New Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center in Sarasota Aims to Cultivate Florida Kids’ Skills by Harnessing the Team’s Unique Talents and Experience

“Watching these kids make eye contact, figuring out what they want, and then being able to give them the words to express it … I love seeing it all come together,” Hopebridge BCBA Taylor Thomas told us about her work as she prepares to open the new autism therapy center in Sarasota, Florida. “Being able to make these moments happen is my favorite part of the job. It doesn’t just make a difference in the child’s life, but rather the entire family dynamic. It changes everything, even if we don’t realize it at first.”

Hopebridge Announces New Autism Therapy Centers in Florida

To provide better support for Florida families Hopebridge is bringing its evidence-based autism services and vast experience into the state with up to 30 centers over the next 12-18 months, starting along the Gulf Coast in Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Fort Myers and Brandon, FL. The center will begin scheduling diagnostic assessments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy) evaluations in August 2021, with a plan to open for full- and part-time therapy in October 2021.

Combine ABA Therapy, Art and Music to Achieve Kiddo Goals

All Hopebridge Heroes have their own unique skills and talents, and with nearly 10 years working in ABA in the centers, Taylor uses her creativity and artistic background to help children express themselves in ways that suit their own specific skill sets.

With a passion for visual art, Taylor often uses it as a reinforcer for kids, as well as incorporates music into her ABA therapy programs.

“I worked with one little girl whose stereotypy is quite strong and can be difficult for her. We taught her how to play ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ on the xylophone by imitation until she had the song memorized. She seems to respond to imitation skills better through sound than motion, so we used music to harness them,” Taylor shared.

A Full-Service Approach to Autism Treatment in Florida

This is just a quick peek into the Hopebridge experience that the autism therapy network is bringing to Florida. From kids, to their parents, to the team members, Hopebridge’s 360 Care programs – which feature interdisciplinary services like diagnostics, ABA, speech, feeding and occupational therapy – change the lives of everyone involved in them. To further customize the care and help children bring their skills into the real world, these programs also incorporate parent training.

Many of Florida’s children are already preschool age before they are brought in for autism testing. More than 25% of these families wait longer than six months for the autism diagnosis, then often spend another six months or more on a waitlist to receive services.** Hopebridge aims to speed up the process in Florida so children get the quality care they need, sooner than later.

Let Hopebridge Autism Therapy Centers Help You and Your Child

The Hopebridge team wants to open your child’s world to new experiences and help them thrive over a lifetime. Early intensive behavioral intervention is crucial in these early developmental years for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Fill out the form to contact our Hopebridge Sarasota center for a diagnostic assessment and ABA evaluation, plus learn more about the full-spectrum 360 Care provides, to give your kiddo the skills to lead a better, more fulfilling life … starting today.

**All data referenced in this article was collected via a market survey conducted by Hopebridge

*Informed consent was obtained from the participants in this article. This information should not be captured and reused without express permission from Hopebridge, LLC.