Desserts were the initial generator of funding for the gala. Attendees
swarmed to the tables of the silent auction to make their purchases.
The baked goods were sold within the first 15 minutes.
Erica Hernandez / The Collegian

A fundraiser for the Central California Autism Center was held Saturday night in hopes to raise money for an expansion of the program. While guests browsed the auction tables, a live band played in the background.

The CCAC, which is located in the Kremen Building at Fresno State, opened in 2007 with only a handful of children. In 2012, CCAC is providing services to 35 children.­ Among them is the son of Chris Riley, who is a Fresno State liberal arts graduate and is now attending the dual credential program.­ Riley’s son is 5-years-old and has been attending the CCAC for two years.

“It’s a safe place,” Riley said.­ “It’s a place that understands my son that knows exactly what he needs. They tailor their program to meet his needs not what the state thinks he needs or the school district thinks he needs.”

The event was held at the Golden Palace Banquet Hall and started at 5:30 p.m. with a silent auction that offered various donations ranging from purses to paintings.

Special guest emcee, channel 24’s AJ Fox, helped introduce sponsors for the event such as Dog House Grill, Target and Horn Photo.

Director of the CCAC Amanda Adams gave a special thanks to those who helped put the event together and gave a brief history on the center’s existence

The purpose of the silent auction was to raise public awareness of the CCAC and to help fund transition and new comprehension programs for older children with autism.

The center uses evidence-based techniques that have been researched and proven to help children with autism.

“The key of it is that it’s based in research,” Adams said.­ “Some of the other techniques that are popular with autism right now are not necessarily evidence based at this time.”

The applied behavior analysis program, which is the curriculum used at the CCAC, specializes in learning studies and behavioral techniques that may be used with any type of population, however, it works particularly well with children that have autism.­ They require a more detail-oriented form of education.

“With an early diagnosis we need an early treatment, so starting treatment at an early age is the very most important thing,” Adams said.­ “The thing tonight is kind of indicating that even once they’re a little bit older they can continue to learn …they can still learn things that will significantly change their quality of life in the long run.”

The CCAC is funded by California services, such as Central Valley Regional Center, and offers services to children around the Valley.

Not much attention has been focused on autism, as it has been considered a fairly new diagnosis on non-typically developing children.­ It is seen to be more common in boys than girls.­ The diagnosis rate also seems to be growing in the United States yet only 5 percent of research funding goes to it.­ Many people are still unaware of exactly what autism is.

“Autism is a neurological disorder that affects three areas.­ One is socialization, one is communication and language, and the third is behaviors, stereotypical behaviors or behaviors that are excessive.”

“All kids throw a fit every now and then, but kids with autism often throw much bigger fits and more often.­ All of the behaviors that kids with autism display are really pretty typical, but they’re just in one particular way continuing longer or bigger than what should be happening at their age.”

CCAC focuses on those behaviors and works very closely with their clients to help them better adjust to societal norms so that eventually some will be able to function more easily as they age.

“It’s been such a support to us as parents I feel like it’s a place we go where everyone understands us,” said Riley. ­ “As parents, we don’t always get the understanding and compassion that we really need, and we get that at the Autism Center.”