Diagnostic, Multi-Faceted Treatment, All Under One Roof
Launched in August 2009, Seattle Children’s Autism Center is dedicated to providing comprehensive and timely autism services. It brings Children’s autism-related services together under one roof — literally — and includes those previously offered by the Autism Spectrum Treatment and Research Center, a private clinic founded by neurologist Dr. Gary Stobbe.
“The creation of the center doesn’t, on its own, solve the problem of limited access,” notes Dr. Bryan King, who leads the center and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. “We’re recruiting and training more providers and changing the way we screen patients. We expect this will help us get families in sooner.”
Though the changes won’t be instantaneous, the sense of urgency is great: The center opened its doors with a list of more than 500 families waiting for initial assessment.
Early Intervention Can Make a Big Difference
Although the causes of autism are still unknown, experts agree that early intervention can make a big difference in a child's treatment. Since diagnosis isn’t usually possible before 18 months of age, opportunities for productive intervention can diminish while a child waits to be assessed. Seattle Children's Autism Center answers the need for an integrated approach to autism assessment and treatment.
Your Support Is Essential
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Through training and outreach, clinical psychologist Felice Orlich, PhD, and Dr. Charles Cowan are working to increase the number of autism providers and enable the healthcare community to catch up with the steep increase in the number of children with autism.
The center provides assessment and treatment regardless of a family's ability to pay, something other community providers are not able to do. The services that children with autism need are expensive — and frequently not covered by insurance.
“The potential for improving the outlook for people with autism is huge,” says Dr. Bryan King, who leads the center. “The foundation is here, in terms of expertise and commitment, but we can’t do it without community support.”
If you would like to make a gift to support Seattle Children’s Autism Center, please contact jennifer.lowe@seattlechildrens.org or call 206-987-4831.
Experts from Seattle Children's Autism Center share information and resources with parents and caregivers of children with autism sprectrum disorders.
More on Autism Assessment and Treatment
Autism Education at Children's
Check out free classes: Autism 200 Series
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