A small group of very persistent parents and professionals came together to find a way to assist families with “emotionally disturbed” young children. Frustrated and angered because there were no programs for children with autism or pervasive developmental disorders, classified during this period as emotionally disturbed, they meant to do something about it. At the time, there was no right to education afforded to this group, let alone early intervention.
The center based school program expanded to include elementary school aged children. This programming was made possible and then expanded through training efforts at TEACCH in North Carolina, ABA at Princeton Child Development Center in Princeton, New Jersey and most recently, training at the Morningside Academy in Seattle Washington in Generative Instruction.
Phase two of Compeer program expansion began. The new Compeer Recreation Center, also located in Oakland, was introduced and offered additional services to the mental health community. The center offers and opportunity for friendships in a smaller, more intimate setting than other larger programs.