When the new Tom and Jill Zidian Family Autism Center at Akron Children’s opened in November 2025, it brought next-level care for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For the Zidians, their $2 million gift means much more than having their names on the building. For them, autism is personal. Bringing a taste of Italy […]
New autism center will help patients reach their full potential
Walk into the Tom and Jill Zidian Family Autism Center, and you can “feel” the soothing and safe environment. The new facility helps the care team work together better and give special support to kids with autism and their families. About the new center Clinicians, patient families and the design team worked together to turn […]
Mom shares what Akron Children’s new Tom and Jill Zidian Family Autism Center means for families
When Melissa Baker talks about her son, her voice fills with both love and a deep understanding of kids who see the world differently. Melissa is mom to 11-year-old Korbin, who has autism. She has worked at Akron Children’s Hospital for nearly 2 decades – 15 years as a child life specialist in the pediatric […]
Akron Children’s developmental pediatrics fellow hopes to make a global impact
As a young girl growing up in Nigeria, Dr. Dami Omoniyi’s journey to becoming a physician was sparked by her natural curiosity. “I loved to ask questions,” she recalled. Initially drawn to engineering due to her love for math, Dr. Dami realized during secondary school that she preferred a career that involved critical thinking and […]
NEOMED, Akron Children’s physician-scientist Ronald Seese wins prestigious NIH award
The High-Risk, High-Reward Research program, supported by the Common Fund at the National Institutes of Health, has awarded a $1.95 million grant to Ronald R. Seese, M.D., Ph.D., a developmental neurologist at Akron Children’s and an associate professor of pediatrics at Northeast Ohio Medical University. The 2023 NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (DP5) is across […]
Sister dedicates book to older brother, shares tips on befriending a child with autism
From the moment she was born, Tara Johnston, of Canal Fulton, was in a unique situation to learn how to befriend a child with autism. Now, 19 years later she shares all the knowledge she has learned in a self-published book, “Tara’s Tips for Friends with Autism,” which is dedicated to her older brother, […]
