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By Michele Gillis
Having a child with autism can be stressful and exhausting for parents and families, but Silver Lining ABA can help.
Cherokee Mansfield brought her autistic son to Silver Lining ABA for help with his aggression and speech difficulties.
"My son has made so much progress from the beginning and he continues to make progress," said Mansfield. "He went from being very aggressive and saying very few words to having little to no aggression and speaking in full sentences in a short period of time."
Silver Lining ABA (applied behavioral analysis) provides holistic autism education and support by using individualized applied behavioral analysis therapy to children and families affected by autism as well as other developmental disabilities.
Children come to Silver Lining ABA as a school alternative Monday-Friday in place of their traditional school placement. It is traditionally for children with autism who have behavioral concerns that are standing in the way of learning.
"In the state of Ohio, if children have an autism diagnosis, are school age and have an IEP within our school district, they can come here," said Kristen Wheeler, clinic director of Silver Lining ABA, St. Clairsville. "We are an Autism Scholarship provider."
Silver Lining ABA has a licensed special education teacher, board-certified behavior analysts and registered behavioral technicians who are working direct care with the children.
"My son's biggest skill gained while attending Silver Lining ABA has been communication," said Josi Baker. "He has also learned so many life skills such as brushing his teeth and holding my hand when we are in public places. His self-injurious behaviors have also seen amazing progress since starting the Silver Lining ABA program."
In addition to treating children at the center, they also provide community services as well including working with families when the child has to get a haircut or go to see a doctor.
"We will work with the family on tolerance with doing these activities because they are hard for children with autism," said Wheeler. "We do a lot of community outings with our kids."
They also work to identify deficits in daily living such as hygiene, emotional and communication skills.
"They might be having a hard time with brushing their teeth, combing their hair or taking a shower," said Wheeler. "We look at their basic communicational skills and their ability to self-manage and regulate emotions. We are working on all of that."
They also work with schools to help when a student is ready to transition into a school environment by offering training and support to the school.
At Silver Lining ABA, they offer a cutting-edge mental health program specifically designed to support schools in implementing the PBIS (Positive Interventions and Supports) tiered framework. Their evidence-based approach integrates seamlessly with PBIS to provide a comprehensive, proactive, and holistic system of support for students' mental health and well-being.
Kathleen Antill-Tarasi has had two of her children attend classes at Silver Lining ABA and is so thankful for the work they do.
"The services that both of my boys have received at Silver Lining ABA were priceless," said Antill-Tarasi. "Everyone was so caring, patient, and amazing for the near decade our family has spent being a part of, what we consider, an extended family at Silver Lining ABA. They are skilled and compassionate in their work."
One way the community can help Silver Lining ABA is to participate in the Community Yard Sale they hold every summer. They accept donations and the children get to help out during the sale. Proceeds from the sale help fund the community outings for the children and parents to attend.
When the center opened in 2013, it served two children. Currently, it serves 24 children in the center located at 1 Halloran Drive in St. Clairsville.
Silver Lining ABA also partners with the Belmont County Early Head Start Program which works with birth to age three-year-olds.
"So maybe there is a two-year-old that they see with signs or symptoms of autism, the Early Head Start program can make a referral to us and we can assist the family with the process of getting the child assessed for autism and then move forward with services for them," said Wheeler.
For more information visit www.silverliningaba.com
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