ASCEND construction still on-track

Construction remains on track for the new Autism and Neurodiversity Center at Missouri State University – West Plains (MSU-WP). The building is scheduled to be completed in January 2025 according to a release by the university. 

 

The TJ Swift House ASCEND Program seeks to provide additional support for college students with autism according to the university's website. ASCEND is an acronym that stands for Autism Support Can Empower New Directions. The program will assist students with autism with academic supports, social strategy supports, and daily living transitions. 

 

“Needless to say, we are very pleased with how things are progressing thus far,” said Crockett Oaks III, associate vice chancellor of business and support services at MSU-WP in a recent release. 

 

Crews with Robinson Construction of Perryville, Mo., are working on the building and construction of the steel infrastructure is nearly complete. The next steps in construction will be the exterior framing, followed by the roof. The finished 9,300-square-foot building will include many designs to help relax over-stimulation, a condition common to people on the autism spectrum. These designs include indirect lighting, sound absorbing materials, breakout rooms, and a sensory garden. 

 

Area students learned in February that the program fee will be covered by a government grant for the next two years. A $1.5 million grant from the United States Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education will cover program fees for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 academic years. 

 

For more information about the TJ Swift House ASCEND Program, visit WP.MissouriState.edu/ASCEND.