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MECHA

Community health partnership

Health initiatives

MECHA is expanding how we serve families: access to innovative pediatric health technology, for Mercer County children, through a neighbor in our own building.

  • 1 in 6

    U.S. children with a developmental disability

  • 1 in 31

    8-year-olds identified with autism (CDC 2022)

  • 1 in 29

    New Jersey 8-year-olds identified with autism

  • 47 mo.

    Median age of first autism diagnosis — too late for ages 0–5

Autism identified at age 8

Per 1,000 children · CDC ADDM, 16 U.S. sites, 2022

  • White27.7
  • All children32.2
  • Hispanic33
  • Black36.6
Intellectual disability among children already identified with autism

Percent · CDC ADDM 2022. Higher shares often mean later, harder identification.

  • White32.7
  • Hispanic38.8
  • Black52.8

Why this sits at MECHA

Since 1985 we have taught English, prepared neighbors for citizenship, and advocated for Latino and underserved families in Mercer County. Self-sufficiency includes health. Families we already know still wait too long for a safe look at a young child’s developing brain. MRI and EEG often fail children ages 0–5 — sedation, fear, cost. Many never get the scan. MECHA’s role is access, outreach, and trust. We do not manufacture the device. We do not practice medicine on this site.

Hispanic children are being identified later — and more often with harder needs. MECHA’s goal is earlier monitoring.

CDC’s 2022 ADDM Network found autism in 33.0 of every 1,000 Hispanic 8-year-olds — about 1 in 30. Among those children, 38.8% also had intellectual disability, higher than White children (32.7%). Median first diagnosis is still 47 months. QuietScan is built for ages 0–5, five minutes, no sedation, on a parent’s lap. MECHA will bring that access to the families in our classrooms. Nickan Scientific, in Unit 5-1 of this building, develops the device. We need sponsorship and community support to develop and deploy it.

QuietScan, next door

QuietScan is a wearable focused-ultrasound monitoring system for children ages 0–5, developed by Nickan Scientific and Innovations LLC. The concept is a five-minute session. No sedation. The child sits on a parent’s lap. It is meant to map active and quieter zones — insight for families and clinicians, not a treatment and not a diagnosis.

MECHA’s health goal

Stand up a Community Pediatric Health Access Program. Connect Mercer County Hispanic and underserved families to early, no-sedation monitoring for children ages 0–5. Contract Nickan Scientific as the technology provider. Keep the charitable purpose inside this 501(c)(3). QuietScan remains investigational — not FDA cleared, not for sale, not a treatment, not a diagnosis. Sponsorship pays development, community training, and a careful pilot — not a product on a shelf.

MECHA’s role

We advocate for access. We introduce families we already serve. We host community outreach from the same Lawrenceville floor. If a foundation funds a Community Pediatric Health Access Program at MECHA, Nickan Scientific is the contracted technology provider — device development, pilot deployment, and community training. The charitable purpose stays with the 501(c)(3). The technology stays with the company next door.

The same building

MECHA: 231 Bakers Basin Road, Unit 5, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. Nickan Scientific: Unit 5-1, same building. Not a distant vendor. A neighbor.

We need sponsors and this community.

Foundations, churches, clinics, and neighbors: fund the access program at MECHA. Households: become a house member or pledge $5. Banks: the CDFI desk is the other door. Write us. Visit Unit 5.

QuietScan is investigational. Not available for sale. Not FDA cleared. Not a treatment. Not a diagnosis. MECHA does not sell devices and does not provide clinical care on this website.

Sources: CDC ADDM / MMWR 2025 · HHS OMH

Sponsor this workPartner with MECHAQuietScan at nickan.ai