April marks “World Autism Month” and the celebration of those with autism, their family, friends, caretakers, physicians and everyone close to them. Not just a month of awareness, April serves to empower the stories, experiences and all those touched by autism, including the amazing children and their families that The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Center at Oishei Children’s Hospital (OCH) serves each and every day.

The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Center at OCH:

The CDC estimates that 1 in 36 children will be diagnosed with autism, and The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Center at OCH is fully equipped to help those children and their loved ones navigate the diagnosis, treatment and ongoing support they need. The Center provides comprehensive rehabilitation services consisting of diagnostic, evaluative and therapeutic services to children across Western New York.

The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Center could not operate and serve our families in the region without the generous support we receive from the community, including gifts from the Center’s namesake, The Children’s Guild Foundation. In addition to the very impactful contribution The Children’s Guild Foundation made to name and develop the center, in 2022, they made a three-year, $630,000 to support outpatient services for children with neurodevelopmental disorders at OCH.

This grant was instrumental in the development and hiring of a board-certified behavioral analyst at The Robert Warner Center for Developmental Pediatrics and Rehabilitation and The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Center. This analyst allows the Center to offer individualized assistance for children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders and the families that support them. Additionally, the grant also allowed the Center to hire a social worker to complete social determinants of health screenings for our families and children diagnosed with autism.  The social worker meets with patients and families to determine individual needs, linking them to support groups and resources in the community.

“The work of The Children’s Guild Foundation is much more than grant making.  We blend grant making and advocacy to ensure our vision to promote impactful and effective change for children with special needs and their families is not just a hope, but something that is achieved.  Our partnership with OCH in the establishment of a dedicated Autism Spectrum Center and applied behavioral analysis program exemplifies this achievement,” Catherine Gura, president of The Children’s Guild Foundation

“Having a board-certified behavioral analyst on staff allows us to offer an even higher level of care to our patients. Most importantly, it enables us to significantly impact the health and life quality for the families we serve.” – Vicki Landes, vice president of integrated health at Kaleida Health.

About The Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Foundation
The Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Foundation supports the care, programs, education and equipment at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital. Through the generosity of individuals, foundations, employees and corporations, the Foundation is able to help John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital achieve best possible outcomes for moms, children and babies in Western New York, provide charity care for those in need and educate clinical experts.

About The Children’s Guild Foundation
For 113 years, The Children’s Guild Foundation has had a single Purpose and Passion — supporting children with special needs. The Children's Guild Foundation’s mission is to make financial grants and to serve as advocates to 501(c) (3) non-profit organizations serving children with special needs throughout the eight counties of Western New York. To accomplish this mission, it strives to form working partnerships with healthcare professionals, medical researchers, educators and therapeutic recreational experts who are dedicated to meeting the ongoing challenges that affect children with special needs and their families.

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