June 19, 2024 Staatsburg, New York…The executive leadership team of Anderson Center for Autism (ACA) today announced that the United Nations Department of Global Communications (DGC) Civil Society Association Committee has officially designated Anderson Center International a Civil Society Organization (CSO) with the UN DGC.
Said Patrick Paul, CEO/Executive Director of Anderson Center for Autism, “Anderson Center International (ACI) has, for many years, worked to advance our mission all over the world. Our 12-18 month training program attracts scholars from many corners of the globe who come to our campus to develop the skills and knowledge needed to establish programs for autistic and neurodivergent individuals in their home countries. Since we started this humanitarian initiative, we’ve hosted 133 scholars from 25 different countries. This is just one aspect of our work that is very much aligned with the goals of the United Nations, and we’re extremely pleased to gain this new designation, which takes our UN consultative status to the next level.”
ACI has held consultative status with the United Nations since June of 2020. The Civil Society Organization association will allow ACI additional opportunities to engage with the UN; Anderson representatives (and two youth representatives) are now entitled to grounds passes throughout the year, along with invitations to participate in various events. Every two years, Anderson Center International will be asked to submit a report on activities to maintain designation.
Noted Tondra Lynford, Chair of Anderson Center International’s Board of Trustees, “Supporting people living with autism is one of the singular challenges of our time. Anderson Center International (ACI), as part of its evolving mission, has aimed to ‘facilitate the improvement of quality of life of individuals with autism throughout the world in a systematic, sustainable, and culturally appropriate way.’ We are thrilled to expand our role and reputation of quality leadership with our new associative status with the United Nations Department of Global Communications. ACA and ACI are proud to be part of the established UN 2030 Agenda ‘Leave No One Behind,’ and we are particularly grateful to Dr. Noor Syed for steering us through this process.”
Noor Syed, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA, Director of Anderson Center International, reflected: “Tondra Lynford was likewise instrumental in this process; we are all very pleased with the outcome and we cannot thank her enough. This new UN designation opens so many doors for ACI, allowing us to connect with more and more people who support sustainable, equitable education and healthcare. We will have opportunities to build new relationships, share ideas, and learn from those who share our goal of enriching the lives of autistic and neurodivergent people all over the world.”
Syed added that ACI intends to participate at various United Nations events and explore the many ways that collaboration can lead to expanded reach and impact. “We want to find ways to build as many programs as possible all over the world that are as low-cost and accessible as they can be; this new association will give us the chance to do so much more than ever before, particularly when it comes to those regions of the world that have been under-served for far too long.”
Added Eliza Bozenski, Chief Development Officer for Anderson Foundation for Autism, “This exciting news comes in the very year in which we are marking Anderson Center for Autism’s Centennial. As we celebrate the incredible strides that have been made over the past century since our inception, we are also imagining – with great enthusiasm – what will be possible in the century ahead. Given our growing leadership role in the field, symbolized by this new UN designation, there’s no question that our mission will come to life in bigger ways than Dr. Victor V. Anderson (our founder) could have possibly envisioned when he first opened our nonprofit organization back in 1924.”
Said Dr. Tina Covington, PhD., BCBA-D, LBA, Chief Operating Officer at Anderson Center for Autism, “We also recently launched a $1 million campaign toward a $10 million capital improvement project that will transform Dellinwood, a historic carriage house on campus, into New Dellinwood; that building will house programs that help address a worldwide workforce shortage in education, healthcare, and behavioral health. I share it as another example of the many ways we are trying to move this global humanitarian movement forward. Getting more deeply involved with the UN with our most recent designation will help us continue to move projects forward and make the kind of progress needed in order to optimize the quality of life for individuals with autism all over the globe.”
Learn more about Anderson Center for Autism by visiting andersoncenterforautism.org.
About Anderson Center for Autism
Our mission at Anderson Center for Autism is to optimize the quality of life for individuals with autism.
About Anderson Foundation for Autism
Through grantmaking, fundraising, and marketing initiatives, Anderson Foundation for Autism helps support, sustain, and expand upon Anderson Center for Autism’s efforts to optimize the quality of life for individuals with autism.
About Anderson Center International
Anderson Center International provides service, training, and information exchange to individuals and organizations from around the world through ACI and many collaborative arrangements with large and small organizations worldwide seeking to enrich their curriculum, expand their services, and provide evidence-based care.
