Philadelphia, Pa.—Temple University Provost Gregory Mandel hosted an official signing ceremony on Wed., November 16, to thank ABA Centers of America for its $1 million gift toward a new autism laboratory on campus. ABA Centers of America CEO and Founder Christopher Barnett, J.D., happily signed the papers with Provost Mandel and presented him with an oversized ceremonial check for $1 million.
ABA Centers of America CEO Chris Barnett presents the $1 million donation to Temple Provost Gregory Mandel
“ABA Centers of America is proud to partner with Temple to advance the field of autism care and research,” said Mr. Barnett, a Temple alumnus and board member. “I want to create an epicenter of research and knowledge for autism in the Philadelphia area.”
Speaking to a Temple faculty and community partners gathering, Provost Mandel said, “This gift represents much more than what we’ve named the ABA Centers of America Autism Laboratory. This university was founded on the mission of accessibility, a mission of serving underrepresented populations. And the lab here will do just that.”
Temple Provost Gregory Mandel and CEO Chris Barnett of ABA Centers of America
Temple University and ABA Centers of America Research Partnership
The new ABA Centers of America Autism Laboratory at Temple will be used to conduct autism research, offer diagnostic services, and train students. “One of the things our lab is going to do is offer diagnostic services regardless of the ability to pay,” said Mr. Barnett. “My daughter struggled for years while we waited to get an autism diagnosis. We have to do better as a community. We will do better. That’s why ABA Centers of America was founded.”
ABA Centers of America, under Mr. Barnett’s driven leadership style, is “disrupting the space,” as he is fond of saying. “When I say we’re disrupting the space, I mean we’re not content with the status quo; the long waiting lists for diagnosis and ABA therapy. We are fundamentally changing the way ABA services are made available to communities,” said Mr. Barnett. “The rate of children diagnosed with autism has almost tripled in the past 20 years, but therapy providers have been unable to keep pace. We aim to change that not only by opening new ABA centers but through actions like funding the ABA Centers of America Laboratory at Temple and creating our training center, the ABA Academy of Excellence.”
ABA Centers of America is the fastest-growing ABA provider with 11 metro areas, four locations in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and plans to open more clinics in southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey in 2023.
When asked why he chose Temple as a partner in his fight for children with autism, Mr. Barnett responded, “Temple changed my life. The things I learned at Temple have allowed me to create successful healthcare companies, such as ABA Centers of America, that help people in need and add great value to the community. It’s essential to me that I give back to Temple so that other young people can get the education and opportunities that I had—the education and opportunities that a Temple education provides.”
ABA Centers of America CEO Chris Barnett addresses audience at Temple University
About ABA Centers of America
ABA Centers of America provides ABA therapy services for anyone with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We can help clients in their homes, our centers, schools, or anywhere in the community. For more information about ABA Centers of America, visit www.abacenters.com, call 855-962-1555, or email [email protected].
About ABA Therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is widely considered to be the gold standard for autism care. ABA therapy for autism has been studied for decades and possesses the largest body of research supporting any autism therapy. ABA focuses on communication, academics, social skills, and social functioning simultaneously and is carried out by certified professionals.
