Donations
The ASCEND Program is supported by public funding from the federal government and foundations, as well as private supporters. Our mission is to advance treatment and develop new methods to help individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions exceed their expectations and live the best quality of life possible. The research we conduct has a real and immediate impact on the lives of the individuals we treat and their families, which is not common for scientific endeavors.
We are very appreciative of all the effort that individuals and family members give by participating in our research program. At the same time the loved ones of many of our participants are grateful that we exist and were available to help them during critical times. Many of these individuals choose to show their support with a donation to the program, which we gladly accept to further our mission of improving the care of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Please consider making a donation to the ASCEND Program to support our research. We currently receive donations for the two primary conditions we study – autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Read below about our work in each of these areas and how to donate to support our efforts in them. Please click here to donate today!
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Nearly 1 in 80 children will develop an autism spectrum disorder, and 1 in 50 boys will develop the condition. These children will grow up to become young adolescents and adults who will want the same things out of life as everyone else: career, education, family, and friends. There are currently no evidence-based treatments for adolescents and adults with autism, and we have developed the Perspectives Program to change this startling fact. Our goal is the ensure that the millions of adults living with autism have an effective, evidence-based treatment to help them achieve their life goals. At the same time, we are striving to ensure that the current generation of children with autism will have an equally effective treatment available to them when they grow up. The Perspectives Program is accomplishing this by studying two of the most promising psychological treatments for adults with autism that are based on decades of neuroscience research. You can read more about the details of the program here. Please consider donating to support our efforts.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is among the most disabling of all medical conditions, and affects over 2 million individuals in the United States alone. While medications help individuals regain some control over their lives, many people with schizophrenia continue to have trouble working, getting along with others, and leading successful and fulfilling lives. Psychological treatments can help address these problems, and our goal is to develop effective psychological treatments to help individuals recover from this illness. To accomplish this, we have begun the PACES Program to develop and test promising new treatments for people who have persistent negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Through this program, we hope to identify psychosocial treatments that will improve negative symptoms in schizophrenia as well as cognitive and functioning aspects affected by this illness. You can read more details about the program here. Please consider donating to support our efforts.
