Long known as a refuge for kids with autism, the Timothy School in Berwyn is celebrating a half-century of growth on the Main Line, writes Maria Panaritis for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Fifty years ago, Reverend David B. Watermulder, the pastor at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, saw the need to provide a safe place that would exclusively serve autistic children.

Generations later, the school is still going strong. It relocated from its original home on church grounds 17 years ago to an old municipal building in Berwyn, and it continues to grow.

“We are looking to launch a capital campaign in the next five years,” said Deb Castle, board chairwoman, whose son has been attending Timothy School for years.

The progress the pioneering school has made is additionally significant, as when it was founded, autism was surrounded by stigma, with no clear science behind the affliction. Today, the school is open to students with moderate to severe autism with the demand for spaces growing.

Tuition at the school comes to $55,000 annually, and is paid by its students’ public school districts.

“They’re really good,” said Kathy Moynagh, whose son Gavin is on the more severe end of the autism spectrum.

Read more about the Timothy School in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.