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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its new biennial data from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM) on the prevalence of autism in the U.S. The network identified 1 in 54 children as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD), representing a 10% increase from previous estimates. 

When Allyson Perreault’s son received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at age 4, she remembers being completely overwhelmed.

“I didn’t know where to begin,” recalls Allyson of her son, Myles. “He had been in a developmental preschool and was testing behind on everything.” 

The developmental pediatrician who diagnosed him gave Allyson and her husband, Michael, a packet of information and resources. One of the resources included SARRC and its JumpStart® program, a parent empowerment program for families/caregivers with a recently diagnosed child. 

Story by 12 News

PHOENIX-Local researchers say girls with autism are going undiagnosed and it's a problem because early intervention is critical. A Valley family knows first-hand the struggles as they tried to get their young daughter the assistance she needs.

[WATCH: Researchers: Girls and autism]

The information and guidance regarding the COVID-19 virus have been changing daily—even hourly—leaving us uncertain of what’s to come.  However, we have been busy ensuring we can continue to serve our mission while keeping our team members, clients, and families safe. As we navigate the current environment, we have two major priorities that have driven our decision making:

Storm Leugers is a Behavior Therapist at Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). She is based at the Community School’s Phoenix campus, SARRC’s inclusive preschool for ages 18 months to 5 years old that provides intensive, ABA-based programming for children with ASD and high-quality early childhood education for typically developing children. 

When Cooper Irving was just a year old, his parents noticed that he was a little different than his two older siblings had been at the same age.

“He’d have these tantrums and bang his head on the floor, and we didn’t know why,” his mother, Kim, remembers. “He also couldn’t talk until he was 18 months, and then a few weeks later, he could recite the entire alphabet.”

By the time Cooper was 3, the Irvings were looking for answers.

Another parent at Cooper’s school mentioned Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), and so Kim called for information.

"I love that my every day is different. Building a relationship with not only my clients but their entire families, being right in there with their day-to-day life and being that support that they need is my very favorite part of my job. I also really enjoy the aspect of leading a group of SARRC therapists towards a common goal—providing the best quality service possible to our clients and their families,” says Mandi Winters, M.Ed., BCBA.

By Daniel Gatalica, Cronkite News | Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020 Opens in New Window

PHOENIX – Hispanic children are diagnosed with autism less often than white non-Hispanic children, in part because of language barriers, cultural differences and lack of awareness in the Latino community, according to experts in behavioral health.

When their son, Sage, was 23 months old, Ian and Jessica Mallon were concerned about his development — namely, language delays and sensory issues. It was suggested they check out NODA™ — the Naturalistic Observation Diagnostic Assessment—a smartphone app that’s been proven to expedite the autism diagnostic process.