Innovation isn’t something that happens just in Silicon Valley or in experimental laboratories. And forward progress isn’t just important for traditionally high-tech industries. Some of the most important fields also benefit from transformative change.

And that’s exactly what The New England Center for Children does for autism education.

Throughout their 44-year history, NECC has trained thousands of the world’s best autism educators, pioneered game-changing curricula, and transformed the lives of thousands of children through both research and instruction.

Here’s a brief look at the organization’s history—from start to success—and how their unique story makes them a great place to start an impactful career.

Transforming Lives With Transformative Tech

NECC started with a $30,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in 1975. They had three teachers and six students.

Nowadays, they’ve got more than a thousand professionals on their staff and thousands of students benefitting from their programs and services.  They have helped children with autism in 19 countries. One thing that’s always stayed the same, though: their commitment to pioneering evidence-based treatment and education.

Most of NECC’s research and methodologies are based around the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA). NECC’s ABA practice is one that treats each child as an individual—with their own custom education plan—but in the context of decades of data and research. By applying the types of learning methods and educational plans that have demonstrated success, the staff at NECC are able to make the most progress with as many children as possible.

And that’s where their groundbreaking Autism Curriculum Encyclopedia comes in. The ACE is an educational curriculum tool developed through years of research, thousands of data points, and the experiences of the thousands of children with autism whom they’ve helped. By allowing teachers—including those who work at NECC—to enter data into the tool and receive real-time suggestions and action plans, the ACE allows every child to have an evidence-backed, effective education.

Training The Best Autism Educators In The World

One of the ways NECC accomplishes their mission is not just to run a superb autism education institution, but to train the best educators. That’s why the team at NECC focuses so heavily on professional development and further education. In fact, NECC will pay for a master’s degree for all of their teachers looking to pursue advanced programs in behavioral analysis and special education.

The best part of this program: classes are completed on campus at NECC and research is conducted as a member of the NECC staff. So, not only do NECC teachers work with some of the world’s best autism educators, they also contribute to and work on important research in the field.

Once NECC teachers complete an advanced degree, they’re often eligible for the BACB certification, which will open career opportunities down the line. In fact, people who train at NECC are some of the most likely to pass the exam on the first try, hence the program’s distinction as one of the top programs with an 80% pass rate or higher for first-time BCBA exam takers. Many of NECC’s best teachers have gone on to start their own programs, schools, and become leaders in the field of special education.

By making a difference in the lives and careers of their teachers, NECC enables them to proliferate the same superb standard of evidence-based treatment and education that the institution has pioneered for their whole careers.

Ready to transform lives? Check out open opportunities at NECC on WayUp!