The mission of The Birchtree Center is to improve the quality of life, increase the independence and productivity, and nurture the full potential of children and youth with autism.

Description:
The Birchtree Center operates a school in Portsmouth, N.H., currently the only school certified by the New Hampshire Board of Education to focus solely on educating children and youth with autism. At the school, certified special educators and behavior analysts design comprehensive and flexible instruction to meet the unique educational needs of individual students age three to seventeen. With these scientifically tested instruction methods, students can develop the communication, social, behavioral, academic and life skills necessary to live a more productive and independent life. The Birchtree Center also offers an outreach program serving families and schools in New Hampshire and neighboring states.

History:
The initial impetus for the Birchtree Center came from the personal experiences of the President of the Center’s Board of Directors, Barbara Frankel, M.S.W., Ph.D., when her son Elliott was diagnosed with autism at the age of 16 months. She learned that children with autism receiving intensive early intervention can achieve significant gains in every area of development, greatly increasing the child’s opportunities of being included in the community later in life. At the time, there were no day schools or home-based programs for children with autism in the New Hampshire seacoast area. Dr. Frankel negotiated with the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, School District, resulting in a comprehensive, home-based program for Elliott. Dr. Frankel's personal experience of the difficulties encountered in providing the education and treatment her son needed--a common struggle for many families of children with autism--laid the foundation for and provided the genesis of the Birchtree Center.

Contact person: Deborah Lewis, Administrative Assistant, (phone), (email)

Address:

33 Jewell Court - Suite 2 Portsmouth, NH 03801 (See a map)

Directions:

From Rte. I-95 North: Take the Woodbury Ave. exit (Exit 6) toward Portsmouth, go .1 mile Turn RIGHT onto WOODBURY Ave., go .1 mile Turn LEFT onto DENNETT St., go < .1 mile Turn RIGHT onto BARTLETT St. go .4 mile. † At the LIGHT. . . (more)

Miscellaneous Information

Name of Executive Director (or equivalent) if not listed above:
	Dr. Christine Guarino
Type of organization
	Nonprofit 501(c)3
Is your organization a Health and Human Service agency?
	Yes