The Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, a partnership of UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center, now has a new Friends group supporting the Center’s mission and scope.

Attendees at the dedication of UT Southwestern’s Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities included (from left) Dr. Craig Powell, Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, and of Psychiatry, who holds the Ed and Sue Rose Distinguished Professorship in Neurology; Dr. Clay Heighten and his wife, Dr. Debra Caudy, whose son has autism; and Peter Townsend, co-chair of the new Friends group.

The Friends group, which was launched in the fall of 2014, is comprised of community leaders who are committed to the needs of children with autism and are determined to foster new methods for early diagnosis and intervention. The group supports ongoing research that informs innovative therapies and integrated clinical care.

“The explosive growth in diagnoses on the autism spectrum underscores the urgent need for additional resources for research, diagnosis, and development of more effective treatment therapies,” said Peter Townsend, who co-chairs the Friends with his wife, Joanna. “We feel very fortunate that UT Southwestern and Children’s have combined their unique research and clinical resources to establish the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities.”

The Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities brings together national experts to conduct leading-edge research designed to develop and test new treatments for autism, as well as offering diagnostic and specialized clinical care programs for autism and other developmental conditions in the North Texas region.

For more information on membership in the Friends, please contact UT Southwestern’s Office of Development at 214-648-2344.