The local nonprofit groups Life Skills for adults with developmental disabilities and TouchPoint Autism Services will merge their organizations as of July 1 to support a growing number of adults with autism.

The new organization will be known as Life Skills, and TouchPoint (formerly the Judevine Center for Autism) will still be used to refer to autism services.

"As these children who are diagnosed with autism are aging, we really wanted to be prepared to meet that need," said Wendy Sullivan, CEO of the new organization.

Parents can be "confident you can stay with this organization through the child's lifetime," Sullivan said.

Life Skills provides 24-hour assistance including in-home care, job training and placement to teenagers and adults with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and other developmental disabilities. TouchPoint Autism Services offers early intervention services, behavior therapy, parent training and employment services through seven offices in Missouri. Both groups, which have offices in west St. Louis County, are United Way member agencies.

The organization will have a combined 1,200 employees. There are no immediate plans for layoffs or eliminating positions, Sullivan said.

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Autism groups to merge