THIBODAUX, LA – In response to an ever-growing population of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), The Touchstone Center, a private facility offering Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy in Houma, Hammond and New Orleans, is expanding its operations with a new clinic now open at 1000 Plantation Rd. in Thibodaux, Louisiana.
“It is scientifically proven that early, intensive ABA therapy offers people with autism the greatest chance of functionality and lifelong success,” said Tricia Clement, Touchstone Center clinical director. “Transforming the lives of our clients is always our ultimate goal, and we use this scientific approach based on the principles of behavior and learning to do just that. ABA therapy uses strategies for changing behaviors in a controlled setting to eventually change behaviors in the ‘real world’ and lead to the most optimal outcomes.”
Currently, The Touchstone Center serves approximately 75 clients at any given time. The center’s new location creates an opportunity to greatly increase that number, and, as ABA is delivered through intensive individualized therapy, the center will also hire new staff members, ensuring each client’s needs are met by experienced behavioral analysts with track records of success, reps said.
Demand for ABA is at an all-time high, reps said. The Touchstone Center currently has a wait list for families and children seeking services. Similar facilities across the Gulf South are also experiencing extraordinary demand, Touchstone reps said.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Autism and Development Disability Monitoring (ADDM) Network, approximately 1 in 68 children have been identified with ASD. The disorder occurs in all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups, affecting families of all shapes and sizes.
The Touchstone Center draws from more than 300 tactics and interventions with an evidence base and implements many elements from a model known as CABAS (Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schooling), which originated to develop a science of teaching. The CABAS model can be applied to a variety of clinical and business settings, Touchstone reps said. CABAS develops measurement-based, individualized services for entire organizations driven by individual successes for each client.
There are only a few organizations worldwide who are recognized as meeting CABAS professional and organizational standards. Because of its rigorous standards, The Touchstone Center currently employs seven CABAS certified staff. This is above and beyond the required state and national credentials its employees already hold, reps said. The Touchstone Center is currently seeking CABAS standards recognition.
