Simple Steps Autism

CRESTVIEW — When Laura O’Brien wanted to take her children to an autism center closer to her Milton home, she opened one. When she saw the need for centers in Navarre and Crestview, she opened them, too.

O’Brien named the centers Spectrum House. She said the name refers to the disorders she treats, which are on an interconnected spectrum and have varied levels of the neurological disabilities.

The Spectrum team of educators and board certified behavior analysts teach severely autistic children to speak and adults how to take care of themselves. The program also helps people with attention deficit/hyperactive disorder and downs syndrome.

Behavioral and educational services at the centers include life skills training, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), language assessment and Individualized Education Plans (IEP).

Three of O’Brien’s nine children have autistic spectrum disorder. Of the children, O’Brien’s son, William, has the severest case of autism. She saw the power of ABA when William learned to speak at 8 years old after years of unsuccessful speech therapy.

“ABA has really opened up the door for him,” she said.

O’Brien said the years William was unable to communicate were a nightmare. Like many autistic children, the frustration of not being understood led to aggressive behavior.

Jodi Schmidt’s youngest daughter, Victoria, was diagnosed with autism shortly before the family transferred to the area with the 7th Special Forces (Airborne). The 2-year-old was obsessively compulsive about her things and would not speak or play with others.

The family settled in Crestview then discovered there were no therapy services in the northern part of the county. Schmidt was referred to Spectrum House’s horse therapy program by Eglin’s Exceptional Family Member Program. She was so impressed with the program that she became the Crestview office’s manager.

A year into the program, 3-year-old Victoria hugged and welcomed her dad home for the first time. Schmidt was really moved when Victoria spontaneously told her she loved her.

Victoria even has made friends with another Spectrum client and played with a doll.

“She was playing like a typical child,” Schmidt said.

O’Brien said ultimately, the primary clientele for the new centers will be the military. Therapists have had to help several families deal with deploying parents and other military-specific issues. The three sites now accept TRI-CARE.

O’Brien said she came up with the idea to open a center on her way to one of her three weekly treks to a therapy center in Destin for her children. She was worried about how the family would cover the cost of therapy in a few years when her husband retires from the U.S. Coast Guard.

“I saw the writing on the wall that my children would need this service,” she said.

In less than a year, O’Brien started the three local centers that offer therapy to children and young adults with developmental disabilities. She plans to open a center in Pensacola within the next six months.

She said she also hopes to open a coffee house near each center where families can socialize, hear guest speakers and learn about local resources while their loved one is being treated.

O’Brien’s 9-acre homestead had a second unoccupied house on it that she and her husband turned into their first center. As rewards for children who were doing well in their sessions, the O’Brien’s started taking them swimming, fishing and horseback riding at the Milton center. They also offered horse therapy and quarterly camps.

Some of the space is used as a mock apartment where adults learn to prepare meals, clean rooms and perfect job skills. Therapists do on-the-job training and have been known to walk clients through shopping tasks.

The process can take years for some clients to learn. Every milestone is a celebration for O’Brien and for parents.

“The first time the mom goes a week without being hit, bitten or scratched is a big one,” she said.

The typical therapy session is about $40 an hour (one of the least expensive rates in the area) and the nature of the therapy is to repeat tasks for months.

O’Brien hates turning people without insurance away but the overhead for the new locations make charity almost impossible. She collects donations and plans to do fundraisers to offset costs. Spectrum House has a program where people can sponsor a child’s therapy.

“With donations, I hope someday to be able to tell people, ‘OK, today’s session is $5,’ ” she said.

A big part of therapy with the children is playing with toys. O’Brien said when an autistic child is given toy cars, he does not make car noises and pretend to drive them around the room. He organizes and lines them up.

The turnover rate of a toy in Spectrum House is fast. When a child finds a toy and gets to the point of playing with it in a traditional way, that toy is his. O’Brien buys used toys whenever possible. And accepts donated books and toys at all of the locations.