| 12 | 16 | | |
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| 13 | 17 | | |
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| 14 | 18 | | |
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| 15 | 19 | | WHEREAS, the Faison Center, which in 2024 celebrated the 25th anniversary of its founding, is committed to providing exceptional services to children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families; and |
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| 16 | 20 | | |
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| 17 | 21 | | WHEREAS, the Faison School for Autism was established in 1999 and served an inaugural class of only four students; and |
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| 18 | 22 | | |
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| 19 | 23 | | WHEREAS, by 2015, the newly renamed Faison Center had grown to be much more than a school with the addition of its Early Education Center serving children as young as 16 months old and its adult services programs, including the Faison Residence, a one-of-a-kind apartment complex housing adults with autism in a community integrated setting; and |
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| 20 | 24 | | |
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| 21 | 25 | | WHEREAS, in 2018, the Faison Center opened the Peninsula School in Newport News to better serve children on the Virginia Peninsula; and |
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| 22 | 26 | | |
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| 23 | | - | WHEREAS, in 2020, the Faison School and the Peninsula School were two of the first schools in the Commonwealth to re-open for in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, working diligently to provide the educational services that their students needed, and in doing so, set a standard for other schools to follow; and |
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| 27 | + | WHEREAS, in 2020, the Faison School and the Peninsula School were two of the first schools in the Commonwealth to reopen for in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, working diligently to provide the educational services that their students needed, and in doing so, set a standard for other schools to follow; and |
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| 24 | 28 | | |
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| 25 | 29 | | WHEREAS, the Faison Center is a leader in applied research in the field of behavior analysis, publishing its research in various peer-reviewed journals in an effort to spread best practices around the world to other autism service providers; and |
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| 26 | 30 | | |
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| 27 | 31 | | WHEREAS, the Faison Center partners with other leaders and organizations in the community to increase awareness of autism and advocate for the services necessary to give those with autism and related challenges the best opportunity to lead rich and fulfilling lives; and |
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| 28 | 32 | | |
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| 29 | 33 | | WHEREAS, the Faison Center is committed to the success of individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities throughout every stage in life; and |
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| 30 | 34 | | |
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| 31 | 35 | | WHEREAS, thanks to the efforts of the remarkable, dedicated, and passionate faculty and staff members who work tirelessly every day, the Faison Center's innovative, visionary, and inclusive programs have changed countless lives over the years; and |
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| 32 | 36 | | |
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| 33 | 37 | | WHEREAS, the Faison Center will always be grateful for and will forever miss its co-founder, Alan Kirshner, a visionary who passed away in 2024; now, therefore, be it |
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| 34 | 38 | | |
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| 35 | 39 | | RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Faison Center on the occasion of its 25th anniversary of service to the Commonwealth; and, be it |
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| 36 | 40 | | |
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| 37 | 41 | | RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to W. Brian McCann, president and chief executive officer of the Faison Center, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the organization's outstanding efforts to provide exceptional services in the area of education, early education, and adult services to those with autism and other developmental disabilities in the Commonwealth. |
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