Time is a powerful force.
And so is a family's commitment to find and provide the best support for their loved one.
10 years ago we decided that we needed to use our experience - both personal and professional - to open an ABA clinic that put a special focus on keeping family and dignity at the forefront.
We started small, providing in-home ABA only. Five months later, in December of 2014, we opened the doors to our ABA center, "Partners in Autism". We are your partner - your companion, support, and guide. This road is long and filled with ups and downs that we can understand. Sometimes you need someone else to step in and help. Sometimes you just need someone to listen to the joys and struggles. We get that. Having someone who will provide you with honest answers, compassionate care, and help you navigate multiple services makes all the difference in the world.
We know what it can be like to struggle in the search for quality help.
Our Family's Journey
Our family has always been affected by autism, but the bulk of our journey began when our son was diagnosed with autism just before he turned 5 years old. We struggled to find help for our son as many families do. We talked to so many people and were directed to so many different routes for assistance that our heads were spinning. As our son's behaviors began to increase, the first major worry hit us...we knew he was not ready to go into a typical school.
We desperately needed help, so we signed up for classes to learn about state funding for services (Medicaid Waiver, Disability,...etc.). We homeschooled and searched for the right ABA center, all the while his behaviors increased. After two and a half years from his original diagnosis, we finally found an ABA center. With ABA therapy we began to see a dramatic improvement. Our son successfully transitioned into public school just two short years later!
During the years while our son was in therapy, we both began working in the ABA field. After our son transitioned into school, we made a transition as well. We saw a need in the community for an ABA clinic that was more family-focused; an ABA clinic that would protect and uplift their clients' dignity, fight to keep the child's best interest at heart, and respect the family's own unique perspective and priorities. Having been through it all ourselves as parents and as professionals, we knew we could advocate for individuals and families in a unique way.
Success...
We are passionate about ABA, because we have seen its success first hand. It is because of ABA that our son was able to transition into a typical school, and not just get by, but excel! Our son has been successful at many things from regional art competitions, to team sports, to guitar. We know that these and other successes are directly related to the knowledge that we all gained from ABA. Years ago, we couldn't see a clear future for him. Now we have new dreams, and so does he as he sets out for college and beyond!
...And Change
We know that as time passes, your family's needs will change. Ours definitely did! It seemed like one moment we were worried about trying to teach appropriate behaviors in the grocery store, and the next we were worried about his self-advocacy in school, his choices of friends, and his career path.
Growing in Service
And so Partners in Autism has put our efforts into providing a range of services and opportunities that will grow with your loved one. Over the past ten years, we have added one service after another to address the needs of our clients and community.
In addition to ten years of ABA Services, we have long provided Employment Services, PAC Services, and Behavior Consultation Services. We design and host a range of Social Groups to further support our clients, and we continually update these groups to suit the interests and needs of our clients.
To provide for diverse educational needs across the spectrum, we offer both an ABA Transitional Classroom (for those moving from ABA therapy to a typical classroom setting) and our Supported Pathways Learning Center (for those who would benefit from receiving a complete education in a small group setting).
We are building a Life Skills Program so that clients of all ages can maximize their independence. We are also beginning a Self-Advocacy Program so that clients can excel in various environments while remaining true to their unique selves.
Expanding for You
We are committed to providing the same excellence in service to our clients that we sought for our own son. We continually look for innovative ways to elevate the capacity and quality of our services.
We know both from family feedback and from the length of our waitlist that we are succeeding. And so we also know it is time to make room to serve even more individuals and families.
Construction is currently underway at our new, second location. This second location, still in central Fort Wayne, will be the new home of our Employment Services (with Benefit Analysis), Waiver Services (PAC and Behavior Consultation), as well as our in-house billing team and administration. It will also be the location where social groups that meet on site will get together.
Our existing Northcrest location will expand to be entirely ABA Therapy, our ABA Transitional Classroom, and our Supported Pathways Learning Center. With more space, we will be able to serve more clients and make a difference for more families. We are so excited!
At our new location, we are ecstatic about our ability to customize our spaces to directly meet our clients' needs as they develop a wealth of different life skills or prepare for employment in a full range of environments. Follow our social media and this blog for updates (and teasers!) about the different spaces we are creating. We are excited for the new possibilities this creates for our clients and the families we serve.
We look forward to sharing photos of our construction progress as well as discussing the careful thought and intentionality we are putting into the design of these spaces.