Autism Spectrum Disorders Connections at Gateway Healthcare

Clinical Services for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), including Asperger’s Syndrome, are vulnerable to developing emotional regulation or behavioral health difficulties, such as anxiety and depression. Their challenges with understanding and responding to social interactions and environments that are complex and confusing can create significant emotional stress that requires specialized clinical intervention.

ASD Connections at Gateway Healthcare Can Help

• We believe that every child and family have strengths and resources that are the building blocks for effective treatment and long term solutions.
• We have a specialized team of clinicians, psychiatrists, and case managers who are trained in supporting children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
• Special education, occupational therapy and behavior therapy professionals support the team in designing appropriate treatment interventions.
• The family is involved throughout the therapeutic process and is supported in relevant settings through parent education, counseling, groups and resource coordination.

Individual, Group and Family Counseling

Some individuals may benefit from a typical outpatient therapy model that incorporates the specialized interventions for the ASD population. This work is usually clinic-based and often is used as a step-down from the intensive treatment services.

Psychiatric Evaluation and Medication Management

Gateway has a specialized psychiatrist who works as part of our multidisciplinary team and in coordination with the child’s primary care physician. Medication management only occurs in combination with intensive in-home treatment or counseling services.

Child and Family Community Treatment

Children and youth between the ages of 3 and 21 are typically referred when they are having difficulty with behavioral regulation in the home and community and/or exhibiting acute symptoms of anxiety, depression, hyperarousal, social vulnerability or substance abuse problems.

For children who are experiencing severe functional impairment, ASD Connections’ community treatment is designed to facilitate the child’s and family’s access to and engagement in the therapeutic process. Treatment sessions incorporate a number of interventions and activities, and often use a coaching model of providing supervised practice with feedback to both the child and parent, an essential component to support the child and parent’s understanding and behavior change. We work hand-in-hand with schools and other providers to coordinate treatment.

Most treatment services are paid for by commercial health insurance or Medical Assistance. The insurance coverage defines the type of treatment available, including benefits such as CAITS, CFIT, IHBT and EOS. Insurance deductibles and co-pays apply according to the individual plans.