LYNN — Center-based applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy is now available for children in the city and surrounding communities at Constellation Kids on Union Street.
On Tuesday morning, the center’s management and owners and Mayor Jared Nicholson cut a bright blue ribbon, commemorating the grand opening of the center.
“We did a competitive analysis of the market and noticed that, really, there weren’t any of these localized services in this geography,” Administrator Jason Creutzmann said. “We felt that there was a huge need for us to be able to help the population here, so we’ve been very welcomed into the community.”
According to the center’s website, ABA therapy is an evidence-based approach that helps individuals, particularly children with autism, develop essential skills and behaviors.
Clinic Director Sophie Katz, a board-certified behavior analyst, said that the center will focus on children ages 2 to 6, helping them prepare for school.
“They’ll be working on various different socially significant meaningful skills like communication, social skills, potty training, skills that can support them going off into school,” Katz said.
The center will include a classroom and gymnasium, allowing the children to become acquainted with a school setting.
Katz said the center will offer both full- and half-day admissions. She said each child will work one-on-one with a staff member.
“For children with autism, they might need higher intensity, more opportunities to learn various different skills,” Katz said. “We provide them with a really safe, individualized, specific environment where we can modify and change for specifically what their needs are and provide really effective therapy for those children.”
Katz said that the center is hiring 36 full-time behavior technicians, with four hired so far.
“As the kids start, we will be obviously hiring more. Our aim is around 35 kids, and that’s 35 if they’re all full-time,” Creutzmann said.
The center is able to have up to 70 kids signed up, if all are half-day admissions.
Creutzmann said the center still needs some electrical work and other handiwork done before it can officially open to the public, but he does not expect it to take more than three weeks.
“There are people right now that are driving 20, 30 minutes away to go to a clinic because there isn’t one local here,” Creutzmann said. “We’re happy that we’re going to be able to really make an impact on some of the kids and family lives.”
