Joel Foster is a Multimedia Journalist at KGUN9.
Centria’s Life Skills Autism Academy opened on February fifth to serve children ages two to six. The center focuses on readying autistic children for the school setting. The center treats children using applied behavior analysis, or ABA, which uses principles based on behavioral science.
It involves systematically manipulating the environment to create behavior changes. Stephanie Buchler, Director of Clinical Services at LSAA, says the approach allows the center to focus on each child’s individual situation since all cases of autism manifest differently. “Some can vocally communicate, some cannot. Some can sign,” Buchler says. “So we really try to meet the child where they’re at and then teach them skills to communicate their wants and their needs.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1-in-36 children are diagnosed with autism. Specifically in Tucson, Buchler says that a lot of children with autism don’t get the services they need. This led to Centria targeting Tucson’s south side as the ideal location. Along with servicing those on the southside, the center also hopes to attract those from Sahuarita and Green Valley. Centria is located in 11 U.S. states, including seven locations in Arizona, two in Tucson. Their programs typically focus on communication and socialization skills to prepare children for school and adult life. This includes basic life skills like handwashing, along with easing children into interaction with others. Buchler says that “everything we do is based on data collection,” as LSAA staff track the childrens’ progress on iPads, with each life skill involving a multitude of steps along the way. Along with LSAA, Centria also offers in-home services and Centria Centers, which work with adults with autism. Buchler says that the best part of her job involves seeing children succeed and become “their best selves.” “It sounds so cliche to say but there’s something about watching them grow and seeing them get excited about mastering some of these goals they didn’t think they could do,” she says. As of now, LSAA is set up for 16 children while renovations are underway, which will add a classroom, gym and pods where small groups of children can learn and play.LSAA is open from 8am-4:30pm Monday through Friday. Parents interested in registering their children can check out their website for enrollment and additional information.
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