May 12, 2026 The PLACE: 40 Years of Community Support for Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Sally, vice president of CTA, sits down with Fox 13’s The PLACE at the nonprofit’s monthly community luncheon to trace four decades of supporting people on the autism spectrum and with other developmental disabilities. CTA began in 1985 as a pilot program, launched after a group of Utah parents petitioned the legislature for an alternative to institutionalization — at the time, the likely path for a child with a developmental disability. That first home proved so successful the program earned permanent funding. Sally, who joined in 1989, walks through how services expanded from there: after-school programs that support young children and give families a break, and adult day programs focused on community involvement and employment, often built around the deep special interests common on the spectrum. Families start by contacting Utah’s Division of Services for People with Disabilities to check eligibility, then choose a provider like CTA.