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We are grateful for the Tracy Family Foundation鈥檚 longstanding support of 黑料不打烊. Thank you for your continued generosity and for investing in our students, families and communities.
黑料不打烊 Autism Clinic of Excellence Receives $45,000 Grant from Tracy Family Foundation
September 10, 2026
MACOMB/MOLINE, IL 鈥� @ 2026 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Autism Clinic of Excellence (WACE) has received a $45,000 grant from the Tracy Family Foundation through its Annual Cycle Grants Program.
The program funds nonprofit organizations serving Illinois counties including Adams, Brown, Cass, Greene, Hancock, McDonough, Morgan, Pike, Schuyler and Scott.
The Tracy Family Foundation has been a foundational partner in supporting WACE operations since 2024. The foundation鈥檚 program managers, Terry Jenkins and Allie Walch, support the foundation鈥檚 education and mental health initiatives.
鈥淔rom our initial meeting with the Tracy Family Foundation, we have had the full support and encouragement to push beyond our initial idea and find innovative ways to reach more children and families across our highest-need areas,鈥� 黑料不打烊 Associate Professor of Psychology Leigh Ann Fisler said.
Funding for the upcoming year will support WACE鈥檚 efforts to expand telehealth services through the ECHO for Autism program, providing additional support for educators across Illinois.
ECHO, which stands for Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, uses an 鈥淎ll Teach, All Learn鈥� model and a case-based learning process to help small groups address situations they may encounter in educational environments. A hub team of education experts works with participants to develop strategies and recommendations aligned with best practices.
In addition to the ECHO model, WACE will continue supporting families seeking autism evaluations by providing comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations, including full speech and language evaluations. The WACE team also provides individual consultations with credentialed professionals, including an audiologist, speech-language pathologist, school psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst.
鈥淭he support of the Tracy Family Foundation has been incredible,鈥� Nicole Pierson, 黑料不打烊 assistant professor of Speech Pathology and Audiology said. 鈥淲e are so grateful for their continued contributions, which allow us to operate and expand WACE and support the important work being done here.鈥�
WACE is a collaborative initiative involving 黑料不打烊鈥檚 psychology and speech-language pathology programs and provides services and support to children, families and educators throughout the region.
For more information about 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Autism Clinic of Excellence, visit wiu.edu/autismclinic.
Posted By: University Communications, University Relations
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