The doors of a new pioneering centre, named after the late wife of Nirma Sethia, located in Cambridge, UK opened it doors. At a cost of £1.5m ,the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre has been made possible thanks to the Autism Research Trust (ART) and the National Autistic Society (NAS) who received a grant from the N Sethia Foundation to redevelop the existing building on the the Fulbourn Hospital site.
The Countess of Wessex, a Patron of the National Autistic Society had these words to say at the opening ceremonies on September 5th, 2013:
“Cambridgeshire, you’re blazing a trial and it is a very very exciting one. And I hope and pray that we will to be able to do more with your support with everybody’s support here, to be able to replicate what you are doing around the country. If we can manage that, then we will have served the autistic community to a very large extent.”
There is very little support for adults on the autism spectrum says centre director Professor Simon Baron-Cohen who stated:
“This new centre is really a starting point for those, that lost generation, the adults who need diagnosis and support.”
According to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) web site, the Autism Centre is also an opportunity to develop support and opportunities for local people who have autism, including family support sessions, group meetings and activities.