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Autism Support Groups In Atlanta

November 18, 2020 by Ben Schorr 0 Comments

What are autism support groups?

A support group provides a safe environment for people with common issues to share stories and information as well as ideas about how to deal with the problems they face. 

Autism is a disorder that can create a lot of turmoil in social relationships, so having a support group can help parents and relatives as well as children connect with other people who are patient and understanding. 

Autism support groups often include activities for both adults and children. Though every group is different, all autistic support groups engage in a variety of activities that are designed to enhance coping strategies, connect people with similar experiences to each other, and create opportunities for participants to learn new techniques for dealing with autism.

The Importance of Having an Autism Support Group

One of the easiest ways to get to know other parents with autistic children is to attend an autism support group and become an active member. Other parents are often the best source of support and information and through a support group, children with autism and Asperger’s can develop important lifelong friendships.

 

Having an autism support group can be beneficial in a variety of ways. The support group functions a lot like a community, providing a sense of connection, information, and resources that may be difficult to find outside of the group. 

Without the group, parents, grandparents, or siblings may feel isolated or alienated by the problems they face. In contrast, if you have a support group to provide you with tools, information, and guidance, you’ll be much better equipped to deal with mental health professionals, teachers and school officials, and other individuals who will have an effect on your child’s life.

 

Autism Support Groups in Atlanta provide services for:

 

  •       Parents
  •       Grandparents
  •       Siblings
  •       Autistic children and children on the autistic spectrum
  •       Asperger’s syndrome children

 

If you live in the Atlanta area check out the top 5 autism support group options listed below: 

The 5 Best Autism Support Groups in the Atlanta Area

 

(If you are looking for ABA therapists in the Atlanta area click on the link.)  

 

1.    Spectrum Autism Support Group

The Spectrum Support group was established in 1998 and they currently serve over 1,500 families in Gwinnett County and the Atlanta metropolitan area. It is a well-known resource in the autistic community. They administer a wide array of different programs for the autism community including:

 

  •       Respite Programs
  •       Monthly Support Groups
  •       Family camps
  •       Overnight Camps
  •       Summer Day Camps
  •       Social Skills Groups

 

The social opportunities are geared toward providing support for the entire family through education and online resources to improve the lives of families and individuals who have been impacted by autism.

 

Mailing Address for Spectrum Autism Support Group, Inc.:

 

P.O. Box 3132

Suwanee, GA 30024

 

Claire Dees – Executive Director

770-617-8775

claire@atl-spectrum.com

 

Mary O’Connell – Social Skills Today and Camp Program Director

mary@socialskillstoday.com

 

General Information and Questions:

info@atl-spectrum.com

 

2.    Autism Speaks Georgia Support Group(s)

Autism Speaks provides both in-person and online support groups for families with special needs children throughout the state of Georgia. As a service to the community, they provide general information about autism. They are dedicated to finding solutions and management strategies for all members of the family across the autism spectrum and for people of all ages.

Through the Autism Speaks organization, parents can access the following services;

 

  •       Fundraising opportunities for research to find better treatments for this disease and other related diseases.
  •       Advocacy
  •       Support

 

Mailing Address for Autism Speaks Georgia:

 

PO Box 199

Rocky Hill, NJ 08553

 

Email:

georgia@autismspeaks.org 

 

General Telephone: 770-451-0570

 

Kimberly Dick – Executive Director

kimberly.dick@autismspeaks.org 

470-377-7963

 

Kaitlyn Morris – Senior Manager

kaitlyn.morris@autismspeaks.org 

470-377-7964

 

Janet Williams – Director

janet.williams@autismspeaks.org

470-377-7966

 

Georgia Parents Support Network (GPSN)

The Georgia Parent Support Network is a group that’s dedicated to providing services to children and families with a variety of different mental health and development issues. They offer the following resources to parents with autistic children:

 

  •       Support
  •       Education
  •       Advocacy

 

Mailing Address for the Georgia Parents Support Network:

 

1381 Metropolitan Parkway

Atlanta, GA 30310

 

Email: info@gpsn.org

 

Telephone: 1-844-278-6945; 404-758-4500

Fax: 404-758-6833

 

Georgia Crisis and Access Line: 1-800-715-4225

Marcus Autism Center Support Group(s)

Marcus Autism Center provides essential resources to families with autistic children, funds groundbreaking research into autism, and offers supportive programs for autistic children and young adults. The center has multiple support groups (such as their bilingual caregiver support group) available to families in need that cater to different populations in the community.

 

Marcus Autism Center offers the following services to families with autistic children:

 

  •       ABA Therapy Program
  •       Severe Behavior Program
  •       Assessment and Diagnosis
  •       Online Tips and Resources
  •       Educational, Training, and Outreach programs

 

Marcus Autism Center is open from 8am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday. Their address and contact information for Marcus Autism Center is listed below:

 

Marcus Autism Center

1920 Briarcliff Road

Atlanta, GA 30329

(404) 785-9400

North Fulton Autism Support Group at Emory Autism Center

The Emory Autism Center is an important community resource center for autistic individuals and their families. The North Fulton Autism Support Group is a notable group in Atlanta that consists of over 450 members that include parents, grandparents, and advocates of autistic children. This group is considered to be one of the most informative and interactive groups in Atlanta. The North Fulton Autism Support Group arranges regular meetings that are based on specific subjects so as to maximize the time used by the group.

 

During meetings, a speaker from the community discusses a preset topic at the beginning of the night, and then parents are free to discuss it with each other afterwards. There is also an online message board available to families.

 

In addition to the North Fulton Autism Support Group, the Emory Autism Center offers the following resources:

 

  •       Behavior Support and Skill-Building Programs
  •       Autism Screening and Assessment (for all ages)
  •       The EAC Educational and Transition Services Program
  •       Childhood Education and Training for Autistic Children

 

The North Fulton Autism Support Group meets at the following address and may be contacted using the information below:

 

TherapyLand

6505 Shiloh Road, Suite 100

Alpharetta, GA 30005

debbiedobbs@comcast.com

(678) 315-2498

 

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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.