April is Autism Acceptance month. In 2011, the focus of the month shifted from Awareness to Acceptance to foster understanding, inclusion, and support for individuals with autism.
According to the CDC, only half of children with autism are diagnosed by age three. The report notes the median age of diagnosis is 47 months, just under 4 years old.
Our Early Intervention Services and Autism
At Partners in Child Development, our Early Intervention Services provides therapeutic services to young children from infants up to age three. Our records show that the number of children we are serving who are presenting early signs of autism is increasing.
Given the brain is rapidly developing from birth up to three years, early intervention can be instrumental for both the child and the family. We are committed to helping families who notice common early signs of autism; that ‘head start’ gives us more time to work with the child and the family for effecting positive outcomes. Being able to offer therapeutic services to the child and provide support and strategies for the family can greatly reduce the stress and concerns of not understanding the child’s behavior and not feeling they can meet the child’s needs and wants.
From the Autism Society, “While there is currently no known single cause of autism, early diagnosis helps a person receive resources that can support the choices and opportunities needed to live fully.”
Offering Medical Access to Reduce the Wait Time for Testing
Our two Early Intervention Programs serve two state-defined catchment areas in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Greater Lawrence and Greater Lowell.
Unfortunately, in the Commonwealth, long wait times remain for families to have a child assessed and tested for autism. Wait times can be as long as 18 months up to two years!
Division Director of Partners in Child Development’s Early Intervention Program, Cheryl Bruk, partnered with pediatric doctors in the Greater Boston area to reduce the evaluation timeline with monthly autism testing offered at our Early Intervention Services location in Lawrence for current EI families from both catchment areas. Our EI families are given the opportunity to have their child who is presenting signs of autism tested sooner. A family can know earlier in their child’s life as to if they have autism and a comprehensive treatment plan can be implemented including additional, more intensive therapies during this important developmental window.
“I am proud of the partnership we have established with our pediatric evaluators to significantly reduce the testing wait times for children to be diagnosed earlier enabling more intensive therapies to be provided sooner,” reflects Division Director Cheryl Bruk.
In addition to offering EI families access to autism testing sooner, the testing is more accurate than M-CHAT™ (Modified Checklist for Autism for Toddlers) screenings which tend to over diagnose. While Early Intervention Services does have a wait list for the monthly autism testing, it is much less than typical wait lists for autism testing (only six months vs. up to two years).
Our Specialists: Advanced Training for Therapies for Autistic Children
As medical advances have been made in researching and understanding autism, our early intervention services have also advanced to offer therapies to young children presenting early signs. Cheryl Bruk has engaged leaders in autism and pediatrics for ongoing training for Partners in Child Development’s Early Intervention Services specialists who work with children presenting early signs of autism, many not yet diagnosed.
Cari Ebert, MS, CCCC-SLP has many areas of specialization including early childhood development and autism. In addition to her depth of expertise, Cari is a mother of a neuro-divergent child. Cari’s training was instrumental for Early Intervention Services as Cheryl secured Cari to train the staff on affirming neurodivergent practices. EI’s therapists and specialists working with autistic individuals now ‘lean into’ accepting how the brain processes differently for a neurodivergent individual as compared to a neurotypical individual. Instead of focusing on stopping or reducing behaviors, therapists understand the importance of developing strategies to learn from the child’s behavior and to help both the child and family members use strategies that affirm the child’s needs and wants.
Early Signs of Autism: We are here to help.
Wondering if your child is presenting signs of autism can be stressful. At Early Intervention Services we are here to help and support you, your child, and your family.
If you know a child who is presenting some of these behaviors and they live in one of the 12 communities in Massachusetts that we serve, we encourage you to contact us for a free evaluation. There is no cost to you and the benefits may include peace of mind and resources to help you.
Communities Served:
Greater Lawrence:
- Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, and North Andover
Greater Lowell:
- Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, Westford
Common early signs of Autism:
- Not talking or was talking and stopped.
- Not responding to their name
- Avoiding eye contact
- Delayed walking.
- Preferring to play alone and/or high interest in lining toys up or toys that spin.
- Increased sensitivity to extremes such as too loud, too bright, or texture avoidance such as wet foods.
- Certain behaviors such as head banging or hitting to self-regulate.
Often children are not diagnosed for autism until preschool age or in some cases entering kindergarten. If your child qualifies for Early Intervention Services, we can provide important therapeutic services during this important developmental timeframe up to three years old.
“Early Intervention Services has been one of the best experiences for my family. My son made incredible progress through his services. He gained confidence in his speech abilities and developed the foundational social skills needed for positive peer interactions. I’m so thankful for the tools and strategies I’ve learned to support his emotional and sensory needs. I’m forever grateful for the guidance and support navigating a challenging time.”
–Mother, North Andover, MA
Getting started is as easy as 1-2-3 with a no cost evaluation. If the child qualifies for our services, there is no direct cost to any family as our services are covered by insurance or the Commonwealth’s Department of Public Health.
We are here to help. Don’t delay if you are concerned.
Nurturing the growth and development of children, infants up to age three.
