Eden School Ribbon Cutting Scheduled for October 11

Naples, FL, October 07, 2010 --(PR.com)-- A formal ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open a school for children with autism will be held on Oct. 11, 10 a.m. at Eden Autism Services Florida, located at First Presbyterian Church, 2438 2nd Street in Fort Myers. Eden Autism Services’ president and CEO Tom McCool, Eden Florida executive director Susan Suarez, representatives from First Presbyterian Church where the school is located, and parents plan to attend and speak. Following the presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to tour the school and enjoy light refreshments.

After two years operating a school in Naples, Eden Florida opened the Fort Myers school late last month to accommodate growing interest and better serve families with children with autism in Fort Myers and the surrounding area. A dozen students were enrolled in the school when it opened Sept. 20 and more students will be admitted as the school year continues.

“We had an aggressive timeline to find and ready a location for students when we decided to open the Fort Myers school last summer,” says Suarez. “We are blessed to partner with First Presbyterian Church to open so quickly so our Fort Myers families could receive services closer to home. It is both exciting and gratifying to be able to better meet the needs of children with autism and their families with our second school.”

All are invited to attend the ribbon cutting. Families interested in enrolling their children with autism in the school can contact Suarez at 239-992-4680 extension 201 for more information.

About Eden Autism Services
Eden Autism Services Florida was founded to address the state’s growing need for specialized services for children and adults with autism and their families. Eden Autism Services Florida’s services range from comprehensive outreach, including program consultations and early intervention, to 12-month education for school age students and residential and employment services for adults. For more information, contact Susan Suarez at 239-992-4680, extension 201 or Eden.florida@edenservices.org.

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Frequently asked questions

Why did Eden Florida open a new school in Fort Myers?
Based on the number of Fort Myers students with autism currently attending Eden Florida’s school in Naples, and the number of inquiries Eden Florida received from interested parents, the organization determined there were enough students with autism in Fort Myers to merit opening a second school. Locating the school in Fort Myers will be more convenient for both current and prospective students’ parents.

How many students will the school accept?
Eden’s student to teacher ratio ranges from 1:1 to 6:1. Eden can staff up to the level of need in the community.

How many schools does Eden Florida operate?
Including the new Fort Myers school, there are two Eden-operated schools in Southwest Florida and one school in Princeton, New Jersey.

What is unique to Eden’s curriculum?
Eden Florida schools are private schools where the student to teacher ratio ranges from 1:1 to 6:1. This enables teachers to tailor their curriculum and teaching pace to meet the students’ needs and abilities.

Eden instructors are trained in applied behavior analysis (ABA). Teaching programs are grounded in the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and address essential skill areas such as cognitive play, self-care and domestic, speech and language, vocational, physical education, recreation and leisure, employment, and residential living.

What other services does Eden offer?
Eden Florida offers pre-kindergarten through grade 12 instruction for children and adults between the ages of 4 – 22; clinical services for all ages; adult residential programs; and employment services.