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Autism Resources in Savannah

October 24, 2022 by Ben Schorr 0 Comments

An autism diagnosis can be daunting. Fortunately there are ample resources for families seeking support in Savannah. 

The resources available in Savannah and the surrounding counties can help patients with ASD and their families navigate challenges and form new connections. 

Resource List for Children with Autism in Savannah, Georgia

Savannah has various organizations that provide aid, guidance, and recreational activities geared toward including those with ASD.

Georgia Autism Center

The Georgia Autism Center provides families with assessments that help pinpoint a diagnosis. Since ASD is a spectrum of conditions, diagnosing a child’s difficulties often requires several tests, including developmental, social, cognitive, adaptive, and behavioral functioning. 

In addition to correctly diagnosing ASD, the Georgia Autism Center coordinates care. It offers educational support and planning, including assisting with developing IEPs and ongoing financial and emotional support for families of children with ASD and other special needs. 

FOCUS Georgia

Originating in Atlanta, FOCUS (Families of Children Under Stress) provides programs and services for families of children with disabilities to enhance their everyday lives. FOCUS works with children up to 29 and supports families who face a wide range of health challenges. 

FOCUS offers support services for over 4,500 families in Georgia. It provides support groups, family activities, overnight camps, adaptive swim teams, and assistance for families seeking resources. 

Chatham County Safety Net

Chatham County Safety Net works throughout the county to offer behavioral and primary health care, improve access to care, and strengthen the infrastructure of the county’s health department. 

Chatham County Safety Net helps those navigating the challenges of the health care system to identify the resources available to them. It works with Children’s Medical Services, Family Support Services, and other programs to ensure that children and families receive the care they need.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S. of Coastal Georgia

Finding Resources in Educational Needs and Developmental Services (F.R.I.E.N.D.S.) of Coastal Georgia offers community services and recreational activities for children with an ASD diagnosis. 

Initially developed in 2009 to provide summer camps and other activities to children with ASD, the organization now offers multiple programs and activities for people in Savannah and the surrounding areas. 

Offerings include summer camps, social and community-based services, social skills groups, parents’ night out events, peer mentoring, and a supportive employment program. The group works with children ranging from school-age to young adults.

Parent to Parent of Georgia

Parent to Parent of Georgia provides services for Georgia families with special health care needs and disabilities. Working with those who have disabilities, from birth through age 26, Parent to Parent of Georgia matches families with the resources they need and provides peer support to those navigating a new diagnosis and challenges. 

The organization has a vast database of providers and groups, information on how to access resources and services, training, and special events geared toward those who may struggle with sensory issues or other challenges. 

Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities

The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) works to create social and policy changes that make new opportunities for residents with developmental disabilities and their families. 

GCDD’s Real Communities Initiative is a nationally recognized concept that offers inclusive activities throughout Georgia, focusing on projects that allow those with and without disabilities to work together socially and civically to develop their communities. 

The organization offers valuable information on inclusive schools, activities, and programs.

Children 1st

Georgia’s Department of Public Health’s Children 1st program identifies and collaborates with families, schools, health care providers, and agencies to support at-risk and developmentally delayed children. 

The program connects eligible children with early intervention programs, public health initiatives, and community-based resources. 

Easterseals of Southern Georgia

Easterseals of Southern Georgia works with children, young adults, adults, and caregivers to support those with autism and their families. Its mission is to provide services, education, advocacy, and outreach to engage those with autism and provide them with the skills necessary to participate actively in their communities. 

They offer family, residential, vocational, rehabilitation, and respite services to provide relief to caregivers. 

Katie Beckett Medicaid Program

The Katie Beckett Medicaid Program allows the state of Georgia to disregard family income when considering the needs of disabled individuals who live at home. Children who meet the criteria can qualify for Medicaid based on the institutional level of care they require. 

The program is also called a TEFRA waiver. It allows those approved to use Medicaid as their secondary insurance, providing coverage for medical supplies and services that primary insurance doesn’t fund. 

Families can pursue additional therapies, such as those offered through Easterseals, that support participants’ long-term success.

Lindsey’s Place Camp 

Lindsey’s Place Camp is a nonprofit organization that offers on-site recreational programs for those with special needs. The experience promotes self-confidence, self-esteem, and independence. 

