50 Years of Transforming Lives and Building Futures
Eden Autism, 1975-2025
The story of Eden began as a dream shared by 14 desperate families. In 1975, autism was a largely unknown disorder, and services for autistic individuals were extremely scarce. These pioneering parents were determined to create a better world for their children. Out of a rented church basement in Princeton, the Eden Institute (now known as Eden Autism Services) was born. “We were thrilled when we met other children like our son, David,” said Harriet Riedel, founding Eden parent. “We had never seen another autistic person. We just felt like we had come home.”
Over the Decades
Eden continued to expand its services, ensuring that as its students aged, they received the support they needed to thrive. In 1979, Eden opened its first group home, Winsten House. In 1981, Eden and Wawa began its groundbreaking partnership when Wawa hired an Eden participant and its first special needs employee. 1983 saw the opening of its first adult day center.
In 1991, Wawa continued its extraordinary contributions to Eden’s programmatic offerings by funding Wawa House, where infants and toddlers received early intervention services, followed in 1995 and 1996 with a residential summer camp for students and a retreat house at the shore for adults. In 2019, Eden opened Schalks Crossing, again taking the lead in addressing an unmet need within the autism community—supporting aging adults. With this, the vision shared by its founding families—to provide services throughout the lifespan—was realized.
2025
2025 marks 50 years of transforming lives and building futures. The Eden Dreams Golden Gala will kick off a year of sharing inspirational stories and celebrating events highlighting Eden’s past, present, and future. Stay tuned for additional announcements, and join us on our journey.
Over the Decades
Eden continued to expand its services, ensuring that as its students aged, they received the support they needed to thrive.
