Dublin-based School of Imagination, a leading education center that pairs typically developing children and children with developmental disabilities, is hosting the fifth annual “Happy Talkers Community Outreach” program on Sunday, May 1st at the Marriott Hotel in Pleasanton, CA. The Community Outreach event is the largest and most comprehensive program of its kind in California history, offering free developmental delay and autism early intervention screenings and support for families. In just a few short hours, parents will receive answers about their child, a roadmap and on-site referrals to a host of support agencies, critical early intervention assistance that would normally takes months to obtain.

Mark Ibanez, lead sports anchor for KTVU-TV, the San Francisco Bay Area FOX affiliate, is serving as the School of Imagination’s spokesperson for the event. Ibanez, father of four children, has a six-year-old son diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. “Getting the diagnosis of autism can leave you feeling completely lost. Even with the contacts and access to resources I have, I found navigating the system very difficult,” said Ibanez. “The School of Imagination/Happy Talkers program creates an environment that makes you feel that you are on the right path for your child and your family. They help you see that it is possible to get through.”

Last year, more than 100 volunteer experts donated their time to provide more than 300 screenings. These experts included pediatricians, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, behavioral specialists, hearing screenings, family guidance meetings and insurance specialists, as well as officials from the Regional Center, Providing Autism Research (PAR4KIDS), UC Davis MIND Institute, Stanford Autism Center and First Five California.

“For a child in need, help will begin the very same day. Parents will receive information as well as relief from experts and ultimately a chance to change their child’s future,” said Charlene Sigman, an award-wining speech therapist who founded the School of Imagination. “They can learn about developmental milestones, new ideas and cutting edge therapies to empower them so they can make educated decisions about their child’s education and development.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), autism is detectable in one out of 100 children yet many of these children are not diagnosed and a critical window of opportunity for early intervention is missed. In California alone, the number of children diagnosed with autism has increased by 400 percent since 1994. Early screening, diagnosis and intervention for children between 18 months and three years are critical because they need to begin services and therapies during this period to try to meet developmental milestones, according to Sigman.

“Sixty percent of the children screened for autism will require additional testing, services and support,” said Sigman. “We need to increase nationwide awareness of autism and developmental delay through early detection and intervention to ensure no child falls between the cracks.”

The Outreach was launched through partnerships with PAR4KIDS Sake, Child Care Links, California First Five-Alameda County, Black Tie Transportation, Pleasanton North Rotary Club, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Tri-Valley Pediatrics, Becton Healthcare Resources, A Place to Be Seen Events, and Discovery Homes. The Happy Talkers Community Outreach event takes place from 9AM-4PM at the Marriott Pleasanton located at 11950 Dublin Canyon Road in Pleasanton. To register or learn more about this event, please call (877)KIDS-TLC or visit www.happytalkers.org.