Hopebridge to Bring Autism Therapy to Columbus with 6th Georgia Center

Now Scheduling for Diagnostic and ABA Therapy Evaluations

Columbus, Ga. – To meet the growing demand for autism services in Georgia, Hopebridge Autism Therapy Centers is expanding into Columbus, GA. this summer. Serving families in Muscogee County, the state-of-the-art Columbus facility will serve as the pediatric therapy network’s sixth Georgia location.

The Columbus center is currently scheduling diagnostic assessments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To address behavioral health concerns and set the stage for adaptive living skills, Hopebridge can evaluate children and toddlers as young as 18 months of age. For patients who already have a formal diagnosis, Hopebridge is also reserving appointments for applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy) evaluations.

“Due to an increase in awareness and education that surrounds the rising prevalence of autism, insurance companies are widening their coverage for ABA therapy. Unfortunately, that also means providers cannot always keep up with the demand. Georgia’s families need answers now – not later – which is why we’re making a point to reduce wait times for both diagnostic evaluations and ABA therapy,” said Chris Sutton, Vice President of Business Development.

Hopebridge intends to begin its innovative center-based ABA therapy program in June 2019; equipped to provide access to approximately 50 patients in the Columbus center. Beyond diagnostic and ABA services, Hopebridge has plans to incorporate occupational, speech and feeding therapy to build an interdisciplinary program and meet the full scope of needs of its patients, all under one roof.

“Early intensive behavioral intervention greatly affects short-term successes for individuals on the spectrum, as well as gets them closer to living adult life on their own terms,” said Kim Strunk, Hopebridge Founder and Chief Clinical Officer (CCO). “By blending evidence-backed interventions like ABA therapy with other essential services in a center-based atmosphere, we’re leading them to a life filled with more opportunity.”

The new state-of-the-art facility is located at 200 Brookstone Centre Parkway, Building 200, Columbus, GA, 31904. It will house a mix of therapy rooms to lay the foundation for personalized programs that translate to the real world. The center is set up for a range of scenarios, including semi-private sessions, mock classroom situations, peer interaction and even personal hygiene training.

The addition of the Columbus center enables Hopebridge to bring more than 55 new jobs to the area to ensure every child receives one-on-one, intensive therapy. The multidisciplinary team consists of Board Certified Behavioral Analysists (BCBA), registered behavior technicians (RBT), clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and other industry professionals. This will bring their total number of employed therapists to over 1,000.

To schedule a diagnostic appointment or a private tour of the Hopebridge center, please fill out the form at hopebridge.com/contact.

The Columbus location will bring the total number of centers to 34 throughout Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, with plans to bring its services to even more states in 2019. For a complete list of Hopebridge locations, visit hopebridge.com/centers.

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