This past spring, the Thompson Foundation and CHOC Children’s in Orange unveiled a partnership to expand Orange County’s ability to address the needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The Thompson Autism Center at CHOC Children’s, named in honor of a $10 million gift from the foundation, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2019.
It will be at 170 S. Main St. in Orange, a few blocks from CHOC’s main hospital campus. The two-story, 20,000-square-foot facility was conceived by CannonDesign.
Chapman Work
The connection of ASD to Bill and Nancy Thompson is peripheral at best. No matter. When they learned more, the couple knew they had to step forward.
The year was 2002, and their daughter Emily was a student at Chapman University in Orange, earning her master’s degree in special education.
As part of her program, she started working with children who had ASD. She shared the experience with her parents, and the challenges the children’s families faced.
Bill at the time was chief executive of Newport Beach-based bond giant Pacific Management Investment Co.
As the Thompsons learned more, they discovered the number of children diagnosed with autism had grown at an alarming rate—and had touched the lives of people they knew. They also learned there is no known cure for autism, but that there are therapies that can help treat it and many of its symptoms.
Today the Thompsons are investing significantly in the diagnosis and treatment of autism.
Collaboration With CHOC
The 20,000-square-foot Thompson Autism Center will specialize in ASD and serve as a resource for families and healthcare providers.
The facility will focus on three areas: early diagnosis and treatment; multitiered intervention for challenging behaviors; and interdisciplinary care for children who have both autism and its common co-occurring conditions, such as epilepsy.
The center, through a partnership with Chapman University, will help families learn about services and therapies that are available to them through the education system.
“We take pride in collaborating with institutions and healthcare leaders who share our vision to dramatically improve the lives of children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders and their families,” said Bill in a news release announcing the donation.
“Our collaboration with CHOC Children’s will complement and expand on the work already being done in Orange County, making a lasting impact on the community and bringing hope to children and families affected by ASD.”
The Thompsons’ support started virtually the moment Emily shared those stories with her parents.
In 2005, the Thompsons funded the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders at the University of Missouri, where Bill, a Missouri native, earned his undergraduate degree before moving on to Harvard University for his MBA.
In 2007, Bill and Nancy founded the Thompson Foundation for Autism to support that center.
— Kim Haman
