Founded in 1953, The James L. Maher Center specializes in innovative vocational services. It offers support services to persons with developmental disabilities in the state of Rhode Island. It offers mental, emotional, social, spiritual and physical health management services. The agency delivers customized programs related to mental health, social skills and specialty therapies. The James L. Maher Center also offers diagnosis and therapies for children with autism that include autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder and childhood disintegrative condition. In addition, it provides education and training in applied behavior analysis, occupational therapy, sensory integration, fluency based instruction and relationship therapy. The agency also provides physical exercise, nutritional counseling, stress management, cultural outings and psychiatric assessment and monitoring services. It maintains an office in Newport, R.I.