Autism Group Supports Parents and Families

Coaldale, PA (April 25, 2017) – With a little help from its friends, a fledgling support group for families touched by autism is gaining strength in and around the St. Luke’s University Health Network’s Miners Campus area.

To date, Spectrum of Support comprises about 20 families, according to J.P. Evans, director of Physical Therapy at St. Luke’s Miners Campus.“

The group came together to meet a need in the community,” Evans said, “We started talking about it when we hired a speech therapist, and it has really taken off. The intent is to build relationships in a supportive environment.”

The group’s first meeting, in January, was well attended and offered activities for the children and resources for the parents. Since then the group has been a great success.

On April 20th, the group scheduled a movie night at Mahoning Valley Cinema in Lehighton. The theatre was exclusive to the support group offering discounted tickets, food and beverages.

J.P. Evans is partnering with “Turn to Us”, a nonprofit organization that also works with people who are diagnosed with a major or chronic illness. The two are looking to create many more activities for the group. The next event planned is a summer field day!

It looks like this support group has a fun-filled summer ahead of them.

There is no cost to join the group. For information, call J.P. Evans at 570-645-1890.

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a non-profit, regional, fully integrated and nationally recognized network providing services at seven hospitals and more than 270 outpatient sites. The network’s service area includes Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania and Warren County in New Jersey. Dedicated to advancing health education, St. Luke’s operates the nation’s oldest School of Nursing and 22 graduate medical educational programs and is considered a major teaching hospital, the only one in the region. In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke’s created the region’s first Medical School. Repeatedly, including 2017, St. Luke’s has earned Truven’s 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation as well as 50 Top Cardiovascular program in addition to other honors for clinical excellence. St. Luke’s is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of St. Luke’s information technology applications such as electronic medical records, telehealth, online scheduling and pricing information. St. Luke’s is also recognized as one of the state’s lowest cost providers in comparison to major teaching hospitals and other health systems.