Frequently Asked Questions About Autism

If your child has been diagnosed with autism then the best next step is to start the process to begin ABA therapy. At Centria Autism, we will work side-by-side with you and your insurance providers and physicians to verify insurance coverage, get insurance authorizations and have an assessment scheduled as quickly as possible.

Understanding what typical social, emotional and motor-skill development to look for in your child is important and knowing what to do next is critical in setting your child on a path toward success. Below are example developmental milestones children should be reaching:

9 MONTH-OLD MILESTONES:

• Bears weight on legs with support
• Sits with help
• Babbles (says "mama," "baba," "dada")
• Responds to own name
• Transfers toys from one hand to the other

1 YEAR-OLD MILESTONES:

• Crawls
• Stands when supported
• Searches for things that he or she sees you hide
• Says single words like "mama" or "dada"
• Points to things

18 MONTH-OLD MILESTONES:

• Points with intent to show things to others
• Knows what familiar things are used for
• Copies others
• Gains new words
• Knows at least six words
• Notices when a caregiver leaves or returns

2 YEAR-OLD MILESTONES:

• Uses two-word phrases (for example, "drink milk")
• Knows what to do with common things such as brushes, phones, forks and spoons
• Copies actions and words
• Follows simple instructions

3 YEAR-OLD MILESTONES:

• Copies adults and friends
• Takes turns playing games
• Follows instructions with 2 or 3 steps
• Says their own first name and age

4 YEAR-OLD MILESTONES

• Enjoys doing new things
• Would rather play with other children than by themselves
• Able to name some colors and numbers
• Can tell you what they think will happen next in a book

If your child is displaying any sign of developmental delays when comparing to their expected milestones, it's important to speak to your child's physician as a diagnostic test or screening for autism spectrum disorder may be necessary.

The signs of autism vary from child to child, as does the timing of those signs. The following are core signs, symptoms and behaviors of children affected by autism.

• Impaired Social Communication Skills
• Impaired Communication Skills
• Repetitive or Restricted Behaviors
• Other Behaviors of Concerns

Autism is a Spectrum Disorder, which means that it affects each child differently. Every child has a unique set of characteristics, and each child's ability to communicate, process, socialize and manage behavior will vary.

No they can not. However, your BCBA can provide information related to programs/skills being addressed in ABA therapy sessions, data related to those programs, and information regarding how various programs are ran. For example, if we are working on tolerating a difficult task for a specified duration, your BCBA can speak to the procedure used during ABA therapy to accomplish this. Your BCBA cannot instruct or provide any direct guidance on implementing programs or managing behavior within the classroom.