New autism treatment center opens in OKC metro - OKC, OK - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

Behavioral Innovations is a new autism treatment center in OKC. Maggie Carlo interviews the clinical director Jessica Collins.

Video transcript:

MAGGIE: ONE IN EVERY 59 CHILDREN IS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BOYS ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE DIAGNOSED. BUT EARLY INTERVENTION CAN REALLY HELP CHILDREN. NOW THERE IS A NEW PLACE FOR CHILDREN TO RECEIVE TREATMENT. HERE WITH US THIS MORNING IS THE BEHAVIORAL INNOVATIONS OKC CLINICAL DIRECTOR JESSICA COLLINS. WE ARE SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE. THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN FOR MANY FAMILIES AND MUCH NEEDED. THERE ARE A LOT OF CLINICS AROUND OUR AREA THAT WON’T TAKE PATIENTS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A NEED. HOW DID YOU ALL COME TO OPEN THIS CLINIC AND FILL THAT VOID? JESSICA: BEHAVIORAL INNOVATIONS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A MOST TWO DECADES. WE STARTED IN TEXAS AND WITH 15 LOCATIONS IN TEXAS AND JUST RECENTLY EXPANDED TO THE OKLAHOMA MARKET. WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE REFUND THAT TOOK PLACE A FEW YEARS AGO. MORE FAMILIES HAVE SERVICES READY AVAILABLE BECAUSE INSURANCES ARE NOW REQUIRED TO COVER IT. MAGGIE: TALKING ABOUT AUTISM AND THAT SPECTRUM. ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHILDREN ON THAT SPECTRUM. ARE WE SEEING MORE CASES OR HAS THE SPECTRUM JUST GROWN? JESSICA: I BELIEVE WE HAVE BETTER TOOLS FOR DIAGNOSING AUTISM AND SO THAT IS WHY WE ARE SEEING MORE CASES OF IT. MAGGIE: TALK ABOUT THE AGES OF CHILDREN THAT YOU CAN SERVICE AT YOUR CLINIC. MARKIE: WE FOOT -- JESSICA: WE FOCUS ON EARLY INTERVENTION. WE DO REALLY COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENTS AND INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT PLANS FOR THEM. IF WE DO HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO COME TO US THAT MAY NOT BE IN THAT AGE RANGE OR SERVICES MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THEM WE WILL REFER THEM TO A MORE APPROPRIATE SETTING. MAGGIE: WHAT KINDS OF TREATMENT PLANS DO YOU LIKE TO SEE? IN GENERAL CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE THERAPIES THAT MIGHT HELP? MAGGIE: WE LOOK A LOT OF COMMUNICATION. A LOT OF SOCIAL SKILLS ARE THINGS WE TARGET. ADAPTIVE SKILLS AND A LOT OF THE READINESS SKILLS. MAGGIE: IS THAT DONE WITH A CLINICIAN, OTHER CHILDREN, HOW DOES THAT WORK? JESSICA: WE DO CONDUCT THE ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT PLANS AND OVERSEE THE TREATMENT PLANS. WE HAVE REGISTERED BEHAVIOR TECHNICIANS WORK ONE-ON-ONE WITH CLIENTS TO IMPLEMENT THEIR SPECIFIC. MAGGIE: TALK ABOUT INSURANCE. A LOT OF TIME PARENTS RUN INTO A PLACE THAT MAY NOT TAKE THEIR INSURANCE AND THAN THEY ARE OUT OF LUCK. SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS TAKE INSURANCE. >> WE TAKE ALL THE MAJOR INSURANCES. IT DOES DEPEND ON THE PLAN, THAT IS ONE THING OUR INSURANCE AUTHORIZATION DEPARTMENT DOES A REALLY GREAT JOB OF DOING INSURANCE BENEFIT CHECKS BEFORE WE START ANY SERVICES SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE SERVICES ARE COVERED. MAGGIE: IF A PARENT HAS A QUESTION OR CONCERN ABOUT THEIR CHILD, DO THEY NEED TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THEIR PHYSICIAN TO COME TO YOU OR CAN THEY COME ON THEIR OWN? JESSICA: WE HAVE PEOPLE WE CAN REFER TO, PSYCHOLOGISTS WE CAN REFER TO. IT IS BETTER TO COME IN WITH A DIAGNOSIS BECAUSE THE INSURANCE WILL ONLY COVER THOSE IF YOU HAVE A DIAGNOSIS. MAGGIE: WHAT IS THE DIAGNOSIS? YOU CAN DO IT THERE. WHAT DOES THAT COST IF SOMEONE COMES IN AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CHILD ASSESSED FOR POTENTIALLY HAVING AUTISM? JESSICA: THAT IS ONE WHERE WE WERE REFER TO THEM. MAGGIE: THEY COME TO YOU AND THEY ARE READY FOR THE TREATMENT. TALK ABOUT THE GRAND OPENING HAPPENING TODAY. TALK ABOUT THAT. JESSICA: WE HAVE A RIBBON-CUTTING AT 4:00. WE HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE SOME SPONSORS THAT WILL BE THERE. IT IS A FREE EVENT TO THE PUBLIC AND THAT WILL START AT 5:30 AND GO FROM 5:30 TO 7:30. WE WILL HAVE ALL OF OUR TRAINING STAFF THERE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND OF COURSE I WILL BE THERE IF ANYONE HAS ANY EXTRA QUESTIONS. >> YOU WORK WITH THESE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DAY IN AND DAY OUT. WHAT HE THINK THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION IS FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN’T FAMILIAR WITH AUTISM AND THE SPECTRUM? JESSICA: I THINK THAT IS DIFFICULT TO SAY. THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS PEOPLE THINK CHILDREN WITH AUTISM ARE NOT CAPABLE OF DOING OR EVERYONE WITH AUTISM HAS THE ABILITY TO DO CERTAIN THINGS. THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY TRUE. ALL OF OUR CHILDREN ARE DIFFERENT. SOME OF THEM EXCEL IN CERTAIN AREAS AND OTHER ONES EXCEL IN DIFFERENT AREAS. WE TRY TO MAKE SURE TO LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL CHILD AND NOT TRY TO PUT NECESSARILY A BLANKET LABEL OR ANYTHING ON. MAGGIE: I IMAGINE FOR PARENTS, SUPPORTING EACH OTHER AND GIVING A LITTLE EXTRA TIME AND ATTENTION AND I THINK A LOT OF CHILDREN ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE CLASSROOM. A LOT OF CHILLED -- A LOT OF KIDS ARE AROUND KIDS. IT BENEFITS US ALL TO BE INVOLVED. JESSICA: I THINK BECAUSE WE FOCUS A LOT ON SOCIAL SKILLS ON INTERACTING WITH DEVELOPING PEERS AND GETTING THEM READY FOR THE SITUATIONS, WE PUT AN EMPHASIS ON THOSE SKILLS. MAGGIE: JESSICA COLLINS, WE APPRECIATE YOU. BEHAVIORAL OKC CLINICAL DIRECTOR. YOU GUYS ARE OPENING TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.

Type of publication: Television When was the article reported?: 01/25/2019 Publication: KOCO News 5 Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: local News Category: Health/Medicine

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