An archive of all RCAAS-related news, from Rutgers University publications (i.e., Rutgers Today and Rutgers Magazine), research publications, and more!
In the News
9.23
Dr. Christopher Manente was featured in the Asbury Park Press’s "A mother’s concern for her son leads to first-in-N.J. apartment building in Red Bank."
Dr. Manente addressed the urgent issue of housing insecurity in the underserved population of adults with ASD and how THRIVE Red Bank, an in-construction, neuroinclusive apartment building, is working to help neurodivergent residents live independently. “What’s magical about THRIVE, is that it’s the first neuro-inclusive supportive housing development (in that state) that is going to embed really high-quality natural supports for its... read more
9.23
Congratulations to Dr. Christopher Manente, RCAAS Executive Director; Associate Professor of Clinical Practice, GSAPP Applied Psychology Department, on being named a 2023 NJBIZ Veterans in Business Honoree!
Dr. Manente is a decorated Army veteran, three-time Rutgers alumnus, and passionate advocate for the underserved adult autism population. The prestigious award is dedicated to the NJBIZ Associate Publisher and General Manager, AnnMarie Karczmit, in honor of her late father, who served in the Korean War. It is given to veterans who are creating a profound impact on New Jersey businesses... read more
7.23
Representative Tom Kean Jr. (NJ-07) visited the RCAAS community center in July for a meeting and tour.
RCAAS Executive Director, Dr. Christopher Manente said, “The RCAAS is a pilot model that provides individualized services to help adults with autism thrive, not just survive.” Rep. Kean, a member of the Congressional Autism Caucus replied, “I want you to be leaders, to excel, and I want to help.” We look forward to continuing this exciting conversation!
6.23
Rutgers is home to many neurodiverse students, staff, and faculty; however, their perspectives and needs aren't always addressed. The RU Neurodiversity Taskforce is determined to change that.
On June 15th, over 100 RU faculty, staff, administrators, students, and friends attended the 2nd Annual Neurodiversity Summit, hosted by the RCAAS. The impactful event celebrated and empowered RU’s neurodiverse community. It included updates on the Taskforce’s ongoing work, a dance showcase, candid and educational presentations and panel discussions, and more.
A highlight was an exciting... read more
6.20
The Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) recently launched a new weekly e-newsletter, On the Spectrum in Adulthood.
As mentioned in this Rutgers Today article, in light of COVID-19, the RCAAS has been providing remote services to continue to support its participants while they adjust to routines at home. While this remote support service is provided for Supporting Community Access through Leisure and Employment (SCALE) program participants and College Support Program (CSP) students only, On the Spectrum in Adulthood offers information and resources for the... read more
5.20
Congratulations to RCAAS Executive Director, Christopher Manente, PhD, BCBA, on his new role as a member of the Leadership Advisory Board for the A Place in the World project!
A Place in the World is creating a groundbreaking report related to housing options for adults on the spectrum. This project will further define market segments, establish best practices and guiding principles, and help drive crucial partnerships that address pressing needs resulting from the current housing crisis. The study will serve as the definitive resource for the... read more
3.20
The Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) will be partnering with the New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) to provide training for all DVRS counselors working with individuals with autism at three strategic geographic locations (north, central, south) throughout the state. Vanessa Bal, Ph.D., Associate Professor and GSAPP’s Karmazin-Lillard Endowed Chair in Adult Autism, Robert LaRue, Ph.D., BCBA-D, GSAPP Clinical Professor, and Christopher Manente, Ph.D., BCBA, Founding Executive Director of RCAAS, will be facilitating the training. The... read more
3.20
In January 2020, Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) Founding Executive Director, Christopher Manente, Ph.D., BCBA, and SungWoo Kahng, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Associate Professor and Director of Academic Programs in Autism and ABA at GSAPP, visited Kolkata, India for the India Autism Center's Second Annual International Conference. This was a holistic three-day-conference on “Autism: Diversity and Integration.” The conference brought together professionals, researchers, educators, and parents from around the globe and opened conversations on the leading research and... read more
2.20
Jordan Hines, a participant in the Supporting Community Access through Leisure and Employment (SCALE) program, was awarded Employee of the Semester at the Cook/Douglass Recreation Center on Thursday, February 6th. SCALE is a unit within the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) that works with adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and provides them with vocational training and employment opportunities on campus. Jordan was hired at the Cook/Douglass Recreation Center last year. Every semester, one of the over 600 employees at the Rutgers Recreation Centers is awarded... read more
6.19
Rutgers University broke ground yesterday on the new state-of-the-art facility that will house the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS), which provides employment, vocational training, and other services to individuals with autism.
