Thompson Center founders Bill and Nancy Thompson, city and state officials, University of Missouri leadership, Thompson Foundation leadership, Thompson Center faculty and staff, longtime supporters and community members celebrate the grand opening celebration of the new Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment building. Photo by Abbie Lankitus
A New Chapter Begins
On May 8, 2026, a vision more than 20 years in the making became reality as families, donors, community leaders, clinicians, researchers, and advocates gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the new Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment in Columbia.
It was a spectacular day marked by celebration, gratitude, and hope as we officially opened the doors to a world-class facility designed to transform autism and neurodevelopmental care for families across Missouri and beyond.
The celebration began with a ribbon cutting outside the new Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment building, where founders Bill Thompson and Nancy Thompson joined University leaders, elected officials, families, clinicians, staff, and longtime supporters to mark this historic milestone.
As Bill Thompson shared during the celebration, “Twenty years ago, Nancy and I would have never dreamed that this would be possible.”
Guests heard remarks from University of Missouri President, Dr. Mun Choi, Thompson Center Executive Director, Dr. Connie Brooks, former Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, and Thompson Foundation Board President, Ron Ashworth— all reflecting on what this new facility means for the future of care, research, and support for families.
One of the most powerful moments of the program came from Lora Hinkel and her son, Blake Hinkel, whose remarks offered a deeply personal look at the realities of living with autism. Blake spoke proudly about his job, volunteer work, hobbies, and the many milestones he has achieved with support from his family and the Thompson Center. “Because of so many amazing people, including those at the Thompson Center, I can talk, I can read, I can type, and I can cook better than my mom,” he shared, drawing laughter and applause from the crowd.
Expanding Care & Research
The new $54.8 million, 74,000-square-foot facility represents a transformational investment in autism care and was made possible through an extraordinary public-private partnership, including:
- More than $9 million in private philanthropy
- A $31.5 million appropriation from the State of Missouri
- Continued support from the University of Missouri and MU Health Care
Together, more than 1,000 donors from 32 states and Japan helped make this vision a reality—demonstrating the incredible generosity behind this project.
The new building was intentionally designed to meet the unique needs of neurodiverse individuals and families and includes:
- Expanded clinical capacity to serve twice as many patients annually
- Sensory-friendly environment
- Indoor play therapy gym
- Inclusive outdoor playground
- Life skills room
- Research laboratories
- Training café that provides meaningful job opportunities for neurodiverse adults
Clinical operations officially began in March, and the impact is already significant. In the previous year alone, the Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment served approximately 4,500 families through more than 18,000 patient visits across 15 clinical subspecialties. The new facility positions the Center to meet rapidly growing demand for services.
“Every day, families come to the Thompson Center searching for answers and hope,” Executive Director Connie Brooks said. “They travel here from across Missouri and far beyond because the need for specialized neurodevelopmental care continues to grow and because families deserve access to teams who understand the complexities of these conditions, but more importantly, to teams who see children first, with all of their strengths, personalities and potential.”
One of the most exciting announcements of the day was the launch of Missouri’s first-of-its-kind Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)—designed to provide multidisciplinary care for children ages 3 to 19 with severe behavioral needs. This innovative program fills a critical gap between outpatient and inpatient services and reflects the Thompson Center’s commitment to meeting families where they need support most.
The celebration began the evening before, when the City of Columbia officially proclaimed itself an Autism Friendly City, recognizing more than 45 local businesses that completed Autism Friendly Business training through the Thompson Center. Mayor Barbara Buffaloe joined community leaders, families, and staff in celebrating this important milestone for inclusion.
Throughout both events, one theme remained clear: this building is more than bricks and mortar—it represents possibility. It represents faster diagnoses, more treatment options, more groundbreaking research, more trained professionals, and most importantly, more hope for families seeking answers.
To every donor, advocate, family, partner, and friend who helped make this day possible: thank you!
Photos by Schaefer Photography