IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Easterseals Southern California, the local affiliate of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering indispensable resources and services to over 13,000 children and adults with disabilities and their families across the region, officially opened its new Autism Therapy and Disability Services Center in Irvine, Calif., during a Jan. 31, 2019 ribbon cutting ceremony. The state-of-the-art center offers a comfortable environment for the more than 100 people with autism served each day, as well as houses offices for the Easterseals Southern California CEO and some of the administrative functions of the organization. H. Hendy Associates, a Newport Beach-based interior architecture and planning firm, completed the renovation of the facility.

Easterseals’ vision for the two-story space was to offer an inviting and playful experience for clients with special needs, as well as a functional space that enhances the well-being of its employees. More than 12,000 square-feet of the new Center are dedicated entirely to autism therapy services. Some of the benefits of the new Center include:

• Room to accommodate more social skills groups for participants and their caregivers.
• New technology, such as the ability for parents to view their children’s sessions on tablets from another room.
• Two exploration and discovery gyms that provide more space and equipment for physical therapy.
• A therapy kitchen that empowers clients to learn functional and practical skills.
• Enhanced space for families to relax while waiting for their children to receive therapy services, including a large lobby and outdoor area.
• Increased meeting and workspace to accommodate one-on-one therapy sessions, group sessions, a drop-in workspace for visiting service providers, training programs, business meetings and more.

“Easterseals Southern California is the largest nonprofit provider of autism therapy services in Orange County, and we are proud that our new Autism Therapy and Disability Services Center will enable us to provide more than 1,000 clients yearly with important services, from physical and speech therapy to building social skills,” said Easterseals Southern California President and CEO Mark Whitley.

The Center incorporates universal design protocols – it is fully ADA compliant and has a number of design features to support people with various disabilities:

• All signs and some graphics include raised braille captions. 
• The training room features assistive listening technology and devices. 
• Changes in floor textures provide landmarks for persons with impaired vision.
• Natural light and bright overhead lights help illuminate the building.
• Corridors are wide and clear, and many shared spaces are large and open. 
• The alarm systems feature both sound and visual cues. 

The Easterseals Autism Therapy and Disability Services Center is located at 1063 McGaw Ave. in Irvine.

About Easterseals Southern California
For 100 years, Easterseals has been an indispensable resource for individuals with developmental disabilities or other special needs and their families. The services provided by Easterseals Southern California (ESSC) – in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Imperial, Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties – make profound and positive differences in people's lives every day, helping them address life’s challenges and achieve personal goals so that they can live, learn, work and play in our communities. With 2,800+ employees, 60+ service sites and hundreds of community partnership locations, ESSC assists more than 13,000 people, providing adult/senior day services; autism therapy; child development/early education; employment services, veteran employment support; independent living options; and more. At Easterseals, 88% of our income is spent on services. Join us in changing the way the world defines and views disabilities at www.easterseals.com/southerncal and www.WeCelebrate.org.

Contact:
Debbie Ehrman
Finn Partners
310-882-4016
deborah@finnpartners.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0e9dbb51-211c-4226-a446-f046a3f055b8