Resident recognized for work with children with autism
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Ward 2 Civic Hero Award presented to Fred Santini
As one of the
founding members of the Shining Through Centre, Fred Santini has worked to
establish it as a place for support, therapy and education for children with
autism. In recognition of his efforts, Santini was presented with the Civic
Hero Award for Ward 2 by Vaughan Council yesterday.
Shining Through Centre
began more than 15 years ago when five families joined forces to support each other and create a better
future for their autistic children. Today, it has grown into an organization that helps people across many
communities, and has campuses in Vaughan, Streetsville and Toronto. It provides
an intensive and comprehensive educational program for children with autism based
on Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) – a scientifically validated approach that
has been demonstrated to produce long-term and permanent learning.
QUOTES
“Created out of the joint efforts of five families that wanted to give their
children the best care possible, the Shining Through Centre has become a leader
in the field of autism. By providing the highest quality therapy and
educational programs, it is helping children to reach their full potential. Fred Santini is an inspiration
to the entire community for his dedication to autistic children and his
commitment to the centre. I offer my sincere congratulations to him for being
recognized as a Civic Hero.”
-Mayor Maurizio
Bevilacqua
“Fred Santini was a leading force in the
creation and development of the Shining Through Centre. Founded and based in
Vaughan, it now operates branches in other municipalities and helps families
across many communities. Fred has demonstrated the
leadership of a civic hero and I thank him for being involved in this
outstanding organization. His hard work and compassion make him most deserving
of this award.”
-Ward 2 Councillor Tony
Carella
QUICK FACTS
- The Civic Hero Award is presented annually to residents from each of Vaughan’s five wards.
- The awards recognize outstanding achievement and individual contributions to the community.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong, complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, and repetitive patterns of behaviour.
- There are an estimated 100,000 children and youth in Ontario with ASD. SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association Journal (PDF)
- In Canada, one in 94 children is diagnosed with ASD. SOURCE: National Epidemiological Database for the Study of Autism in Canada
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