Many thanks to The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation of Ridgewood, NJ

for a $22,000 grant for the Adult Life-Skills Program.

(left) Gregory S. MacDuff, Ph. D., Director, PCDI Adult Life-Skills Program,
(center) Linda Walder Fiddle, Executive Director of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation,
(right) Steven Walder, Trustee of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation

The Fiddle Foundation's mission is "to honor the individuality of every person with autistic spectrum disorder so that each may participate throughout their lifetimes in vocational, recreational, educational and residential opportunities that are suitable, stimulating and sustainable and allow for maximum integration in the community. Understanding that the life-span issues associated with autism presents unique challenges to families and caregivers, The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation provides grants to programs that address these challenges."  
 
This award supports the goals of PCDI's Adult Life-Skills Program to provide specialized services to adults with autism to help them acquire skills that are necessary to expand their employment options.   Enhancing the quality of life by increasing adults' participation in community recreation and leisure activities is also an important goal.
 
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Thank you to Mel Karmazin, Dina Elkins, and

The Mel Karmazin Foundation for Aunt Mary's Place Playground! 

Mel Karmazin (CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio) and his daughter Dina Elkins, of Princeton, were at the Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI) to dedicate PCDI's new playground, Aunt Mary's Place, named for Mel Karmazin's mother, who died last year.   The state-of-the-art, 2,900 sq. ft. playground is a gift from the Mel Karmazin Foundation.
 
Speakers at the dedication included Ann Marie Vaurio, Esq., Executive Vice President of PCDI's Board of Trustees, Patricia J. Krantz, Ph.D., Executive Director of PCDI, Dina Elkins, and Mel Karmazin.  
 
Dr. Krantz thanked Mr. Karmazin and said, “Aunt Mary's Playground is much more than a beautiful, safe place for children.   It is a classroom to teach younger children to imitate the play of older children;   to teach the joy of sharing a see saw ride with another child;   to teach children with autism to break free of their restricted patterns of behavior and to explore new worlds;   to prepare them to one day successfully play on other playgrounds with typically developing children.”
 
Mel Karmazin said that he typically keeps his philanthropic activities anonymous but, because of his grandson's diagnosis of autism, he wishes to bring more attention to the importance of effective intervention for young children with the disability.     He closed his remarks by saying that he is proud to support PCDI and the hard work and commitment of PCDI's skilled professionals.

           
      Left to right:  Mel Karmazin visits with a PCDI student;

Dr. Lynn McClannahan, Mel Karmazin and Dr. Patricia Krantz;
Board Members, George Sarkar and Ann Vaurio; Dina Elkins;  Trustee, John Goedecke Jr.;

Mel Karmazin; Trustees, Richard Simkus and Jerry Rovner

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Toys"R"Us Children's Fund, Inc. supports

Princeton Child Development Institute 's Early Intervention Program

Young children are now diagnosed with autism earlier than ever.   This makes the Early Intervention Program more important than ever.   A grant of $40,000 from Toys “R” Us' Children's Fund, Inc. will make it possible for PCDI to continue the vital teaching and therapy that young children with autism need.

Government funding falls far short of covering the costs of early intervention. The Toys “R” Us Children's Fund, Inc. has stepped in to help fill the gap. Because of the Toys “R” Us Children's Fund, many young children with autism will learn to speak, read, play, and do all of the things that typical kids do.

“We are thrilled that Toys “R” Us Children's Fund is a major sponsor of this important initiative,” said Dr. Patricia Krantz of PCDI.   “These funds will allow PCDI to continue important new research in early intervention that will not only benefit children at PCDI, but also children in other programs both here and abroad.”

Thank You Toys"R"Us Children's Fund!

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