Bothell Center for Autism Hosts Family & Friends Open House to Support Growing Need in WA

BOTHELL, Wash, Jan. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Autism is a developmental disorder that affects more than 3.5 million individuals ability to communicate and socialize with others. With the current rates being shown as approximately 1 in 59 individuals, chances are you know someone on the autism spectrum. While autism cannot be "cured," there are a variety of therapy options to help teach a child with autism methods of communication and skills to interact with others. These options can help set a child up for success in their home, school, and into adulthood.

One of the nation's largest providers of autism therapy, Autism Learning Partners, exists to help parents navigate this stressful time through applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy). ALP serves families by implementing programs in the child's home, community, and often school programs to help support the functional skills necessary to succeed in various stages of life. For example, many children on the spectrum experience difficulty communicating with their peers and other critical individuals in their lives. This lack of communication and social skills can impact individuals in multiple ways such as their ability to build friendships, thrive in group settings, or participate effectively in group environments. In other scenarios, children may display other challenging behaviors such as aggression or a complete lack of verbal language which can dramatically impact their ability to experience independence as an adult later in life.

One mother shared her experience with ABA therapy explaining that, "ABA was the best choice for our family and allowed our children to maintain their personalities while working through the anxiety and sensitivities often found in autism spectrum disorders."[1] The family's three children who received ABA therapy eventually went on to be in gifted and talented programs in school, with one child even attending an international baccalaureate program. Without ABA therapy, this level of independence may not have been possible. "ABA was imperative to their successes," stated the children's mother.

Autism Learning Partners, the parent company of the ALP Center for Autism - Bothell, has been serving children and families with autism for over 30 years; however, the recent increase in demand for services from families in WA facilitated opening in February, 2018 led by the local Clinical Director, Courtney Nolan, M.Ed., BCBA. The center has a number of components to serve community needs including a large classroom space, a large sensory/motor room, and 4 individual clinic rooms for individualized focus with a certified behavioral technician. This space is planned to host different group options for all ages, including after school programs, social skills groups, parent training groups, and part-day early intervention programs for children as young as 18 months.

The ALP Center for Autism - Bothell is holding a family and friends open house event for families with special needs to see our new ABA center firsthand. The open house will take place on Saturday February 2nd from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM and will include free games, activities, food, and a raffle for all attendees. The raffle will include a family four-pack to the Pacific Science Center, another family four-pack to the Woodland Park Zoo, and a gift package to We Rock the Spectrum!

For more information and to RSVP for the event, please visit autismlearningpartners.com/bothell
For additional information about ALP's services in Washington please also feel free to contact Courtney Nolan, M.Ed., BCBA at cnolan@autismlearningpartners.com

[1] This testimonial was solicited from a past Autism Learning Partners client

SOURCE Autism Learning Partners