Photo Courtesy Central Texas Autism Center
Photo Courtesy Central Texas Autism CenterApril is National Autism Awareness Month, and the Central Texas Autism Center is working to inform the public about the disorder and how therapy can help children diagnosed with it.
The CTAC mailed out about 100 packets to local preschools and doctors in Austin this month to promote autism awareness, founder and Executive Director Kelle Wood Rich said. Staff participated in the national awareness campaign of the Autism Speaks organization, and on April 24, CTAC is set to hold one of its free educational workshops for parents of children with autism.
"Early intervention is just key," Rich said, noting statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show one in every 88 children born nationally are diagnosed with autism.
At the CTAC, board-certified behavior analysts—who must complete 1,500 hours of supervised training after earning a master's degree—offer applied behavioral analysis therapy for children with autism and other developmental disabilities, Rich said. Analysts at the CTAC see children for between four and 15 hours per week and assess behaviors such as those related to communication, academic achievement and personal hygiene. They then use therapy including one-on-one sessions to help improve those behaviors, Rich said.
