Northwest Autism Center expanding services to reach all regardless of ability

Описание: Mark Peterson and the Extreme Team are helping the Northwest Autism Center with the expansion of its new recreation center.

Families with kids who have autism don't always have access to services like therapy or education to help them with their social skills. The Northwest Autism Center hopes to change that for families in the area.

With a new grant, the recreation center will offer support and services for free.

The Northwest Autism is currently open Monday through Friday. Kids come in and do a variety of activities. Each service is individualized so each kid gets exactly what they need.

Certified Behavioral Technicians work with kids on skills that are part of their natural environment. They do activities like circle time and crafts. The goal is to provide a comfortable setting where they can learn the skills they'll need while at school or out in the community. One dad says his five-year-old daughter Veralynn has grown leaps and bounds during the two years she's come here.

"It's actually pretty amazing to see. She responds to her name. She's almost having nearly full conversations, you know, when you sit down and talk to her, it's like you're really getting more information from her versus, you know, just no answer at all," Cary, Veralynn's daughter, said.

The new recreation center will have similar programs. Families and kids will have the opportunity to get involved regardless of ability.

"The most exciting thing about our rec services is that it's really supposed to be a free, safe place for families to come and get involved in the community and feel comfortable being here. We're going to offer programs like cooking classes, video game night, different group activities," Lauren Maley, Senior Clinical Behavior Analyst at Northwest Autism Center, said.

Maley said at the center, kids have a safe place to practice their skills, but this is just a starting point.

"I know that a lot of people that are dealing with this or they probably feel like they're very lost and scared and trying to figure out what's going on with their kid. What's the future going to hold? But it definitely gives us like a bright spot in the future to look towards because she just has progressed so quickly," Cary said.

Hopefully, with the new recreation center, the Northwest Autism Center can help more families like it did with Cary and Veralyn's.

The new recreation center is set to open this October. For more information, you can go to their website at www.nwautism.org

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