Cedar Falls, Iowa — Families caring for children with autism in Cedar Falls, Iowa now have a place they can go to for their children’s special needs without having to endure an hour’s drive just to get to The Homestead autism center in Hiawatha.
The Homestead center in Cedar Falls just recently opened its doors to help out children like Garrett, who was diagnosed with autism when he was two years old. Garrett’s mom, Brienna Decker, told:
“It started with evaluations,recognizing delays, but we would only call them delays. He wasn’t always ‘classic,’ but he was very attached to mom, he would kiss mom and cuddle. He didn’t have some of the typical boundary issues.”
Brienna was among those who signed up for the then-planned Cedar Falls autism center’s waitlist.
The Homestead center uses applied behavior analysis (ABA) with all of the children at the center, tailored to meet every child’s unique needs. Officials at the center emphasized, however, that they are not a school. Evelyn Horton, the director for youth community services, told:
“We don’t do school, we’re not academic, but we write communication goals with absolutely every child that we work with. Part of the diagnosis of autism is that there has to be a communication deficit.”
Source: Sarah McCarthy in KCRG.com New Cedar Falls center works to help children, families cope with autism