About the Thompson Center
Since its launch in 2005, the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders at the University of Missouri has become a national leader in confronting the challenges of autism and other developmental conditions through its collaborative research, training and service programs.
What We Do
The Thompson Center partners with families and other support services to provide vital clinical services and promise for tomorrow through groundbreaking research and training.
The Thompson Center provides diagnostic, assessment and treatment services for children, youth and young adults, serving over 1700 individuals during the past year. Our programs emphasize individualized services that are comprehensive, coordinated, and caring. We offer a broad range of specialized medical, therapeutic, educational and behavioral interventions. Our aim is to enhance the ability of every individual to reach his or her full potential.
In the area of research, the Thompson Center strives to make new discoveries about autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to identify new models of care. Researchers from across the University of Missouri campus are engaged in over 30 research projects that seek to answer urgent questions about ASD and to address the pressing needs of individuals with ASD and their families. The Thompson Center is a partner in three major national research networks: the Autism Treatment Network, Simons Simplex Collection and the Interactive Autism Network (IAN). In addition, Missouri has been selected as one of six states in the nation to develop innovative ways to promote access to quality care for children and youth with ASD, and the Thompson Center facilitates this effort through a federal grant from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
The Thompson Center is also widely known for its premier training programs for professionals and family members. More than 2,500 individuals from communities across Missouri and the Midwest region participated in outreach training and continuing education programs during the past year. The annual Thompson Center Autism Intervention Conference is the largest in the state (over 600 participants in 2008), providing the latest information about best practices across the lifespan. Furthermore, over 300 University of Missouri students from numerous disciplines received professional training at the Thompson Center during 2007-2008. The Thompson Center is home to Missouri’s federal MCHB Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disorders (LEND) program, which has conducted interdisciplinary graduate training since 1995.
A Center of Excellence
As the largest center in Missouri specializing in ASD and other developmental disorders, the Thompson Center serves as a centralized resource for families, educators, health care providers, researchers and state agency service providers. In 2007, it was designated a Missouri Center for Autism by the Missouri Department of Mental Health, along with sister programs in St. Louis and Kansas City. MU Thompson Center faculty facilitate the development of innovations in ASD programming and training curricula at these three centers, which together seek to establish a model for high quality ASD service delivery in Missouri.
