AEIOU News

Brisbane oncologist and philanthropist Dr James Morton wins 10th Annual Australian Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Thu, 25 Nov 10

MEDIA RELEASE  

25 November 2010

Brisbane oncologist and philanthropist Dr James Morton wins 10^th Annual Australian Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Brisbane local Dr James Morton last night won the coveted 10^th Annual Ernst and Young Australian Social Entrepreneur of the Year award at a ceremony in Sydney, where he was honoured for his commitment, passion and vision for children with autism.

Dr Morton is a Brisbane-based Haematology and Oncology specialist who is also the Founder and Chairman of AEIOU Foundation the largest provider of best-practice early intervention and support services for children with autism and their families

 Dr Morton said he was honoured to be recognised for the award, which notes his contribution to establishing a best-practice curriculum that helps more than 200 Queensland children to learn vital language, social, fine motor and pre-academic skills.

“When our son Andrew was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and a half, we wanted to find a way for him to attend a mainstream school.  We found an excellent pilot program with an early intervention model, but soon after it closed. There was nothing else like it in Queensland or the entire country for that matter,” Mr Morton said.

“So, in 2005, we decided to start our own, with a model that not only helps children reach their full potential, but provides support to families as well.”

 “It is our goal that by 2012, AEIOU’s program will be providing specialist care to up to 50% of children with autism in Queensland,” Mr Morton said.

Today, AEIOU enrols more than 200 children across nine centres in Queensland, supporting families in both metropolitan and regional areas.  The centres are staffed with specialist early childhood teachers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists and music therapists and more than 75% of children successfully transition into mainstream schools.

The Award also recognised Dr Morton’s 10:40:600 initiative, which launched in 2009 to help close the funding gap facing each child in the AEIOU program.

“Currently, there is a $10,000 funding gap for the $40,000 it takes to place a child at an AEIOU centre for 12 months.  We began seeking individual and corporate donations to close that gap,” Dr Morton explained.

Dr Morton believes that by assisting these children to communicate, engage with others and become integrated into their community, the contribution provides an average lifetime cost saving of $600,000 per year for each year the child participates in an AEIOU program. Moved by his argument, more than 40 sponsors signed in the first year.

James’s overarching funding strategy has enabled rapid expansion, with AEIOU about to open its ninth centre in Queensland, including a regional program that supports families in areas such as Emerald.

Congratulating the winners, Ernst & Young Oceania CEO and Managing Partner Rob McLeod said entrepreneurs were the lifeblood of the economy, fuelling technological innovation and new job growth.

“This is the 10th year of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in Australia and we are very proud of this celebration of entrepreneurial talent,” he said.

In the next five years, Dr Morton plans to support children with autism from diagnosis right through to providing vocational support, with a goal to replicate his best practice model interstate, beginning with New South Wales. NSW

For more information about AEIOU Foundation please visit www.aeiou.org.au.

Media contact: 

Laura Daley, AEIOU Foundation Communications Coordinator, p: 07 3320 7555, m: 0417 284 058, e: Laura.Daley@aeiou.org.au.

Deborah Hoey, AEIOU Foundation Communications Manager, p: 07 3320 7520, m:  0400 552 139, e: Deborah.Hoey@aeiou.org.au.