A rendering of The Faison Center’s Pioneer Hall
Serving the needs of hundreds of toddlers, children and adults living with autism spectrum disorder, The Faison Center is adding a new building to its campus to enhance its mission of improving the lives of individuals with ASD. Pioneer Hall, under construction at the center’s Willow Lawn-area campus, will expand the nonprofit’s services and capacity.
W. Brian McCann, president and CEO of The Faison Center, says, “I’m looking forward to opening Pioneer Hall so that our adults in our day program, students in our employment academy and those we serve in our clinic have a beautiful new space to learn, grow and engage. I am also excited that it will allow us to expand those programs to serve more individuals who need our services.”
The center’s adult day services help develop daily living skills and provide health and recreational programs, the employment academy provides full-day instructional services and internship opportunities, and the behavioral health clinic offers assessments and therapies for individuals with cognitive, behavioral and psychological challenges.
Participants in Faison’s employment academy perform custodial duties during an internship with University of Richmond’s Dining Services.
Construction on Pioneer Hall began in October 2022 at 1600 Willow Lawn Drive and is estimated to be completed this summer. The open, airy 12,000-square-foot space will include six classrooms, a shared teaching kitchen, a multifunctional area intended for developing vocational skills and the Paige Edmunds Clubhouse, an interactive expanse that will provide a base for adult clients who participate daily in community-based activities.
The new building comes as Faison is in the last phase of a five-year, $24 million capital campaign to expand and renovate its campus. Funded by individual, corporate and foundation donations, the center’s annual “Fund a Cause” campaign raised $70,000 for Pioneer Hall, which was matched by an anonymous donor.
The hall will allow Faison not only to expand programming, but also to improve usage for current programs and students. Byron Wine, chief program officer, says the programs that will occupy Pioneer Hall have been using leased space at the corner of Willow Lawn Drive and Monument Avenue. Faison’s staff has been involved with the design of the new building from the beginning to ensure a layout that best serves their clients’ needs.
A Faison adult day services client assists in welcoming workers back to the Dominion Energy offices upon their return from a fully remote work schedule.
Wine says Pioneer Hall will allow Faison to expand its capacity to meet a growing demand for services. Faison’s adult day program currently serves 10 individuals, but Pioneer Hall will allow it to welcome an additional 30 people. “It was never expected to grow as it did, but the need continues to grow with additional students with ASD, and the students need more programs and more variety as they age,” he says. According to McCann, Pioneer Hall will have the capacity to serve 68 individuals, bringing the total The Faison Center serves to more than 350 toddlers, students and adults in Richmond and Newport News.
Designed by Richmond-based architecture firm Baskervill, the building has the same cheery aesthetic as the existing Faison buildings, with colorful orange paneling, natural light pouring in through its many windows and lots of open space. “We are all especially excited for the Paige Edmunds Clubhouse, which is an open space in Pioneer Hall that will allow our adult day individuals the space to learn, lounge and engage in their interests when they are not out in the community,” McCann says.
Established in 1999, The Faison School began in a basement-turned-classroom where Brittany Faison and three other preschoolers with autism were taught by an autism specialist trained in Applied Behavior Analysis. By 2004, 12 children were enrolled and by 2008, the program moved to its current location on Markel Road with about 45 students.
The school offers lower, middle and upper school programs for children whose complex ASD-related challenges make public school an inadequate education solution. All of the programs are accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Education Facilities and licensed by the Virginia Department of Education. The campus also offers an Early Education Center, which provides both early intervention and education to children and support and training for their parents.
The Faison Residence allows participants to transition from home-based services to a more independent lifestyle in leased apartments on-site. Faison’s unique Family Partner Program is a residential option for adults living with autism. Family partners share their lives and homes with a young adult living with autism or other developmental disability while being supported by Faison’s daily adult programs and resources. The center’s adult day services program coordinates learning opportunities and meaningful volunteer work for participants.
The Faison Center serves students from 31 counties, and individuals in adult services hail from other parts of the commonwealth as well. Students are placed into the center through an IEP (Individualized Education Program) and can receive services up to the age of 22 if appropriate. Faison also offers consultation to other agencies and organizations and has been used as a model for similar programs around Virginia.
Children in the behavioral health clinic listen to a story at Westhampton Day School.
With its expansion and growth, The Faison Center will be better equipped not only to serve the needs of locals with ASD but those living outside Richmond’s borders as well. “Building Pioneer Hall benefits the Richmond community and beyond, not only by employing individuals to help grow the programs, but by expanding and offering exceptional services to individuals at any age,” McCann says.
Faison’s growth is timely, as the need for ASD services continues to rise. According to a 2017 study of state and national estimates of adults with ASD, Virginia ranked third in the United States with more than 155,000 adults living with autism. Faison serves 35 adults per day and many more between the ages of 18-22 in the IEP-referred program. “We have always grown according to the needs of our community,” Wine says. “Once Pioneer Hall is built, we will work with service recipients, families and funders to evaluate continued needs.”
The Faison Center’s Impact on Adults With ASD
How many adults with autism spectrum disorder are living in Virginia?
Although in many cases adults living with ASD are undiagnosed or unreported, one study shows that there are more than 155,000 adults living with ASD in the commonwealth.
How many adults with ASD are served daily at The Faison Center? There are currently 35 adults served daily in Faison’s adult programming, and many more between the ages of 18-22 in Faison’s IEP-referred school program.
How do Faison’s adult programs benefit the individuals who participate?
With services such as a residential program and teaching life skills, Faison cultivates a more independent lifestyle for those with ASD as they transition into adulthood.
How can I help?
Join the Family Partner Program and host a young adult with autism in your home. Learn more at faisoncenter.org/family-partner-program, or donate at faisoncenter.org/ways-to-give.
