People with autism now have another resource which may save a trip to Bowling Green.

The Kelly Autism Program has expanded to Owensboro, according to a Western press release.

KAP-O opened on March 17 at Wendell Foster’s Campus for Developmental Disabilities in Owensboro, KAP Director Marty Boman said.

KAP, a feature of Western’s Clinical Education Complex, was created to help children with autism reach their potential of independence, productivity and community involvement.

Autism is a developmental disability that affects communication and social development.

KAP began in 2003, according to the KAP website.

The program serves people ages 7 and older, Boman said.

“The after school program provides academic, sensory, social and behavioral support to those with autism and other disabilities,” she said.

Boman said she hopes KAP will expand to other locations if the program’s success continues.

KAP-O Manager Ashley Reel Benthall, said she’s excited about the expansion.

Currently, KAP-O has three children enrolled in the after school program. Those participants enrolled halfway through the semester, Benthall said.

“The Bowling Green location began with seven enrolled and now has over 100, and we hope that KAP-O has the same growth,” she said.

The Owensboro campus is important because now KAP can reach out to more people, Benthall said.

“Before the KAP-O opened, people were driving from Owensboro to Bowling Green just for an after school program, and now those people are saving money on gas, and it’s just must more convenient for families who live farther away from Bowling Green,” she said.

Benthall said people with autism and other disabilities can also enroll this summer in a program at KAP-O with sessions from June 8 to 26 and from July 6 to 24.

The summer sessions will differentiate from the after school programs because they will have longer hours and will be take those enrolled out into the community on field trips, Benthall said.

Participants in the sessions will be divided into two different groups, she said. One will be for participants under 16 years old and another will be for those 16 and older.

The older group will have job workshops and coaching to help them prepare for the business world, Benthall said.