April is Autism Acceptance Month, an internationally recognized time to focus on connecting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with the community support and resources that can help them thrive. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 36 children is identified with ASD. For these children, early intervention with therapies such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) can make a world of difference.

Compass is a behavioral health agency that has been serving children and families throughout Virginia since 2004. Compass is a Medicaid-only provider that offers customized ABA services to children under 21 who demonstrate significant impairment in adaptive functioning that is related to either developmental delays or other health conditions.

As our April Expert, Alisha Gordon, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who is Compass’ Clinical Director, talks about the ins and outs of diagnosis, signs parents should look for if they are concerned about their child’s development and the importance of early intervention.

Q: What should parents know about recognizing the signs of autism?

Parents are often the first to notice when something seems different in their child’s development. While every child is unique, some early signs of autism may include:

• Delayed language development
• Limited social interactions or lack of interest in others
• Avoidance of eye contact
• Difficulty with pretend play or repetitive play behaviors
• Sensory sensitivities or unusual reactions to sounds, textures, or lights

If a parent notices these behaviors in their child, it is important to seek guidance rather than wait to see if they will “grow out of it.”

Q: If a parent notices some of these behaviors, what are the steps to getting a diagnosis?

Alisha Gordon: At Compass, while we do not make diagnoses, we can provide a provisional diagnosis to help a child get started with services while families are still waiting to get a diagnostic appointment. So for example, we may have a child come in who shows a lot of signs of autism, but they are on a waitlist to get an appointment for diagnosis. They can come to us and do an assessment, and if warranted we can give them a diagnosis that is provisional and allows us to start treatment. This is really important, because sometimes waitlists can be more than a year long. That is valuable time that we don’t want to lose in making gains through ABA. As long as the patient is actively seeking a diagnosis, we can provide that provisional, good for a year, to start treatment.

 

Q: On the topic of not wanting to lose time waiting—what can you tell us about the importance of early intervention when it comes to making progress through ABA?

Alisha Gordon: The first three years of life are a critical period for brain development. This is one of the most rapid periods of development in a person’s lifetime. Research shows that early intervention can significantly improve a child’s communication, social skills, and adaptive behaviors. Since young children absorb new skills quickly, starting therapy early can help prevent delays from becoming long-term challenges. By taking full advantage of this important early window, we can sometimes erase delays completely. When they wait until they’ve had a few years of these patterns of behaviors that are harder to undo—we can still make progress, but it won’t be as rapid as with a younger child.

At Compass, we treat children as young as 18 months old. This is an age when parents may start to notice some of the signs of delay that would indicate a diagnosis of autism or other developmental disorder. We encourage parents to reach out by visiting our website and clicking “Request Services” to enter a referral and take the first step toward connecting with our team. If you’re filling out the referral form and you have questions, just call us. We’ll be happy to talk it through.

Q: Can you help us understand how ABA works?

Alisha Gordon: Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy is a proven, evidence-based approach to helping children with autism develop essential life skills. At Compass Counseling, ABA therapy focuses on:

• Encouraging positive behaviors through reinforcement.
• Improving communication and social skills.
• Developing play and daily living skills.
• Reducing challenging behaviors in a supportive way.

ABA therapy is highly individualized, meaning each child’s treatment plan is tailored to their unique needs. It also involves parents, teaching them strategies to reinforce learning at home, making therapy a continuous part of the child’s life.

ABA at Compass Counseling is play-based and engaging. Many children enjoy their sessions so much that they look forward to attending. The goal is always to create a supportive, positive environment where learning happens naturally through fun activities.

Q: What sets Compass Counseling apart?

 

Alisha Gordon: Number one, our top two values are integrity and client health. When we look at the client, we are not just looking at the child—we are looking at the entire family, all of the people involved in the client’s life and care. Our plans are developed specifically for each family and what will work for them. We take cultural considerations, lifestyle and other dynamics into account to build a plan that will be sustainable—because ABA does take time. So it’s important that parents and family members feel they are involved in the process, so that our treatment plan can fit into daily life and be consistently followed.

 

To learn more, visit compassva.com or call 540-339-3640.