Eastern Michigan University's Autism Collaborative Center will be highlighted on a Public Broadcasting System program at 5:30 p.m. today.

The center opened last October in the former Fletcher School building in Ypsilanti. Run by EMU, it provides information and support services for autistic children, teenagers, adults and their families.

Steve and Kelly Van Singel play with their two daughters, Gillian, 4, left, and Magdalyn, 7, at their Pittsfield Township home. EMU's autism center benefits the girls.

Mark Bialek | For AnnArbor.com

The center will be featured on the PBS news magazine show "A Wider World," which focuses on developments and issues involving people with disabilities. It airs today on channel 56 WTVS in Detroit, which can be found on Channel 6 with Comcast Cable or Channel 240 on high definition.

Services and programs at the school include nutrition, music therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, social work, and special education.

In addition to programming and services for autistic individuals and their families, research conducted at the center focuses on effective interventions and treatments for autism spectrum disorders. Families of autistic individuals are welcome to use the center as a central gathering place.

"We want to serve the needs of the whole family because we believe that makes the life of the individual with autism even more productive and independent," Pamela Lemerand, the center's project director, told AnnArbor.com this fall.

CDC statistics show one in every 150 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, and the disorder can vary widely from individual to individual. It ranges from those who may have higher-than-usual intelligence and can function normally except for some social challenges to those with severe mental disability. 

Autism lasts a lifetime, and there are fewer resources for adults than children, according to several experts. That gap in services for teenagers and adults is something the center aims to address.

Juliana Keeping covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter