The Center

The school is named for Carmen B. Pingree,a parent with a child with autism, who spearheaded a movement in the late 1970's to get funding to operate a pre-school for children with autism in Utah. In 1998, David and Susan Spafford created a vision for an elementary school to serve nearly 250 children with autism by establishing a $10 million endowment with an additional $1 million provided by Valley Mental Health. On November 21st, 2002, thanks to many in the community that vision became a reality. Over 700 people helped celebrate the opening of the new Carmen B. Pingree School for Children with Autism.

Operated by Valley Mental Health, the school is a successful example of a private/public partnership. It provides educational services to students by conducting and supporting research into the cause of autism and its eventual cure. We assist families in coping with the challenges presented by autism, and train current and future teachers and professionals in the best practices and procedures.

The school is located at 780 South Guardsman Way, near the University of Utah. This location has made our partnership with the University of Utah Autism Research Project (UARP) even more efficient. Offices of UARP are located at the school to enhance research opportunities in autism that could be beneficial on a national scale.

In addition to the main site location, we have a classroom of 12 children located within the Jordan School District. We are committed to strong partnerships with local school districts.