Dr. Paul Abend knows the difficulties faced by parents of autistic children. The father of a 13-year-old autistic son, he has experienced the lack of services firsthand.
Instead of accepting what was available, Abend decided to do something; he built the Comprehensive Autism Medical Assessment & Treatment Center, which opened recently in Warren.
?This center is dedicated to my son, Michael, and other children like him who suffer from the medical complications of autism,? said Abend, who is the center?s medical director as well as its founder.
At an open house on Jan. 20, Warren Mayor Carolann Garafola cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the center.
The outpatient medical facility designed to provide a multidisciplinary team approach to the identification and treatment of the ?complicated medical co-morbidities of autism,? said Deana Luchs, parent advocacy coordinator at the center and coordinator of its Autism Think Tank. The think tank brings together senior specialists from several disciplines.
?Specialists assess cases by reviewing a child?s records and plan a course of treatment,? Luchs said. ?Parents have access to so many services without traveling all over the country.?
The center provides a range of traditional and nontraditional therapies to serve children and their families, including support for parents and siblings.
Luchs said many autistic children have responded to iPads and are exploring helpful apps.
?It?s amazing. They seem to intuitively be able to use and respond to an iPad,? she said.
Luchs said the Autism Think Tank allows doctors to to review cases remotely by videoconferencing from other locations on four large screens in the conference room.
A video clip of the patient is shown to the doctors, who have all received completed intakes in advance and any other additional information parents send in, she said. The doctors discuss their impressions and make suggestions during the meeting with the parents and their doctor, if present.
?We also have extensive follow up. Parents get a report with recommendations, and we help parents with follow up care.?
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She said they also refer patients to specialists as needed. Case managers help parents with the follow up ?as it can be overwhelming,? Luchs said.
Other services provided by the Comprehensive Autism Center include Bright Star Therapy, which offers, speech, language and sensory integration; healing touch; cranial sacral therapy; art and play therapy; music therapy; and acupuncture/acupressure.
?These programs are available to help all autistic and special-needs children and adults,? Luchs said, adding that social skills groups and support groups also are offered.
Local business donated food and wine to the center for its open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony.
?People were very generous,? Luchs said. ?We had desserts donated by La Bonbonniere Bake Shop, a case of wine donated by Select Vintage Wines of Basking Ridge, and a gorgeous floral centerpiece donated by Warren County Event Planning.?
For more information on the center, go to http://www.autismthinktanknj.com.
The center is at 266 King George Road, Warren. The phone number is 732-667-7778.
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Inspired by son's hardships doctor opens autism center