The Rich Center for Autism, an externally funded facility for the study and treatment of Autism, located on the campus of Youngstown State University, was launched in 1995 through a collective, community donation. The center was established as a lasting tribute to the memory of Paula and Anthony Rich and their unborn child all killed in a tragic plane accident in 1994. The Center's mission is to improve the social, educational and vocational success of children with Autism. Through its association with Youngstown State University, the Center provides referral, treatment, and support to families as well as education for professionals and students.

In an effort to provide free educational resources for visitors to www.richcenter.org, the Rich Center turned to Avalon Consulting, which donated the instructional design and development of two courses: The Rich Center's Interactive Course for Asperger's Syndrome Information; and The Rich Center's Interactive Course for Autism Information.

The purpose of each course, designed by Avalon's enterprise e-Learning team, is to disseminate topical information related to conditions of Autism and Asperger's in a more dynamic format than is available through standard static web pages. The target audience for the course content is anyone interested in these conditions, such as teachers or students, or any person associated with either a diagnosed or suspected afflicted child. By completing the easy-to-navigate, interactive, e-Learning courses an individual can acquire the knowledge to recognize autistic behaviors and to decipher the elements that differentiate Asperger's from Autism. While the courses are intended to provide “light” training, visitors to the site who complete each course will have a better understanding of what Autism is, what Asperger's Syndrome is, how the two conditions compare, and the treatment strategies associated with each.