funded randomized clinical trials that demonstrate that the children in its programs exhibit immediate gains in social performance and behaviors and maintain the gains for as long as five years and beyond.

“We are running clinical programs, but everything we do is driven by research,” Thomeer explains. “We try to understand fundamentally which programs work and do the gains hold up over time? If we are asking families to invest their time in something, we want to make sure it works.”

Lopata adds: “We have spent many years researching instructional techniques and identifying skills that support the social development of autistic children. Our programs are the product of what we’ve discovered works.”

The IAR MAX programs are designed to “maximize” – hence the name – the children’s potential. Programs include structured instruction and repeated practice to support children’s social interactions through development of specific social skills, face and emotion recognition, and understanding of non-literal language, as well as broadening of their interests.

“Our programs help autistic children navigate the social world and expand their social relationships with peers and adults,” says Thomeer.

The IAR is one of few centers in the nation that offer evidence-based programs that can be implemented in different modalities, such as in-school, after school, during the summer or at home. In addition, Lopata and Thomeer are expanding trainings and consultations they provide to school-based professionals, further increasing the sustainability of their programs.

Lopata and Thomeer have received $11 million in research funding, produced more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and helped improve the social, behavioral and educational outcomes for more than 1,400 children and their families. They have also trained over 600 students and interns and more than 4,000 health care providers, teachers and counselors.

Thomeer and Lopata will serve as faculty within the Division of Developmental Pediatrics and Rehabilitation in the Department of Pediatrics. The IAR is being integrated within UB’s Child and Maternal Health Research Institute, which is dedicated to advancing pediatric and maternal health through research, clinical care, community partnerships and training.

Families interested in the IAR can email iarubprograms@buffalo.edu for more information.

The Children's Guild Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of children and young adults with special needs in Western New York through its grant funding and advocacy work focused within healthcare, research, education and therapeutic recreation.