The Anderson Center for Autism in Dutchess County, New York has designated Dutchess an Autism Supportive County. This makes Dutchess the first county in the state to achieve such recognition.
Anderson officials says the recognition follows Dutchess County leadership’s efforts to identify and implement plans to become supportive of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other special needs and abilities. County Executive Marc Molinaro:
“We have made it our mission to open up opportunities of every one of every ability, to confront the prejudice of low expectation and to break down barriers,” Molinaro says. “And we’re doing it in the private sector with community organizations, we’re doing it in our schools, we’re doing it all across the community and we’re putting dollars on the street in order to make the advancement necessary to give everybody, regardless of ability, the opportunity to succeed.”
The county’s work began with Molinaro’s Think Differently initiative, inspired by his daughter who is on the autism spectrum. Anderson recently recognized the Village of Rhinebeck in Dutchess as an autism supportive community.