It provides programs to support the personal growth of participants in a caring, nurturing environment that challenges and supports. Lindsey’s Place Camp hosts weekend retreats with campers at Wesley Gardens in Savannah. 

ABA Therapy in Savannah, Georgia

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a therapy for those diagnosed with ASD. Using the science of learning, ABA therapy increases positive behaviors while reducing negative, harmful behaviors and is considered to be the gold standard of therapy methodologies to support ASD.

ABA therapy centers on a highly effective approach. It aims to increase communication and language skills, improve social and memory skills, and help children with autism cultivate a longer attention span and focus. 

A quality ABA program does not take a cookie-cutter approach. Instead, they will customize a plan to meet your child’s individual needs. 

When it comes to ABA therapy in Savannah, Hidden Talents is the go to agency. Our dedicated team of therapists will treat your child like family. If you have any questions about ABA therapy, insurance, or how our program works, give us a call. We will be happy to answer any of your questions. 

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Scott Rustulka

Scott, a native of Canada, joined the Hidden Talents team at the onset of 2021, moving his family of 6 from San Diego to the great state of Georgia. He began his journey in behavior analytics in 2001 at a time when autism programs had very little oversight by credentialled clinicians. The onset of that journey was wrought with disappointment in a system that seemed to do very little lasting good for the long-term growth of the individuals within that system.

Over the years, Scott determined to ensure that dignity and respect was afforded to the children he had the privilege of working, while devoting a lot of energy into understanding how the development of a child is the key focus to treatment and not reactive behavior modification. Truly listening to the child and the family and finding ways to make behavior change fun and engaging continues to be his passion. Over the last 20 years, Scott still relishes every opportunity to visit families and have the honor of being a part of their lives.

Maureen O'Brien

Maureen joined the Hidden Talents ABA Team in 2020 and has over 15+ years’ of Office Management and Administrative experience. Maureen is that friendly voice that will most likely greet you when you call into the office with a positive attitude and ready to assist with the screening and the ABA authorization process. Maureen said “the best part of my job is working with a phenomenal team and helping as many families as possible.

Olivia Steele

Olivia’s goal is to act as the bridge between our Registered Behavior Therapists and the families that they serve. She has always gravitated towards opportunities that harbor a personal client connection, with a mission statement to always help others.Olivia is passionate about fitness and wellness, spending the last decade as a part time fitness instructor. She most enjoys yoga and Pilates, disciplines that have both physical and meditative benefits. In her free time, she likes crafting and is an amateur woodworker. She is also a big animal lover; she owns a cat and 13 tarantulas.

Arye Hartal

Arye is a Licenced Behavior Analyst and a former airline pilot. His areas of interest include verbal behavior (VBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Improving the quality of life for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families is of great importance to him. Over the course of his career, he has become highly qualified in implementing many ABA techniques including PRT, FCT, ESDM, DTT and NET.

Arye has experience working in the school, community, and home-based settings. His patience, compassion, and knowledge of ABA contributes greatly to the success of the children that he works with. His interests outside of work include volunteering for I Can Bike (teaching kids with disabilities how to ride a bicycle), traveling, spending time with friends and family, playing hockey, and reading.

Joanna Young

Joanna is a graduate of Ball State University and became a licensed, board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) in 2016. She has worked in this field since 2014 in a variety of settings ranging from in-center, in-home, and currently telehealth. Joanna was introduced to the world of behavior analysis as an undergraduate trying to fulfill her degree requirements, which landed her an internship working as an in-home behavior technician. She quickly realized how effective early intervention ABA therapy was and enjoyed seeing her clients gain new skills as they became more independent.

Joanna particularly loves working with children under 3, especially now that she has her own 6-month-old daughter! She is passionate about ensuring ABA strategies and techniques translate well into the home setting and parents feel empowered to help shape their child's life. Joanna joined the Hidden Talents team in March 2021 as a clinical supervisor and works remotely from Houston, TX.

