« Back to Elon Ellis Memorial Golf Tournament

Autism Services

Treatment and support for children with autism and their families

Children with autism and related disorders exhibit deficits in social-communication skills such as language, imitation, emotion sharing, play, and social interaction skills. In addition, they may have some associated behavioral difficulties such as aggression, severe tantrums, difficulty with transitions, or self-stimulatory behavior, and they might exhibit delayed cognitive or self-help skills.

When a child has a confirmed or possible diagnosis of autism, the family plays an especially key role in their child’s treatment program. We work together with families to support their child’s social, communication, behavioral, and emotional growth.

Treatment

At the Artz Center, we provide state-of-the-art intervention for children with autism and related disorders. Our programs rely on the latest scientific research in designing treatment programs for children and their families. The goal of our autism intervention services is to increase social-communication skills and address related behavioral challenges in children with autism and related disorders. This program is built on an interdisciplinary model, including professionals from the fields of speech-language pathology, behavioral/developmental pediatrics, psychology, and occupational therapy, each with specific training in working with children with autism and their families.

Specific Services Include:

Medical Management and Monitoring

We provide ongoing case management, coordinating the Center’s behavioral/developmental pediatrics group, our multidisciplinary treatment team, and other treatment resources as needed. We also provide medical management and medication when appropriate, as well as family support, all to maximize your child’s success.

Individualized Parent Training

We offer individualized parent training and education for families with children with autism five years and younger. The goal of this program is to teach parents how to promote their child’s communication, play, and social skills throughout their daily routines. Families participating in the parent-training program at the Artz Center work directly with their child and the speech-language pathologist twice a week for twelve weeks to learn how to implement a variety of evidence-based intervention techniques. Parent training focuses mainly on naturalistic intervention techniques (e.g. Pivotal Response Training (PRT), Floortime, Incidental Teaching), but may also include other evidence-based intervention strategies such as discrete trial training, structured teaching, augmentative communication systems (e.g. PECS), and video modeling when appropriate.

Your insurance might cover the cost of these parent training services. Many insurance companies require a prescription, signed by a physician, before initiating services, including speech-language therapy. If you have any questions about your insurance coverage, you should talk to your provider.

Specialized Behavior Management and Support

Children with autism and related disorders often exhibit behavior problems that can be very challenging. We provide individual consultations with parents on how to manage their child’s behavior at home and in the community using positive, proactive methods. We also provide consultations to help parents promote self-help and independence skills.

Speech-Language Treatment

Our speech-language pathology program provides an entire range of communication services. For more information about these services go to: Speech Pathology Services.

Occupational Therapy

Children with autism often benefit from occupational therapy, often including the specialized therapies focused on sensory integration. For more information about occupational therapy in general and sensory integration in particular, go to: Occupational Therapy Services.

Social Language Groups

We run a series of groups for children and teens with autism and language disorders who exhibit difficulty with peer relationships. Group activities teach strategies for successful social interactions. For more information about this program, please go to: Social Language Groups.

Parent Support Groups and Sibling Social Skills Groups

In these groups, which are held on an as-needed basis, families come together to share information and provide emotional support. Siblings of children with autism are taught strategies to enhance interaction in a play-based group.

School Program Consultations

We offer consultations with teachers and other school personnel on how to address problem behaviors and promote communication and social skills. The clinician and the teaching staff can work together to develop a behavior management plan or an intervention plan for developing social skills for an individual child. Consultation services are usually initiated by and paid for by the parent, but might be paid for by the school upon agreement between the parent and school.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact our Client Services Coordinator, Valerie Vanderford at 503-802-5281 or valeriev@artzcenter.org