ROUND ROCK, Texas — Tuesday, April 2 is Autism Awareness Day. According to the CDC and Autism Speaks, one in every 59 children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, finding that often kids aren’t diagnosed until the age of 4, but many can be diagnosed much younger than that.
That’s why a center in Round Rock is working with kids with autism as young as 18-months-old to get them started on things like getting confident in their communication skills.
The Children's Autism Center was founded in Round Rock 10 years ago. They work one-on-one with children with autism to provide behavioral analysis services, or ABA therapy, through natural environment teaching.
Courtney Wright is the CEO general counsel of the Children's Autism Center for both Round Rock and New Orleans locations. She said the center serves about 45 children in Round Rock and the Central Texas area, and that the New Orleans location serves 12 children.
"One in every 59 children are currently being diagnosed with autism. I know there are more children than there are services, so there's a desperate need for increased services," Wright said. "The name of the day really personifies everything about it. It's the autism awareness. It's a day to bring awareness to autism spectrum disorders. It is a huge spectrum, and for any child that is diagnosed, it really can be terrifying. It can be scary, but it's not that. It opens the opportunity for treatment and these kids have such great personalities."
One of those children is 3-year-old Evelyn Lutz.
Her mother, Elizabeth, said when Evelyn was about 18 months old they began to suspect she might have autism since she didn't seem to be making connections, wanting to play with her parents or brother or making eye contact.
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Lutz says Evelyn has been going to therapy at the Children's Autism Center for about a year now and that her personality has flourished.
"We went from her maybe saying 'mama' and 'dada' to...she's off the charts. When she got tested in her most recent evaluation, she was saying past, future tense, plurals. I mean she's showing skills in a language that three, four, five-year-olds show and she just turned three," Lutz said. "I cry all the time. I'm just so proud of this staff and her just everything about this experience has been really it's been amazing."
Lutz said getting Evelyn to be able to hone in on her communication skills at a young age has made all the difference for her and her family and wants to encourage other families to not shy away from seeking resources and asking questions.
"If you have a child that you think is autistic or has delays, ask the question because she's a perfect example of why it's so important to do that," Lutz said. "I know it's the best thing that could have happened to her."
The Children's Autism Center works with children from 18 months to 10 years old every weekday, typically for a period of about two years for each child.
To learn more about services provided through the center, click here.