PIKE COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - With the many challenges 2020 brought, the new year brings hope for many families in Eastern Kentucky.
After hitting all of his first milestones, it was when Chase turned 18 months, that is mom, Bethany Branham Smith noticed a difference in her son’s behavior.
“We thought he was losing his hearing because we would say his name and he wouldn’t respond to us. He started distancing himself. He would go sit in a corner and play by himself. He wouldn’t look at us. He wouldn’t make eye contact. He quit eating his food,” she said.
Smith soon learned her son would be diagnosed with autism. She researched to see if there were any autism centers in Eastern Kentucky, only to find there were none.
Fearing she had no other options, Smith started planning to move.
“This is the town I’ve grown up in. My family is here. His dad is here. We’re going to have to pack up and move his cousins, his grandparents, and leave everyone,” she said.
Then, The Appalachian Valley Autism Center (AVA) opened.
Now six years old, Chase is a learner at the center and is receiving therapy. The center works to provide each child with individualized treatment.
“We utilize their skill set and develop a program that addresses functional communication as well as skill acquisition,” said Board Certified Behavior Analyst Rachel Reynolds.
Therapists at the AVA Center say they have seen a drastic improvement in many of the children’s skills.
“It’s just the difference the families are seeing at home. Just transitions becoming easier, requesting, engaging in more eye contact, the interactions they have with their families,” Reynolds said.
The center is working on expanding. They are seeking support from the community with their Speak from the Heart Campaign.
“Every single dollar is allowing us to provide a vital service to someone who needs…who otherwise would have to drive to Lexington, Louisville, or Cincinnati, or in the worst scenario, not receive the therapy,” said Executive Director of Pikeville Medical Center Foundation Andrew Scott.
For more information on the AVA center and its fundraising efforts, click here.
Copyright 2021 WYMT. All rights reserved.
"center" - Google News
January 02, 2021 at 04:45AM
https://ift.tt/2MtXS5L
How the AVA Center is changing children's lives in Eastern Kentucky - WYMT
"center" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3bUHym8
https://ift.tt/2zR6ugj
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "How the AVA Center is changing children's lives in Eastern Kentucky - WYMT"
Post a Comment