Elissa Watson

Elissa is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst from Greenville, South Carolina. She has a Masters in Science for Psychology with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis and has been working in the field of ABA for 9 years. She has had experience as both an RBT and BCBA in the home, clinical, community, school and telehealth-based environments with a wide range of clients and ages. Elissa, as a part of the Hidden Talents team has broadened her experience to make ABA more accessible to all. When not working, Elissa enjoys spending time with her husband and pets, traveling, and playing music.

Matthew Grennell

Matthew received his Masters of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis in May of 2009 from Florida Institute of Technology. Over the course of his career, Matthew has worked in Florida, Texas and New York, serving both children and adults in both in-home as well as clinic-based settings. The majority of Matthew’s work in Applied Behavior Analysis has been in the in-home setting. Matthew has also consulted with schools and worked as part of multi-disciplinary teams as well as concurrently teaching certification courses for Florida Institute of Technology’s Applied Behavior Analysis program for four years.

Through teaching Matthew was able to not only ensure quality of services provided by himself but also work to ensure that high quality of services could be provided by other Behavior Analysts and service providers. Matthew is very familiar and experienced in working with families to ensure that behavioral progress for every child is maintained in the home through extensive involvement of parents in the process. Matthew has worked primarily with parents and families in all three states he has worked in and has experience with collaborating successfully with all professionals involved in a child’s care.

Matthew believes strongly that a child’s success is best achieved through building skills that maximize success in all areas of their life as a comprehensive approach. Matthew believes that, through this approach, not only does the child benefit directly from improvements in their skill level but the family benefits as well.

Sharifah Christie

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Sharifah moved to America when she was 8 years old. She knew from a young age that she wanted to have a career focused on helping children. In college for her undergraduate program, she studied Speech Pathology at the University of West Georgia. In the later part of the program, she was exposed to the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis and decided to make a switch, eventually graduating with a masters in ABA with an emphasis in Autism at Ball State University. Her fascination with the field deepened as she continued to work as a Behavioral Therapist for over two years.

Desiring to develop in other roles and responsibilities within this field, Sharifah is now managing the administrative aspects of the clinical hiring and training at Hidden Talents and enjoying every moment of it! Sharifah has always said that the most favorite part about her career so far has been the privilege of seeing the progress the kiddos have made overtime and making a difference in their lives while creating a fun learning experience for each of them.

Kimberly Culbreth

Kimberly is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst from South Carolina with more than 10+ years in the ABA field. Kimberly completed her undergrad at Clemson University, and she graduated from Capella University with a Masters of Science in Psychology with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2018. Kimberly is very passionate about working with children with disabilities and helping them succeed. She consistently goes above and beyond for all of her clients.

Kimberly has experience working with children in the home, clinic, community, and telehealth-based settings. She recently started at Hidden Talents to help broaden her experiences with working with children with disabilities. Outside of work Kimberly enjoys spending time with her 3-year-old daughter, traveling, and cooking.

Bisirat Haile

Bisirat Haile is a passionate Board-Certified Behavior Analyst serving her community for over 10 years. Bisirat Has a 10-year track record of working collaboratively with families and RBTs to create lasting change for children with ASD. Bisirat is a telehealth BCBA for Hidden talents. Listening to the priorities of families and earning their trust is extremely important to Bisirat. Bisirat joined the Hidden Talents team as the company shares her commitment to learning and listening to families to provide them support. Bisirat is excited to potentially work with you and provide you support.

Lindsay Campbell

Lindsay Campbell is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Advanced Certified Autism Specialist. She is a future clinical neuropsychologist who is passionate in diagnosing, assessment and creating individualized treatment plans to address each child’s area of need. Lindsay has worked in a variety of settings including forensic, school, home, hospital, and telehealth settings. Lindsay received her dual bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice from California State University, and her Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from National University. After receiving her BCBA, Lindsay went back to complete her Doctorate in Clinical Neuropsychology from California Southern University and will be graduating in 2021 with the highest honors.

Her ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between diagnostic evaluation and treatment with ABA to allow timely access to ABA services. Lindsay believes the most important letters after her name are 'MOM' as she is the mother of an atypical child. She brings a professional and personal perspective to teaching and raising a child with atypical learning skills to build relationships and further support parents. Integrating ABA techniques and evidence-based practices, she believes we can make significant changes to increase skills of children and their family.