OT - Press Release about The Mariposa School for Children with Autism

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The & Brader-Araje Foundation Gives

$50,000 Grant toto The Mariposa School

The Mariposa School

Cary, N.C. Based School Provides One-On-One Instruction to

Children With Autism

Durham, N.C. - November 04, 2002 - The & Brader-Araje Foundation

announced today that it has awarded its annual Spark Grant to the Mariposa

School for Children with Autism. The Mariposa School, based in Cary, North

Carolina, provides intensive, individualized instruction to children with

autism, targeting the broad range of educational, behavioral, speech, social and

motor dysfunctions that affect them.

s founded the Mariposa School in December 2000. s is the

mother of a nine year-old son with autism. Her goal is to help children and

their families deal with the challenges of autism. " I want people to know that

autism is not a hopeless condition. There are very tangible changes that can be

made with the right kind of treatment early on, " explained s. " It is

possible for these children to lead a functional life instead of being

institutionalized. "

" and I believe that our financial support and our personal involvement can

have a genuine, positive impact on the school and the children it serves, " said

Brader-Araje. " As part of our due diligence, we talked to parents of

children with autism and saw the overwhelming challenges they face. We want to

do whatever we can to make those challenges a little less daunting. "

" The Mariposa School helps fill a tremendous need for these families, " said

Brader-Araje. " It not only meets an educational need, but also provides a

valuable support network to help these children and families deal with the

realities of autism. "

In addition to financial assistance, the Foundation will provide support and

resources to facilitate business planning, budgeting, additional fund-raising,

and the creation of an outreach program. Brader-Araje will also join

the school's board of directors.

About Autism

According to the Autism Society of America (ASA), autism is a complex

developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of

life. The ASA explains that autism is the result of a neurological disorder that

affects the functioning of the brain, and that its associated behaviors have

been estimated to occur in as many as 2 to 6 in 1,000 individuals. ASA also

estimates that autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls and knows

no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. More information on autism can be found

at www.autism-society.org.

About The & Brader-Araje Foundation

The & Brader-Araje Foundation is dedicated to improving the

quality of life for the people of North Carolina. In an ongoing effort to enrich

lives and expand opportunities, the Foundation supports innovative programs in

North Carolina dedicated to children, education, health care, and women's

rights.

The & Brader-Araje Foundation views each grant as an investment in

social change. Striving to maximize the effectiveness of each philanthropic

investment, the Foundation seeks innovative ideas with the potential to

stimulate change and make a lasting impact.

The Spark Grant is an annual $50,000 grant awarded to serve as a fundraising

impetus for the creation of a new organization or program designed to promote

and support social causes. A different area of interest is targeted each year.

The Foundation seeks imaginative proposals and will evaluate on the basis of

promise to make a positive impact, to be replicable, and to serve as a spark for

long-term change. The Foundation takes a particular interest in ideas that have

the potential to grow beyond the local level and become a national influence.

More information is available at www.brader-araje.org.

About The Mariposa School

The Mariposa School, based in Cary, North Carolina, provides intensive,

individualized instruction to children with autism, targeting the broad range of

educational, behavioral, speech, social and motor dysfunctions that affect them.

The teaching methodology employed has been scientifically validated and is based

on the principles of behavior analysis.

There is intensive one-on-one interaction between student and instructor to

provide continuous opportunities for the student to learn new skills throughout

the day. In addition, students spend some time each day involved with group

activities. As part of the individualized plan for each student, opportunities

are also created to teach students how to interact with typical peers in order

to acquire, practice and generalize appropriate social behaviors.

The goal for students is to learn to communicate effectively, become

increasingly independent, interact appropriately with others, and enjoy their

learning experiences. More information on the school is available at

www.MariposaSchool.org.

Contact:

s

The Mariposa School

mariposaschool@...

919.461.0600

Brader-Araje

The & Brader-Araje Foundation

michael@...

919.806.4345

(Cary, NC)

persistentC@...

President, The Mariposa School for Children with Autism

www.MariposaSchool.org

919-461-0600