AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A new clinic just opened in Augusta called Autism, Advocacy and Intervention.
It’s an insurance-based clinic similar to a therapy office for children with diagnosed autism.
They’re the type of clinic referred to by doctors once a child is diagnosed. They work one-on-one to help autistic children meet their developmental milestones.
“We take for granted that we can look and talk to people and it’s easy but for a lot of autistic people and children, that is not the case,” said Angelia Burley, a registered behavior technician for Autism, Advocacy and Intervention.
Joanna May, a registered behavior technician, said: “RBTs are what make the clinic. They’re the ones doing the groundwork. They’re the ones that are on the floor with the kids every day, they’re the ones that are greeting the parents and talking to the parents.”
The empty rooms at Autism, Advocacy and Intervention will soon provide applied behavior analysis.
Burley said: “We use a lot of play therapy. That’s a big part of our success is that these kids are learning, but they’re playing. And they’re gaining new skills, and maybe some behaviors that might be difficult for parents.”
The problem is the services are out here but it’s just a matter of finding the therapists and workers to help.
Dr. Karen Carter is a local developmental pediatrician. She’s worked in Augusta for 30 years.
“There’s just not enough people, there’s not enough therapist in our area or in any other area. It’s pretty critical,” said Carter. “Sometimes it’s a very long waiting list. Recently, I had a child in the clinic and we did all the right things we did. We did the right evaluations, we did the right paperwork, and we sent it to the insurance company. And we still couldn’t get the Applied Behavioral Analysis for a year.”
Dr. Carter said the earlier the intervention, the better the outcomes.
May said: “The more clinics there are, that are offering ABA services, the more availability there is to the community to have those services met without having to be on these long waitlists.”
To learn more about Autism, Advocacy and Intervention, visit their website.
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