Central Texas Autism Center grows to meet community demand

Since opening, Texas passed laws mandating that behavioral therapy be covered by health insurance, Rich said. The facility has about a three-month waitlist for services, and in the past five years, Rich said the practice has spiked from 50 percent private pay to 95 percent of services covered by insurance. She said she is hiring more therapists to meet this demand.

Following a recent expansion, the center is split into two spaces. The original 5,000-square-foot space caters to children age 10 and under in the Buds program, and the 4,000-square-foot addition that opened in August houses the Bridges program.

[caption id="attachment_242437" align="alignleft" width="460"] CTAC staffers moderate a group therapy session.[/caption]

The Bridges program teaches teens and young adults texting, email etiquette and peer interaction. The renovation included a coffee shop and full kitchen to teach vocational skills. It serves the center’s employees, but eventually Rich would like to open the shop to the community, she said.

“Our goal is also to bridge into more relationships with the community and either get our kids employment out in the community, or if we have kids who can't be out safely in the community, then they may be employable in a facility like ours,” Rich said.

After years working with school districts, families and traveling with Dr. Vince Carbone, a world-renowned behavior analyst, Rich said she wanted to centralize services and hire quality professionals.