University News

Western Illinois University Autism Center Earns Tracy Family Foundation Grant

September 10, 2024

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MACOMB, IL - - The Western Illinois University Autism Center of Excellence has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Tracy Family Foundation.

This significant investment from the Tracy Family Foundation will expand the WIU Autism Center of Excellence (WACE)'s staff to better support families in the west central Illinois region. WACE provides no-fee autism evaluations for children up to age eight, reducing the need for families to travel outside of the region and improving the likelihood of a child receiving crucial early intervention services. Since launching in the fall of 2023, WACE has received more than 60 calls for autism evaluation services across the 145-mile geography region surrounding WIU.

WACE is a collaboration between WIU's Speech Pathology and Audiology and Psychology departments and is staffed with faculty and graduate assistants from both departments. In its first year, WACE staff identified 96% of children who came through the clinic needing speech therapy services. They also identified 43% of children in which family therapy would be appropriate, regardless of whether the child met the criteria for autism. The staff identified 21% of children as meeting the criteria for autism.

"With this support from the Tracy Family Foundation, our clinic services have been reinvented and we are now working through a two-part assessment where we aim to bring in more families through a team-based screening before proceeding to the comprehensive assessment," WIU Psychology Associate Professor and WACE Co-Coordinator Leigh Ann Fisler said. "This will make the best use of everyone's time and resources to help connect more families to the next steps they need in early diagnostic assessment and services."

Through this new model, the WACE staff anticipates supporting more than double the number of families they served in the center's first year. Grant funding like this from the Tracy Family Foundation furthers WACE's mission of providing zero-cost assessments to local families.

"We are committed to providing high quality diagnostic evaluations, family support, education and advocacy at absolutely no cost to families," WIU Speech Pathology and Audiology Instructor and WACE Co-Coordinator Nicole Pierson said. "We feel strongly that we want to keep this a no-fee clinic because we want it to be accessible to all who need it."

Fisler and Pierson credit Terry Jenkins, mental health program manager at the Tracy Family Foundation, for the inspiration to dream bigger with the impact WACE can have on local children and their families.

"Terry spent an afternoon with us for a site visit," Pierson said. "He not only valued our passion, he fueled it. He connected us with funding and offered his support and encouragement every step of the way.

"Terry sparked a new idea for our team. With the recognition that children continue to need services in our region, the reality struck us that we may only be providing a ‘bandage' service while the regional waitlist for accessing an appropriate assessment only grows," Fisler said.

Jenkins expressed appreciation for the work Pierson and Fisler are putting in with their team.

"I'm grateful for WIU's vision and leadership to meet a vital need for autism assessment in west central Illinois. They have jumped at the opportunity to improve early autism identification and to positively impact students in our region." Jenkins said.

As it enters its second year supporting children and families in 10 west central Illinois counties from McDonough to Pike, the Tracy Family Foundation's grant will expand the reach, scope and impact of the work WACE performs.

"We are grateful beyond words to the Tracy Family Foundation for their generous grant of $30,000 and the tremendous support they have shown us," Pierson said.

"Many west central Illinois families must search for a comprehensive autism assessment outside of the local region or wait years to be seen. WACE will play a key role in lessening this burden on families and helping them flourish by ensuring they get the interventions they need. The Tracy Family Foundation is proud to support this important work," Tracy Family Foundation President Dan Teefey said.

WACE has recently received grant support from the Galesburg Community Foundation and the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri. Including this support from the Tracy Family Foundation, Pierson and Fisler have received $55,000 in grant support for WACE in the last four months.

To learn more about WIU's Autism Center of Excellence, visit wiu.edu/autismclinic.

Posted By: Drew Donahoo (AM-Donahoo@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing