Free center to open soon in Houston to offer ABA for autism
HOUSTON - It's a first in Houston to help children with autism. A new non-profit center will soon offer high-quality therapy free of charge, opening the door for some families to get an incredible jump-start in their child's schooling at an early age.
Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA is the gold standard for autism. It's backed by science and customized to each student's behavior. It often costs tens of thousands of dollars per year, so most families can't afford it.
Brittany and Manny Barraza send their two daughters to Action Behavior Centers (ABC), because the center accepts medical insurance. The center is going one step further to offer free services.
"Imagining what our life would be like if we didn't have it included in our insurance, I can't even imagine how much we'd be struggling as a family, and so that really worked out well for us! When we heard that ABC was going to open up this sort of center, I was so touched by that because I think that they really have set out to just eradicate how hard it is for families in this position to get the services they need," says Brittany.
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Both of the Barrazas' daughters have been diagnosed with autism. The couple is doing everything they can to give their girls a head-start in life through the specific therapy.
"At ABC, they work with her in the clinic and with us in training, here are some strategies and techniques, here's how we're going to approach your situation of brushing the teeth and making it easier or wearing socks, that was something that was so hard for a while," shares Brittany.
Also, their girls are learning social skills to help them better adapt to a classroom.
Not everyone has the luxury of either cash or insurance to get their child in ABA, though.
"We can only provide these services for those kids who have won life's lottery. What I mean by that is the services are only accessible to those families that have commercial insurance, which is what covers ABA therapy. Texas is amongst the two states left in the country where
Medicaid does not cover this life-altering therapy, so there are truly thousands and thousands of kids that have been left behind," explains Hersh Sanghavi, CEO of Action Behavior Centers.
That's why Action Behavior Centers (ABC) is going another step to offer a new center. They were going to call it Infinity, but have now decided to name it Community Reach Center. Insurance nor payments will be necessary.
"It will provide the same level of services in the same fashion as any of our Centers, but it will be structured as a not-for-profit, and the funding of it will come from external sources with the kids that get to participate and get this therapy will get to experience the same amount of benefits as anybody else in our centers," says Hersh.
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At first, they'll focus on 30 children, based on a first-come, first-served basis, but they hope this is just a start and that more funding will lead to helping many more children.
The Barraza's can't believe what a difference ABA has made in their lives.
"ABC and ABA therapy is part of our story. And being able to share that with others has been such a beautiful process and amazing in so many ways, to just share that this doesn't have to be a completely overwhelming thing, that this could be something that's joyful, that this can be a place where you experience peace and laughter," smiles Manny.
They also hope spreading the word about ABA will be a life-changer for other families, as well.
"This process that can be very difficult, can be challenging, it can be wearing on a family, on a marriage on father-daughter, mother-daughter relationships, and just being able to have that and thinking about this Center that's opening up for communities, for families to be able to have that at their fingertips, is really beautiful to think about," says Manny.
The Barraza's say the therapy gave them the key to their daughters’ minds. Applications will open up at the first of 2022 for the new Community Reach Center. Many families have been advocating and trying to get Medicaid to pay for this therapy in Texas and there's a chance that will happen next year.