Military autism families often have a difficulty receiving services for their children. A Penn Sate University study conducted that there are over 23,000 military families in the United States who raise an individual on the autism spectrum. With that the Army is starting a brand new autism center called the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington to help.
The center as reported by 89.3 KPCC News plans to serve up to 150 children. In addition to helping children on the spectrum the center will also provide programs to help parents who children are just diagnosed.
Lt. Col Eric Flake, a physician and the director of the center 89.3 KPCC News, “A large focus will be in some group after-school therapy opportunities. Additionally during the work day this will also be a therapy center where kids will get direct speech therapy, will get direct occupational therapy.”
The Army is opening its first therapy center for autistic military children https://t.co/nwfdmvC3xe pic.twitter.com/z7hAtCqQak
— 89.3 KPCC (@KPCC) June 22, 2016
This sounds like a terrific initiative! Hopefully if implemented efficiently this will be able to spearhead future initiatives for military families who often go underserved in our autism community. You can read more about the center here.
