By: Andy Kozlowski | Madison-Park News | Published April 12, 2024
MADISON HEIGHTS — A new clinic has opened in Madison Heights, focused on helping autistic teens and young adults develop skills for social and professional success. Its opening also coincides with Autism Acceptance Month, recognized each year in April.
The clinic is the fourth and latest addition at Healing Haven, founded in 2010. Healing Haven provides behavioral health and autism therapy at its campus in the Barrington Street office park off 13 Mile Road between John R Road and Stephenson Highway.
The clinical spaces there are focused on serving individuals from age 2 to young adulthood with applied behavior analysis therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. The new clinic is located at 30701 Barrington St., Suite 125. The services there develop social skills, prevocational skills and vocational skills. An open house was held April 4.
“We had an amazing turnout,” said Jocelyn Cook, vice president at Healing Haven. “I hear this all the time from families: They call us desperate for therapy for their child, since the waitlist to get their child evaluated and assessments done sometimes takes a year at other places. And then they call around to ABA clinics and they’re told there’s another waitlist. But that’s not the case with us because of how accommodating we are at our campus. I tell them we can get them started within four to six weeks and move them through pretty quickly. That’s a huge stress relief for families.”
Autism is a neurological disorder characterized by social, communication and behavioral deficits that typically develop within the first three years of life. The severity varies greatly from person to person, with the term “spectrum” used to refer to the range of possible challenges.
But nearly all people with autism have some level of challenge socializing with others, communicating verbally or nonverbally, or behaving appropriately in different settings. Some possible signs of autism include difficulty making friends or maintaining conversations, inflexibility with routines or an obsession with certain objects.
Jamie McGillivary, the founder and president of Healing Haven, said many people with autism are very creative and intelligent individuals adept at thinking “outside the box.”
“Individuals with autism want to be understood and accepted, just like any other person in the world,” McGillivary said via email. “While autistic individuals work hard to fit in, the world as a whole needs to continue to move toward acceptance.”
She said the condition is being diagnosed more frequently as it becomes better understood.
“The rate of autism has doubled in the past 10 years, going from 1 in 68 children in 2014 (1.4% of the population) to 1 in 36 children in 2023 (2.8% of the population). It is likely that the increase in cases can at least be partially attributed to strong awareness both in the community and among medical professionals,” McGillivary said.
She also noted that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends all children be screened for autism at ages 18 months and 24 months, along with other developmental screenings.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism affects more than four times as many boys as girls, occurring across all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The CDC also estimates that 40% of those with autism do not speak. The Michigan Department of Education reports that more than 20,000 children were classified as autistic in Michigan public schools during the 2017-18 school year.
In addition to different therapies, Healing Haven also offers developmental testing services, autism evaluations, counseling services, and a 12-week parent training program focused on ABA and stress management.
“It is overwhelming for parents when their child first gets an autism diagnosis. Being the parent of a child with special needs adds a whole lot more stress to your life than if your child was neurotypical or without special needs,” Cook said. “So we’ve been a big proponent of stress management and therapy and accepting your child’s needs so that you can fully support them, and also come to grips with your new reality and how to face it, knowing there’s beauty in it as well. An autism diagnosis is not the end of the world, and with the right support, there’s a lot of opportunity.”
Cook said she is often the first person families speak to when signing up at Healing Haven.
“Just listening to their situation and encouraging them with the resources we have available and walking them through that process to get their child support is very rewarding. And it’s especially rewarding when we hear back from them on their child’s growth,” Cook said. “A child may come into our clinic nonspeaking, for example, and sometimes within a few weeks of being here, they start saying words. The parents are just overwhelmed by how transformative the support and therapy is — not only for their child, but their family as well.”
More information about Healing Haven is available by calling (248) 965-3916 or visiting online at thehealinghaven.net.