Dover, NH – Thanks to a generous $10,000 grant from the Cogswell Benevolent Trust, the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire is launching a new program for families affected by autism.
 
The Autism Hours program will provide free visits to the Children’s Museum of NH when it is closed to the public for families with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  The program is slated to begin in March 2010. Members of the museum’s education staff are working with UNH specialists and Easter Seals – The Family Place in Dover to develop the program and plan out the visits to ensure participants’ full enjoyment and exploration of the museum.
 
"The Children's Museum of New Hampshire clearly has an outstanding understanding of meeting the learning needs of children of all abilities,” said Patti Rawding-Anderson, Director of Easter Seals - The Family. “Easter Seals' Camp Connect Summer Program for children with social challenges participated in a field trip to the museum and the staff was amazing at ensuring their experience was optimal. In fact, the museum’s director of education sought their input for change and several of our students made some excellent recommendations for a number of the exhibits. In subsequent visits, we found they had implemented a number of the suggestions. How wonderful to have such an amazing community partner in supporting the experiences of children." 
 
Children’s Museum of NH Director Denise Doleac noted, “In our education research, we found that there is a great need for this type of programming, and we are grateful to the Cogswell Benevolent Trust for funding this new initiative. We look forward to welcoming many families through this program in the coming year.”
 
Deb Jurkoic, Autism Family Support Specialist for Easter Seals - The Family Place, added, “We’re very excited about the new Autism Hours program because it will help children as well as parents. Families often feel isolated when they have a child with ASD, but these special opportunities at the museum will allow parents to network with one another and enjoy family time in a safe, understanding environment.”
 
Specific details about launch of the Autism Hours program will be available in early 2010.
 
About the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire
The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire is located at 6 Washington Street in Dover and offers two levels of hands-on, custom-created exhibits for children ages 1-12. Children can explore a wide range of subjects, from dinosaurs, music and aeronautics to world cultures, art and natural history. Open year-round, the museum hosts a variety of live performances, workshops, classes and special events for families. In its first year of operation in Dover, the museum welcomed nearly 130,000 visitors from 43 U.S. states and 11 foreign countries. For more information, please call the museum at (603) 742-2002 or visit www.childrens-museum.org