N. Jersey: Program to teach life skills to kids with ASD; $5M for a new building

May 4, 2018, NorthJersey.com: County steps in to help purchase permanent home for Northern Valley autism program https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/norwood/2018/05/04/county-steps-help-purchase-permanent-home-northern-valley-autism-program/570485002/ A special-needs program that prepares autistic students for life after school is getting a boost from Bergen County. The Bergen County Improvement Authority is arranging up to $5 million in loans so the Northern Valley Regional district can buy a building in Norwood. … The Valley Program, which has students ages 3-21, supports those with special needs, with most of the student body diagnosed with autism. Students are able to learn life skills through pre-vocational and vocational classes, which aim to prepare them for life after they leave the school system. … Nearly 1 in 34 children have autism in New Jersey, compared with one in 68 nationally, according to a new report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. …