Deirdre Imus and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Go Back to School for Autism

A Tour of Summit School for children with developmental disorders gives new meaning to "No Child Left Behind"

Dedicated to raising awareness about autism, honored children’s health advocate, author and civic leader, Deirdre Imus, traveled to Buffalo, New York for a tour of Summit Academy, a school many consider to be one of the best kept secrets in the country. Accompanying Mrs. Imus on the trip was Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
“It’s an amazing educational facility providing the most comprehensive educational and support programs unlike anything that I have ever seen,” said Mrs. Imus. “The level of services provided to almost 400 children attending the school are exceptional.” 

Located just outside of Buffalo, Summit Educational Resources provides special education and related support services for approximately 1600 developmentally disabled children from over 40 school districts throughout Western New York. The school employs 500 professionals who are trained to provide highly specialized instruction including applied behavioral analysis (ABA). The staff also includes special education teachers, speech language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, music therapy, vocational instruction, social workers and psychologists.

The fastest growing school for developmental disorders in the country, the Summit School has seen its school-age program increase 71 percent in the last five years.

“People don’t realize just how many children are diagnosed with autism and other developmental disorders. They don’t ever see this many children in one location”, noted Mrs. Imus. “If you want to really understand the magnitude of the epidemic levels of autism and other developmental disorders you need only spend a few minutes at Summit Academy.”

“Senator Schumer is to be commended for his leadership and for taking the time to visit with the parents, staff and especially the children of Summit Academy,” said Mrs. Imus. “He wasted no time in engaging the children. I hope this will be the first of many opportunities for us to work together and help these children.”

Mrs. Imus spent an entire day touring classrooms and interacting directly with many of the children she met. In a roundtable meeting with parents and staff, Mrs. Imus listened to the challenges these families face and the challenges of service providers who don’t have the resources to do all that needs to be done just to provide basic support. One major concern for both parents and staff the lack of long-term care and support for these children once they age out of school.

Mrs. Imus agreed that investing in research aimed at determining the cause of autism is vitally important, “but regardless of the cause, these children and their families need real support programs, and they need them today.”

“Summit is a unique specialized model program for children with autism and other developmental disorders because it really provides a very comprehensive program,” said Mrs. Imus. “I hope more of our elected officials will visit Summit, where the promise of 'No Child Left Behind' is not just a phrase, but a mission.”

For more information about Summit Educational Resources and Summit Academy’s Autism Program go to: www.summited.org

Deirdre Imus was honored as a “Champion for Autism” by The Autism Education Foundation of Morris-Union Jointure Commission (MUJC) and was named “Person of the Year for 2007,” by Spectrum Magazine, a news source for families affected by autism. Mrs. Imus was also presented with the 2007 Rachel Carson Award for her leadership in improving the environment.

Deirdre Imus is the founder and President of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology ®, part of Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) in New Jersey, a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit corporation. The Environmental Center represents one of the first hospital-based programs whose specific mission is to identify, control, and ultimately prevent exposures to environmental factors that may cause adult, and especially pediatric cancer, as well as other health problems with our children.

Mrs. Imus is also co-founder and co-director of The Imus Cattle Ranch for Kids with Cancer, a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit. The authentic 4,000 acre working cattle ranch in northern New Mexico provides the experience of the American cowboy to children suffering from cancer and various blood diseases, as well as to children who have lost a brother or sister to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).