Linwood Center is hosting a dedication ceremony for its new school on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. A brief program will start at 5:15 p.m. Refreshments and tours of the new facility will be featured. Parents of children with autism, educators, donors and other community members are invited to attend. RSVP to cathyvsmith@verizon.net.
Linwood provides programs and services for children and adults living with autism and related disabilities. On Aug. 26, it opened a new 36,000 square foot school adjacent to its historic Manor House in Ellicott City. With a capacity for 70 students, the school includes a non-graded Special Education Program for ages 5-21 and a General Education Program for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. The school’s hub is a library and a leading edge technology center.
Linwood has hired Catherine Perini, an educator with local and international experience, to head up its new school. Perini, a resident of Towson, has served as principal of a large international school abroad and as a special educator for Baltimore City and Baltimore County Public Schools among other appointments.
In addition to its school and residential programs for students, Linwood Center provides adult services, including supported employment, vocational training, recreation and opportunities for volunteerism and community involvement. The Linwood Center Boutique in downtown Ellicott City provides employment and job training on-site. Community-based residential services for adults are available in homes throughout Howard and Baltimore Counties.
Linwood Center was founded in 1955 by educator Jeanne M. Simons (1909-2005), who established ground-breaking methods to address the needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Linwood Center is one of the very few comprehensive autism programs in the United States and one of just three in Maryland that provides combined education and residential programs.
Simons’ early work with autistic children was unprecedented and she is regarded as one of the field’s pioneers. Her work, known as “The Linwood Method,” is the basis for Linwood’s philosophy and methods as practiced today in what many regard as the premiere program addressing the needs of individuals living with autism.
For information, visit www.linwoodcenter.org.
