1 of 2
An architect's rendering of the lobby at the Sarah Dooley Center for Autism (Image courtesy St. Joseph's Villa)
2 of 2
A rendering of a classroom at the center (Image courtesy St. Joseph's Villa)
St. Joseph's Villa is set to hold a groundbreaking on June 5 on an $8 million project to provide a home to its Sarah Dooley Center for Autism.
The nonprofit plans to refurbish and repurpose its Dooley School building for the autism center, with a target of completion before the 2020-21 school year. The work on the 24,000-square-foot structure is part of a $25 million improvement and upgrade campaign for St. Joseph's Villa. The effort is called RiseUP and also will include infrastructure repairs and upgrades, technology improvements, and a fitness park. St. Joseph's reports that about $19 million has been committed to RiseUP.
The Sarah Dooley Center will serve up to 96 students on campus. Its amenities will include a space for independent living skills instruction, an area set aside for tending to the medical needs of students, a sensory library and an observation area. Its autism-specific classrooms can be models for public schools; resources that can be duplicated without having to draw on outside resources, according to St. Joseph's. The center also will offer public training sessions.
"These type of places shouldn’t be destinations; we can teach these kids to be successful in a public school environment," says Adam Dreyfus, Sarah Dooley Center director.
