For 15 years, ABS Kids has been serving autistic children and their families with compassionate, high-quality care. Jeff Skibitsky, Founder and President, sat down with Community Matters host Bill LuMaye to talk about what autism is and the resources available to caregivers.
The latest autism numbers indicate 1 in every 31 children in the United States has an autism diagnosis. While that is an increase from even a decade ago, Jeff says many factors, including increased access to care and a refined definition of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), greatly impacted the data.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy can help children with ASD to build communication and social skills for a more independent life. “We’re not trying to change the child,” explains Jeff, “but [we’re] trying to use what they already have to develop more abilities and skills to be independent.”
Autism in the Media
While Jeff applauded the recent uptick in positive representation in media, with shows like “Love on the Spectrum,” there are still some misconceptions. “I think the misconception is that everybody is going through the same challenges or the same pains as a family.”
Goals, Jeff says, are also different for every autistic child and person. While one child may need help with social skills, another teen may need assistance driving. Noting that every treatment plan is unique because every person is unique in their strengths and challenges.
Treatment Plans
Autism can be diagnosed as early as two years of age. Parents who have questions about their child’s development can take the free MCHAT. Your child’s healthcare professional can use the questionnaire to assess the likelihood of autism in your toddler.
Once it’s determined that an assessment is necessary, you and your child will meet with one of our psychologists. “Their testing [informs] the next line of treatment – where [your] child’s strengths are, how they’re processing the environment around them…what the family’s goals are, [and] how the family operates.” All these factors, Jeff says, are utilized by a behavior team to tailor a treatment plan.
The multidisciplinary approach to our care model is designed to help you understand and advocate for what your child needs. It is also designed to be child-centered and can be adjusted as goals and interests shift for your child. ABS Kids is also able to incorporate into schools to ensure the tailored support continues throughout their early education.
Early intervention, Jeff says, can help children thrive in their environments now and help them grow into independent adults. “The big picture is by developing these new skills…[and] integrating them into different environments, the long-term cost for treatment is so much lower if we provide that care early.”
ABA therapy can help lessen behaviors like self-aggression and increase frustration tolerance. ABA therapy is often covered by Medicaid or private insurance.
Tailored Plans
Care plans at ABS Kids are tailored to your family’s needs. Our trained behavior teams work with you to develop goals as individual as your child.
- ABA Therapy At Home: There’s comfort in familiar surroundings. Our team comes to you, working with your child in your living room, kitchen, or backyard—wherever growth naturally happens. We coach you in real time, so you can see how small strategies fit into your daily routines.
- ABA Therapy Centers: Sometimes, a fresh environment or the company of peers can spark new skills. Our centers are welcoming, safe places where your child and you can connect, learn, and grow with the support of our experienced staff and other families on a similar journey.
- Community Integrations: Life happens out in the community, and so does learning. Whether it’s navigating the grocery store together or building confidence at the park, we help your child and family apply skills in everyday settings.
Goals will change over time, Jeff says. He says therapy often starts intensively to help the behavior team understand the child and to empower them in their environment. “You’re trying to…empower the child to learn independently, to be able to follow their own passions, to be able to develop all those skills as you’re going through that [treatment] process,” Jeff says. “Your goals are going to change, as will the priorities.”
ABS Kids uses real-time data to help monitor progress in each session. “We take data on every little thing. Not just ‘we are achieving these goals,’ but also to look at what it is that we can modify to be able to help that child learn quicker or how we can change our techniques to be able to work with the child’s strengths,” says Jeff. “[We want to] understand how they’re processing the world so that we can continue to build on the things inherent to them.”
Support in Schools and the Community
Some autistic children may need one-on-one support when they start school. ABS Kids can work with you to help secure and develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to help your child thrive. This plan can help your child integrate into a classroom and help advocate for their unique learning needs and style. “If we are succeeding, we’ve reduced the level of care, and we’ve been able to help them access environments that need less support.”
“It takes a village,” says Jeff, “and treatment in general takes a village.” It not only takes the care and support from the family and the providers, but also the community. “Embedding those goals into every aspect of [your] community so that the community can help support [your child’s] goals and it’s not just clinically driven.” ABS Kids proudly supports events in our communities to help provide inclusive, sensory-friendly environments.
“I want to make sure families know we empathize with them, but we also can be a part of their success,” Jeff concludes. “I think awareness is a step towards that.”
About ABS Kids: ABS Kids partners with children and families to deliver high-quality, compassionate applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy at home, in schools, and in our centers. From diagnosis to ongoing treatment, we support children with autism every step of the way. We proudly provide ABA therapy in California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah. Join our team to combine purpose with professional growth.
