By Jennifer Russo

For parents and caregivers of children and young adults on the autism spectrum, it is a journey marked by both unconditional love and diverse challenges. There are moments of pure joy and celebration of their child’s achievements, times of learning and understanding of the unique perspectives they have of their surroundings, and opportunities to strengthen bonds through patience and adaptability. However, there are also moments of uncertainty, with one of the most significant hurdles being the navigation of education and healthcare for those who have autism. 

Determined to find the best care for their loved ones, caregivers are often met with difficulty accessing the right therapies for the individual needs of their child. Knowing what services are available and where to get them can be overwhelming, as is figuring out what is and isn’t covered by health insurance and finding a provider who can support them immediately. Unfortunately, the waiting lists for access to this specialized care are often long, sometimes stretching to many months or even years.

One excellent resource for families seeking compassionate, expert autism care is the ABA Centers of America. ABA Centers of America has a team of highly trained professionals that provide individualized treatment plans that focus on social and communications skills and independent life skills. They use Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), an evidence-backed approach using immersive, play-based activities that are positively reinforced. What sets them apart is that there is NO WAITING LIST. 

Founder Christopher Barnett, who is a parent to an autistic child, created the company to disrupt the autism care industry by demolishing the wait times traditionally experienced by those in search of a diagnosis or treatment. Individualized therapy is offered onsite at the centers, in school, or at their home depending on each child’s specific needs.

“Autism therapies are usually prescribed to the clients in the form of hours needed to work on specific interventions such as social interaction deficits, certain behaviors, life skills, etc.,” shares Michael Brennan, Executive Director of the organization’s new center in Milford.

“Here, families can come in with a diagnosis or we can provide the diagnostic testing ourselves to ensure that the families can get an answer quickly. We then do a full assessment of what the individual’s needs are and one of our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) will determine what interventions would work best and will develop and prescribe a tailored treatment plan. The child will be assigned a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) who will work with them one-on-one. We find that progress happens relatively quickly due to the therapy model and that individualized care. We strongly believe in meeting each person where they are at with a positive attitude and going at their pace.”

“And we know that navigating insurance plans can be daunting for a lot of caregivers, so we also help throughout the entire insurance process.”

ABA Centers of America serves children as young as 18-months-old to teens and young adults, as well as several older adults. Their play-based therapy is different for each client, but can be anything from getting used to brushing their teeth to learning how to make a bed, introducing themselves to someone else and shaking their hand, building with blocks or Legos, using a trampoline or slide, reading a book, helping to cook something in the kitchen, and more.

“One thing that we work a lot on is learning how to tolerate changes or disruptions in a routine or schedule, because that is what happens in life. We believe in helping them to learn to be as independent as possible,” says Heidi Galbraith, Clinical Director.

“A day for a client may begin by learning where to put their jacket or bag each day, practicing their hygiene skills, feeding themselves at lunch and washing their face, and learning how to interact with others. They may go to a classroom and learn some cognitive skills, like shape sorting. We may play a game they don’t always like, but it helps to build that tolerance to play it for a little while – and what that does is then open them up to more enjoyment in life.” 

The RBTs are always with the child during sessions, helping to queue activities, offering choices of games, and positively reinforcing everything they are doing, and they track everything so they can document progress made. Along the way, the BCBAs are observing and collecting information to help maximize the potential of every individual, making adjustments to the treatment plan as needed. “Parent input is also very important because there may be events coming up for them where they will need additional social therapy or other things going on that we can work into the schedule as needed,” shares Brennan.

Open communication between ABA Centers of America and the caregivers is key. Caregivers are kept informed of everything their child is doing and learning. There is also parent training at least once a week where they are educated on ways to reinforce therapies throughout the day, provided strategies for things like mitigating overstimulation or challenging behaviors, shared best practices for safeguarding their homes, and more.

“We try to put ourselves into the caregivers’ shoes and understand how we can best ease specific stressors as we are doing this work with their child, for example, we have been providing dinner for the kids on Mondays, which goes along with our socialization efforts, and helps the parents or caregivers not have to rush around as much,” Brennan shares.

ABA Centers of America has six locations in Massachusetts, with their newest 9,700 square foot location in Milford officially opening with an open house in June. The space is open and bright and has various areas for play, relaxation, learning, and more. Those interested in seeing the space and learning more about ABA therapy are encouraged to schedule a tour.

Find our local ABA Centers of America location at 25 Birch Street, Building A (second floor) in Milford, MA. To learn more about ABA Centers of America, you can visit their website at www.abacenters.com or call 1-855-604-4222. 

PAID ADVERTISEMENT