The center, located on the Douglass Campus of Rutgers University-New Brunswick, is the first of its kind at a higher education institution in the United States. The new building, expected to open in 2020, will allow the center to more than double its capacity from 12 to 30 participants. The project, estimated to cost $9.5 million, is... read more
12.18
This holiday season, the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) participated in the Rutgers Against Hunger (RAH) Adopt-A-Family Program, an annual campaign sponsored by the Rutgers University community in conjunction with local social service agencies. Once registered, the RCAAS was matched with a local family and provided a family profile form with specific information on the family’s needs. RCAAS staff and participants generously donated over $850, enabling the center to purchase all of the family’s wish list needs in addition to holiday gift cards for the family to purchase other... read more
7.18
Participants at the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services and the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center took part in a basketball clinic led by Walk On America Foundation co-founder and Duke University basketball player Brennan Besser. The event marked the final day of Besser’s continent-wide bicycle journey, from Seattle to Manhattan, in which he promoted awareness of and support for individuals affected by intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and raised funds for the Walk On America Foundation.
In welcoming Besser, GSAPP Associate Dean and Director of Applied and... read more
3.15
Pediatric neurologist Sue Ming and pediatric geneticist Beth Pletcher, professors at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, have worked with children with ASD for more than a decade and have seen firsthand the struggles parents face in educating themselves on how to work effectively with the medical community.
Read the full article here:
http://news.rutgers.edu/news/guiding-parents-autistic-children-through-medical-m...
5.20
The College Support Program (CSP), a unit of the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) that supports matriculated undergraduate students on the autism spectrum, was recently featured in the College Autism Network (CAN)'s monthly newsletter! In the article, CSP Coordinator Courtney Butler, MS, BCBA, discusses the key academic and social supports the CSP continues to provide via online platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. CAN is a national nonprofit organization linking various stakeholders engaged in evidence-based efforts to improve access, experiences, and... read more
6.19
We hear much about the crisis of securing a productive future for New Jerseyans on the autism spectrum when they "age out" of their educational entitlement at 21. But the Garden State comes up short on resources available to train those who want to work with these adults toward that goal.
That was at least the thinking behind the 2016 establishment of the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services, headquartered at the university's New Brunswick campus. On Monday, the center is breaking ground on what will eventually be its new home, something Christopher Manente, the center's founding... read more
6.19
Rutgers University broke ground Monday on a $9.5 million facility to expand services to a growing community of adults with autism who have aged out of school-funded programs.
Read the full article here:
1.17
Rutgers University recently hired Dr. Christopher Manente, Ph.D., BCBA, as the Founding Executive Director for Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services’ (RCAAS) to continue development of a state-of-the-art complex designed to provide vocational training and clinical services to 60 adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Furthermore, the center will include a residence designed to house 20-30 adults with ASD, as well as 20-30 Rutgers University graduate students from diverse academic backgrounds who will all receive immersive training in providing support to adults with autism.... read more
2.13
NJ's incidence of childhood autism is almost twice the national rate, fueling concerns about a growing population of autistic adults.
Rutgers University -- long a center for research into childhood autism -- could also become a leader in studying the challenges faced by autistic adults.
Two families with children with autism are endowing a faculty position at the New Jersey school that will be dedicated to academic research on adult autism and to training people who will provide services to these adults.
Stanley Messer, dean of the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional... read more
2.13
The needs of adults with autism will be the focus of a new professorship at Rutgers University thanks to a $1.5 million gift from two Princeton families raising children diagnosed with the developmental disability, university officials announced today.
Located at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, the Karmazin and Lillard Chair in Adult Autism will pay for research and training future professionals to work in the growing field.
Read the full article here:
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/02/princeton_families_make_15_mil.html
1.13
There are certain dreams every parent has for his or her child: good health, a great job and happiness at home. But for the parents of children with autism, that future can be "uncertain," says Michael Lillard, chief investment officer of Prudential Fixed Income, and the father of two teenage boys who are on the autism spectrum. "As a parent, you're trying to help them reach the highest potential that they can reach. That's your goal."
Read the full article here:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324610504578276291650120604