EMU autism center featured on PBS

Eastern Michigan University’s Autism Collaborative Center was featured on PBS on Tuesday evening.

The center is the only nonprofit, university-based autism center in the country that provides nutrition, therapeutic recreation and other extensive services for children and adults with autism.

Autism is a brain disorder that makes it hard to communicate and relate to others. With autism, the different areas of the brain fail to work together.

The PBS news magazine show “A Wider World” focuses on developments and issues people with disabilities face.

Pamela Lemerand, assistant professor of occupational therapy and project director for the center, said the show approached the center.

“They heard about us from newspapers and families that knew about us,” Lemerand said.

The center is appealing because it provides a variety of services to autistic individuals.

“We provide diagnostic evaluations and intervention services,” Lemerand said. “Eastern trains professional students in occupational therapy, speech therapy, music therapy and more.”

Lemerand believes the center is unique in comparison to others.