The Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc. is among the largest autism treatment organizations in the world. Founded in 1990 by Doreen Granpeesheh, CARD provides a range of services for children and adults on the autism spectrum. These services include home-based, intensive behavioral interventions based on the principles of applied behavior analysis, as well as diagnostic and psychological assessments. The Blackstone Group, a private equity firm, acquired CARD in 2018. Granpeesheh and the management at CARD invested in the company alongside Blackstone, and Granpeesheh remains the CEO of CARD.
Theoretical assumptions
CARDs philosophy and behavioral approach assumes the following to be true:
Recovery from autism exists.
All people within the autism spectrum are capable of learning.
Everything a person says or does is considered behavior.
Behavior can be improved and enhanced via learning opportunities.
While Granpeesheh believes that all people with ASDs are capable of learning and recovery, she states there is currently no way to predict the outcome of treatment for any individual.
Behavioral treatment
CARD uses early intensive behavioral intervention, that focuses on encouraging appropriate behaviors and replacing destructive behaviors while also teaching the child all the skills they are lacking, for as long as 30–40 hours per week. Most of the clients treated at CARD enter the program at age two and receive intensive services over the course of four years, with the ultimate goal of recovery at age six. For these children, the first year of treatment consists of intensive work on language and behavior with progression into social skills in the second year, more abstract cognitive and executive functioning skills in the third, and a gradual fade-out of services in the final year. The intensive services are usually provided initially in the child's home, with a transition to the child's school and community as the child's age allows. For older clients, aged ten to 21, CARD focuses on independent living skills, successful employment, development of leisure activities, friendships and attending school. The content of CARD's curriculum addresses all areas of human functioning across the following eight domains: language, play, social skills, motor, academic, adaptive skills, cognition and executive functioning.
Clinical outcomes
Methodological shortcomings, including unclear validity of the initial ABA diagnosis, limit any conclusion that can be made from the study.
Documentary
Staff members at CARD, as well as four families whose children received treatment from them, were featured in the documentary . It was directed and edited by Michele Jaquis in collaboration with Granpeesheh. The film won the Best Documentary award at the 2008 Director's ChairFilm Festival, and was an official selection at the 2008 Victoria Independent Film Festival. It received an award at the 2009 ReelHeART International Film Festival.
