
[Note: Shared for #AutisticHistory archive purposes. This is NOT An Autistic Ally.]
Marcus Institute & Autism Center Timeline | Archives | History
History
Marcus Institute is a 501( C ) 3 community based center providing direct services to children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and support services for their families and people who live and work with them.
Marcus Institute had its beginnings as the Marcus Developmental Resource Center at Emory University in 1990 as a result of a generous donation to the Children’s Research Center in the Department of Pediatrics by Bernie and Billi Marcus.
Since its move from the Emory campus in 1993 to a modern wholly accessible facility just three miles from the university, the Marcus Institute has provided clinical services to more than ten thousand individuals, conducted research, and provided education and training programs.
Today, Marcus Institute, an affiliate of Kennedy Krieger Institute at Emory University, is the cornerstone of a plan to establish a national network of developmental services for children with disorders of the brain and their families.
This merger was accomplished by the extraordinary gift of $45 million by Bernie and Billi Marcus to Kennedy Krieger Institute in October, 1998.
Bernie Marcus is also affiliated with Autism Speaks, Home Depot , Marcus Behavior Center School,
[Note: Timeline & History in Progress. Last updated: November 16, 2021]
Timeline – History
The Marcus Institute had its beginnings as the Marcus Developmental Resource Center at Emory University in 1990 as a result of a generous donation to the Children’s Research Center in the Department of Pediatrics by Bernie and Billi Marcus.
October 1998
In 1998, the Marcus Institute merged with Baltimore-based Kennedy Krieger Institute creating the cornerstone of a plan to establish a national network of developmental services.
This merger was accomplished by the extraordinary gift of $45 million by Bernie and Billi Marcus to Kennedy Krieger Institute in October, 1998.
November 2, 2002
Marcus Institute hosted an Open House to share the new building with families, professionals and the surrounding neighborhood.
Eleven service partners participated in our provider exhibit area.
Educational workshops for families and professionals included “How to Plan for the Financial Future of Your Child with Special Needs,” “Building Positive Attachments,” “Replacing Problem Behavior with Prosocial Behavior” and “Formulating Effective IEP Goals”.
Complimentary developmental screenings were offered for families, as well as self-guided tours of the new facility.
August 27, 2003
KaBoom! the Marcus Institute had a new playground.
Over 100 volunteers from The Home Depot and Greenberg Farrow joined together with staff from the Marcus Institute and its neighbors in the community to erect a new playground at the Marcus Institute.
In Progress

Archives
More With Marcus Autism Center
Note/Warning:
Autistic people have fought the inclusion of ABA in therapy for us since before Autism Speaks, and other non-Autistic-led autism organizations, started lobbying legislation to get it covered by insurances and Medicaid.
ABA is a myth originally sold to parents that it would keep their Autistic child out of an institution. Today, parents are told that with early intervention therapy their child will either be less Autistic or no longer Autistic by elementary school, and can be mainstreamed in typical education classes. ABA is very expensive to pay out of pocket. Essentially, Autism Speaks has justified the big price tag up front will offset the overall burden on resources for an Autisticās lifetime. The recommendation for this therapy is 40 hours a week for children and toddlers.
The original study that showed the success rate of ABA to be at 50% has never been replicated. In fact, the study of ABA by United States Department of Defense was denounced as a failure. Not just once, but multiple times. Simply stated: ABA doesnāt work. In study after repeated study: ABA (conversion therapy) doesnāt work.
What more recent studies do show: Autistics who experienced ABA therapy are at high risk to develop PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions. Historically, the autism organizations promoting ABA as a cure or solution have silenced Autistic advocatesā opposition. ABA is also known as gay conversion therapy.
The ācureā for Autistics not born yet is the prevention of birth.
The ācureā is a choice to terminate a pregnancy based on āautism risk.ā The cure is abortion. This is the same ācureā society has for Down Syndrome.
This is eugenics 2021. Instead of killing Autistics and disabled children in gas chambers or āmercy killingsā like in Aktion T4, itāll happen at the doctorās office, quietly, one Autistic baby at a time. Different approaches yes, but still eugenics and the extinction of an entire minority group of people.
Fact: You canāt cure Autistics from being Autistic.
Fact: You canāt recover an Autistic from being Autistic.
Fact: You can groom an Autistic to mask and hide their traits. Somewhat. ⦠however, this comes at the expense of the Autistic child, promotes Autistic Burnout (this should not be confused with typical burnout, Autistic Burnout can kill Autistics), and places the Autistic child at high risk for PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions.
[Note: Autism is NOT a disease, but a neurodevelopmental difference and disability.]
Fact: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.