Texana Center garners $1.25 M
Funding Assistance

Texana Center announced this week it received a $1.25 million grant from the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services to provide intensive services to children with autism ages 3 through 8.

The funding, which starts April 1, will allow Rosenbergbased Texana to expand services provided through its Behavior Treatment and Training Center Day Treatment Program, located in Rosenberg. That program serves children from Wharton, Fort Bend, Matagorda, Colorado, Austin, Waller, Harris, Montgomery, Galveston, Brazoria and other surrounding counties.

The state-of-the-art program, which has been in operation for more than four years, provides one-on-one treatment to children with autism for 32 1/2 hours per week.

Research has shown an intensive program using applied behavior analysis increases skills in autistic children and decreases, or in some cases eliminates, the symptoms of the condition.

Although the Day Treatment Program has had great success, access for most children has been limited because there's been little government funding to pay tuition. But the new grant will reduce tuition costs and expand services.

State Sen. Florence Shapiro was instrumental in securing the funds for the grant.

"This pilot project is a small step," Shapiro said. "Hopefully this will be the first of many positive steps for Texas as we strive to provide appropriate services for this growing population of children."

For more information on Texana's program visit www. bttcdaytreatment.com or call 281-239-1420.