New autism clinic opens in Blue Springs to expand access to care for families

KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Grain Valley. Share your story idea with Claire.

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A new Autism Support Now clinic has opened in Blue Springs near St. Mary's Hospital, expanding access to Applied Behavior Therapy for families in eastern Jackson County.

Autism Support Now's new clinic is one of more than a dozen the organization operates across Missouri and Kansas. The clinic serves patients from babies to teens, offering applied behavior analysis, also known as ABA therapy. ASN said its services help children speak, learn life skills, prevent problem behavior and more.

The clinic will serve around 25 to 30 families, alleviating a waitlist and opening up spots at other clinics in the area.

Tina Fatino, Autism Support Now's chief operating officer, said the goal is to support children as individuals through individual plans.

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"It's to make sure they feel happy and supported, so if they do things differently, we're actually OK with that. They don't have to be just like everybody else," Fatino said. "If they have certain things they do that's different, we actually celebrate that in a lot of ways. So we want them to be able to function in the world."

One challenge with expanding access to this type of care is having enough trained professionals to staff the clinics, Fatino said.

Autism Support Now was co-founded by Hope McPheeters after her two children were diagnosed with autism. She now serves as a parent ambassador, using her firsthand experience to help other families. McPheeters serves as the organization's director of community engagement.

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"It's just been a journey, and it's always learning what comes next for your kiddo because autism doesn't go away," McPheeters said. "It's our new normal ... and that's how we accept it. It's all about acceptance."

Learn more about Autism Support Now here.

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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