Southeast autism center launches intervention program

The University Autism Center at Southeast Missouri State University recently launched a new program to provide an early intensive behavior intervention for preschool-age children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD.

Autism is a brain-based disorder that affects a person’s behavior, as well as social and communication skills.

It begins in children before the age of 3 and lasts throughout a person’s life.

The new program, known as “Building Blocks,” helps prepare children for preschool by teaching them skills necessary to interact with peers in a school setting.

There is an observation-based approach for all interventions held at the autism center. The staff of students, volunteers and workers helps provide the most effective approach for individual and family needs.

“All of the children receive an assessment to determine the skills they can demonstrate and their skill deficits,” Dr. Melissa King, director of the center, said.

A board of certified behavior analysts conducts the assessment and writes each child’s programs that Southeast students implement.

The children come to the center from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. King said five children are participating in the program. There are about 10 students from Southeast who help provide services to the children in the program.

The students work on varying activities with the children that fit to their communication program. They work on sharing, playing with toys appropriately, following instructions from the teacher and other skills. These students work in the “Building Blocks” program, in the schools with the children and at the center with children receiving one-on-one therapy, said King.

The new program already is making progress, as some of the children are showing better understanding of certain concepts.

“We had a child say, ‘Up’ to request the parachute to go up. This was the first time we heard the child say that. We also had a child say, ‘Go-fish’ to request a goldfish cracker during snack time,” King said.

Students from the master’s applied behavior analysis program in the College of Education will be completing their practicum in the fall at the autism center.

The center can supervise students during their practicum to help them fulfill requirements to take their certification exam and become a board-certified behavior analyst. This allows the center to increase services for families in the region. In addition to the other Southeast students involved, it should help the autism center expand the program.

Sessions will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

“We are hoping to open up the morning group to children that are 2 and 3 years of age,” King said. “We are also hoping to offer a program in the Bootheel for families that are unable to drive to the center.”