Autism Center to show off new facility


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TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — The Autism Center of North Mississippi didn't have to move far to make room for its growing services.

The nonprofit center recently moved one door down to larger offices at the Spanish Village in Tupelo and will show off the new space with a ribbon-cutting and open house from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday. They will also unveil a new logo created for the center by the Mabus Agency and launch their first annual campaign.

"We're seeing double the number of kids now," said Brittany Cuevas, director of business development and administration. "We've doubled the number of staff in the last year."

In the new space, the center doubled in size, growing from 3,000 to 6,000 square feet. It has two large therapy rooms, individual therapy spaces and room for more staff.

"In the old space, we had one room," where they had therapy for all of their clients — from ages 1 to 9, Cuevas said. "Now we can split up the toys so they're age appropriate."

The Tupelo-based center provides clinical and diagnostic services, school and teacher trainings. Right now, they are serving seven schools and 34 children.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 68 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder, which affects communication, socialization, behavior and sensory processing

The center serves children with developmental delays, primarily in language and social skills; an autism diagnosis isn't required to receive services. Families pay for the services based on a sliding scale.

Ideally, children with delays start behavioral therapy early between ages 2 and 4, so that children can maximize their potential.

"The longer you wait, the more difficult it usually is," said Matt Davison, clinical director.

The need for autism services continues to grow. The center has about 40 families on the waiting list, Cuevas said.

Since Mississippi is one of 11 states that doesn't require insurance coverage for behavioral therapy to treat autism spectrum disorders, the center's first annual campaign — with a goal of $30,000 — is vital to efforts to make therapy for children with autism disorders available in Tupelo.

"They would have to go to Birmingham or Memphis if the center wasn't here," Cuevas said.

The center has been able to expand in part because of the generosity of the community. The center has received grant funding from Walmart, Toyota, His Way and the Carpenter Foundation, along with support from the United Way of Northeast Mississippi. Volunteers from the Orchard helped the center paint and renovate the new offices.

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Information from: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, http://djournal.com

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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MICHAELA GIBSON MORRIS

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