Inclusive training focuses on treating children with autism and supports the family unit making care more accessible and less intimidating

We are incredibly proud of our team’s efforts to earn the status of a Certified Autism Center, as it reflects our ongoing commitment to providing the highest quality care for every pediatric patient.”
— Trish O’Keefe, PhD, RN, President, Morristown Medical Center

MORRISTOWN, NJ, UNITED STATES, December 12, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center Gagnon Pediatric Emergency Department in the Goryeb Children’s Hospital has been recognized as a Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) by The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). This designation is awarded to organizations whose team members have accomplished autism-specific training that provides the supportive skills and resources to bring the best experience possible to every child who enters the hospital.

This highly specialized and inclusive training has created a more positive and therapeutic experience for patients with autism and sensory disorders, making the hospital’s pediatric healthcare services more accessible and less intimidating.

The training focuses on understanding the unique communication styles, sensory sensitivities, and behavioral cues that autistic children may exhibit. By learning how to recognize and respond to these needs, the care team can tailor their approach to reduce potential sources of stress for the child. This may involve using clear, direct communication, providing visual support, offering sensory accommodations, and employing calming techniques when necessary.

Some of the latest advancements and technologies built into Morristown Medical Center’s recently modernized Gagnon Pediatric Emergency Department in the Goryeb Children’s Hospital include patient rooms designed for those with light, sound, and other sensitivities.
“We are incredibly proud of our team’s efforts to earn the status of a Certified Autism Center, as it reflects our ongoing commitment to providing the highest quality care for every pediatric patient,” said Trish O’Keefe, PhD, RN, President, Morristown Medical Center and Senior Vice President, Atlantic Health. “We devote ourselves to caring for the unique needs of children with autism and their families by cultivating a supportive environment, which is especially important when faced with stressful situations such as emergency care.”

In addition to supporting the child, the training also emphasizes the importance of understanding the parental and family perspective. Parents of children with autism often experience heightened anxiety during medical visits, especially when they feel their child’s needs may not be fully understood. By ensuring that clinical staff are compassionate and well-versed in the best practices for working with children with autism, the hospital creates an environment where both the child and parent feel heard, respected, and supported.

“Designating Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center’s Gagnon Pediatric Emergency Department as a Certified Autism Center highlights the department’s ongoing commitment to

providing supportive care for every child,” said Myron Pincomb, IBCCES board chairman. “IBCCES is proud to partner with the Gagnon Pediatric Emergency Department and recognize its efforts to foster accessible healthcare experiences for autistic and sensory-sensitive children. We look forward to seeing the impact this certification will have on department staff, patients, and their families alike.”

Since 2001, IBCCES has been the leader in autism, neurodiversity, and cognitive training and certification for healthcare, education, and corporate professionals around the globe. IBCCES created programs specifically for hospitals, emergency rooms, and other medical professionals to better support children with autism and sensory sensitivities, a growing but underserved part of the community. IBCCES is the only credentialing board offering these types of programs, which include training from subject matter experts and autistic self-advocates, as well as long-term support, continuous learning, and more.

IBCCES also provides access to resources such as AccessibilityCertified.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.


About Atlantic Health
Atlantic Health is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 24,000 team members and more than 7,779 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 14 counties and 7.5 million people.

The not-for-profit system offers more than 550 sites of care, including its eight hospitals: Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Atlantic Health Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ, Atlantic Health Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Atlantic Health Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Atlantic Health Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ and Atlantic Health CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, NJ.

The system includes Atlantic Medical Group, part of a physician enterprise that makes up one of the largest multispecialty practices in New Jersey with more than 1,700 physicians and advance practice providers. Joined with Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners they form part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.

Atlantic Health provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 30 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Health Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.

Founded by Atlantic Health, the Healthcare Transformation Consortium is a partnership of seven regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability. Atlantic Health has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University, is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.

Atlantic Health has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University, is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.

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.

Meredith Tekin
IBCCES
+1 904-508-0135
marketing@ibcces.org
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