SARASOTA, Fla. - May 5, 2025 - The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) proudly renews Easterseals Southwest Florida’s Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) designation. To renew the certification, at least 80% of front-facing staff completed autism-specific training to equip them with up-to-date knowledge of best practices and skills to best assist and support every person who walks through Easterseals’ doors.

“We are incredibly proud to renew our certification as a Certified Autism Center™ at Easterseals Southwest Florida," says Tom Waters, president and CEO of Easterseals Southwest Florida. "This renewal underscores our commitment to providing the highest quality support and resources to individuals with neurodivergence and their families in our community. It reflects our dedication to excellence, innovation, and the positive impact we strive to achieve every day. Through our certified programs, we empower individuals with autism to reach their full potential, and this renewal strengthens our resolve to continue expanding opportunities and fostering independence for all those we serve.”

“Renewing their Certified Autism Center™ designation is a great testament to Easterseals Southwest Florida’s dedication to creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and supported,” says Myron Pincomb, IBCCES board chairman. “We are excited to continue our partnership with Easterseals, and we look forward to seeing the continued impact of this training and certification.”

For more than two decades, IBCCES has been a leader in providing autism, sensory and neurodiversity training and certification for professionals worldwide, including those in healthcare, education, public safety, travel, and corporate sectors. As the only credentialing board offering these programs, IBCCES provides training from subject matter experts and autistic self-advocates, along with long-term support, continuous learning, onsite reviews, and renewal requirements to ensure continued growth and lasting impact.

To further support inclusivity efforts, Easterseals Southwest Florida is featured on the IBCCES Accessibility App, which is free to download. This app provides individuals with a variety of disabilities real-time guidance on certified destinations, sensory-friendly spaces, and tailored recommendations. By connecting users to accessible locations worldwide, the app helps ensure seamless, enjoyable experiences for everyone.

IBCCES also provides access to resources such as CertifiedAutismCenter.com and AutismTravel.com, free online tools for families that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the site has met Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) requirements.

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About Easterseals Southwest Florida

Easterseals Southwest Florida has been a vital part of the community for nearly 80 years, providing high-quality care and services to individuals with disabilities. Their commitment to enhancing access and opportunities empowers both children and adults to make meaningful life choices. With a focus on therapy, education, life skills, and employment, Easterseals Southwest Florida continues to lead in special needs services, ensuring comprehensive support throughout each individual's life journey.

About IBCCES

Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of autism, neurodiversity, and accessibility – IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower professionals to be leaders in their field and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. For over two decades, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in autism and cognitive differences training. IBCCES works in over 111 countries and provides training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading benchmark in training and certification.

In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations, and organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified City™ (ACC), ensuring autistic and sensory-sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality and entertainment organizations have completed an autism and sensory-sensitivity training, certification and IBCCES facilities review process. The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification for the public safety, education, healthcare and workplace sectors.

IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, AutismTravel.com, and CertifiedAutismCenter.com – free resources for individuals with a variety of neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other.