Imagine an autism-focused health center located in the heart of a small Southern city full of hospitality and charm, where patients, families, and interested medical professionals can receive the individual care and education they so desperately need. Far more than just a doctor’s office, the RIMLAND Center includes not only exam rooms and lab equipment but also a state-of-the-art hyperbaric oxygen therapy center and a demonstration kitchen where families and doctors can learn first-hand how to implement the diets - gluten-free, casein-free, special carbohydrate - that have the potential to change their children’s lives.
Imagine a doctor’s office where, instead of an impersonal and anxiety-producing waiting room, patients enter a skylit room with brick walls, bistro tables, comfortable chairs and sofas - a relaxing environment made for the whole family. While they wait, children can enjoy the adjacent playroom, which also serves as an arena assessment area for physical therapists, occupational therapists and others. Plasma TVs bring to life educational videos, making the most out of the time between assessments and hyperbaric sessions, and the building can also serve as a community center where special needs organizations can meet outside of office hours.
Imagine, above all, a truly welcoming place for families and healthcare professionals. Located in a picturesque and inviting spot right off a main road and within walking distance of a grocery store, laundromat, and several family restaurants, the 1.8 acre RIMLAND complex is just a short car ride away from such family-friendly diversions as three movie theatres, a bowling alley, a shopping mall, city parks, and even a children’s museum. The new building is just over 5,300 square feet, and Dr. Mumper envisions utilizing one side as our spacious medical center office space and the other as a unique family center. In addition to the luxurious waiting facilities mentioned above, an on-site house for visiting families and professionals eliminates the hassle of hotels for those coming from far away and completes the total Rimland experience of a "home away from home."
The new mentoring center is international in scope, helping to bring the Defeat Autism Now! biomedical approach - autism is treatable, recovery is possible - to clinicians from around the globe. Over 80 doctors have already expressed their interest in participating in such a mentoring experience, and families from as far away as Italy have already made use of all the facility has to offer. Every doctor trained and every family served can help more children and bring us closer to the goal of restoring these children to their full potential.
