KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland, including Liberty. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.
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Some metro families are facing long waitlists to get necessary therapy for their children who have been diagnosed with autism.
A new clinic in Liberty aims to address the backlog.
Caravel Autism Health recently opened to provide therapy for children 18-months to six-years-old.
Sara Scheible, the clinic director, said the facility features rooms designed to support children with both sensory-seeking and sensory-avoidant needs.
"There aren't as many resources like us out there in the community," Scheible said. "And when they are, they're filled up quite quickly."
Rashaya Foreman says she noticed early on that her three-year-old daughter, Naomi Jacobs, was missing milestones and not making eye contact.
"I guess you'd call it mother's instinct," Foreman said.
Naomi was diagnosed with autism on April 17. Foreman was able to bypass the typical waitlist because her daughter's diagnosis coincided with the clinic's opening.
"It's just more of a relief actually, just knowing like, okay, I got the help that my daughter needs," Foreman said.
Foreman shared her main concern as a parent of a child on the spectrum.
"Every parent's concern is, 'will my kid be able to function in life without me when I'm gone?'" Foreman said. "So my biggest hope with Caravel is that they will give her the building tools that she needs to function in society."
The clinic shares that goal.
"The goal is to set them up for success and graduate them, and we want to not see them here in our clinic," Scheible said. "We want to see them excelling in the natural, outdoor world."
Zachariah Partney, who lives in Olathe, was diagnosed with autism when he was seven-years-old in 1995. Partney said the diagnosis was stigmatized during his childhood, but awareness has grown over the last three decades.
"It wasn't really, really talked about," Partney said.
Despite increased awareness, Partney acknowledged the ongoing struggle families face with therapy waitlists.
Partney, a Kansas City Chiefs superfan, uses his platform to inspire children on the spectrum.
"You might be different than anybody else, but that doesn't mean you can't learn to dream big like everyone," Partney said.
Foreman offered advice to other parents who suspect their child might be on the spectrum.
"Don't wait," Foreman said. "The sooner that you get your child the help that they need, the better."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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