Atlanta Living category interest

Centria Autism (Centria), a leading national provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, recently opened its first Life Skills Autism Academy (LSAA) center in Atlanta, and first location in Georgia.

According to the CDC, 1 in every 36 kids is diagnosed with autism – illuminating an increasing need for quality behavioral therapy across the board. Centria is continuing to honor their commitment to supporting those on the spectrum with additional center openings planned in Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia, joining the lineup of existing locations open in Michigan, Indiana, Arizona, and Texas.

Centria places an emphasis on early intervention with its LSAA centers, providing high-intensive, specialized ABA therapy to children with autism. The center, which specializes in providing treatment to clients five or younger, is accepting new clients.

Centria centers offer individualized treatment plans from a staff of Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Behavior Technicians, prioritizing the development of everyday skills and social behaviors that will allow children with autism to thrive in school, at home and in their communities.

The facility’s larger footprint allows clinicians to welcome up to 76 clients at a time.

The 16,245 square-foot center in southwest Atlanta opened at 1640 Phoenix Blvd. on June 5, acting as a temporary space while a permanent location is identified and built out later.

“As we open our doors to our first location in Atlanta, this new center marks a continuation of our ongoing commitment to serving clients and their families in this community,” said Timothy Yeager, Chief Clinical Officer at Centria Autism. “The expansion of our services in Atlanta to include both in-home and center-based services will allow us to provide therapy services to children in the environment most appropriate for their individual needs.”

Director of Clinical Services Halee Royal said the temporary location is fully open and has seven active clients and a growing waiting list of 17 more kids. Royal also said they’re hoping to get at their permanent location before they reach more clients.

“Our permanent location is about a mile from here down Godby, so not too far, still in the same neighborhood, which is exactly what their goal was. They are in the process of completely renovating that location,” she said.

To Royal’s understanding, the permanent location is a standalone building and Centria has a model they’ve constructed for Life Skills Autism Academy sites, and will be set-up like every other model site they have.

“We hope that that timeline is within six to nine months of opening up that full time permanent location,” she said.

Additionally, Royal said Centria chose Atlanta because it’s an “incredibly underserved area in the southside of Atlanta.

“If you were to look at the map of Atlanta and hit I-20 South, it’s historically been incredibly underserved,” she said. “I happen to be a native Atlanta, and grew up here on the south side, and so having that firsthand knowledge of we need services here. There are not enough services here.”

Royal said she was encouraged to find out Centria was actively looking for locations of underserved communities. Atlanta, Royal said, is a rapidly growing community and more people need more kids to serve.

“This area has been needing this for such a long time, so I hope we open even more locations on the southside of Atlanta,” she said.

Life Skills, Royal says, offers Early Intensive Behavior Intervention Program for ages two to six and all using ABA therapy, which is considered as the gold standard.

“Assess the children with a focus on what their parents and caregivers’ aspirations for them are, whether it be short term or long,” she said. “We want to focus everything that we’re doing on those client aspirations.”

Afterwards, the company develops a treatment program with those client aspirations in mind and their goal for the age group is to hopefully get them to a point where they can go to school, whatever schooling that may look like.

Whether it be public education without needing extra support, public education needing additional support by way of special education services, or even private education.

Also, Royal said they have a lot of big goals for the year which include making a difference in every child’s life, no matter how many kids walk through the door and to make positive change for the families.

“I talk to parents every day, and some come in not so hopeful,” she said. “Some come in very hopeful, and some come in just not knowing what to expect, but just knowing that they need help, and that’s our job.”