Skill Sprout is an agency serving children with developmental disabilities including Autism Spectrum Disorder. Their informational brochures say, “Exceptional Services for Extraordinary Children & Families.” Services include: diagnostic services; social skills training; outpatient therapy services and tutoring. The team of trained professionals, which include a clinical psychologist, speech language pathologist, occupational therapist and licensed clinical professional counselor help provide families with answers as to how to help their child reach his or her potential. Specific programs are designed around goals and priorities for each child. Skill Sprout also has a new Parent Support and Training Group offered at their Peoria location
Katie Jones, MSW, LCSW, Clinical Case Coordinator, says, “I am so inspired by parents who go to such efforts to help their children. We serve children two to 18 years of age using a very individualized approach.” Katie has 20 years of social work experience and was the Director of the Mental Health Association in Peoria for seven years.
Located in Texas and Illinois, Skill Sprout has offices in Normal, Springfield, Washington, and in Peoria at 8500 N. Knoxville Ave. “Skill Sprout is dedicated to the education of children, providing direct services, training & consultation, and educational products.”
“We serve children with all diagnoses,” explains Katie. “Anxiety disorder, speech disorder, children who need enrichment activities, and while the primary condition our kids have is autism, we don’t serve only children with autism.”
Tutoring programs are available to help with writing, math, and study skills. The mission is to maximize a child’s learning so that he/she is not just making progress on goals, but progressing at a maximum rate of learning to make significant gains in the child’s academic skills. Speech therapy services are through experienced speech language pathologists individually, in groups, or in consultation with other members of a child’s therapy team. Occupational therapy services are focused on helping children with the roles they have in life. “The ‘work’ of a child is to play, learn, and develop independence in daily functional routines.” Such “work” includes play skills; social participation; self-care skills like eating, dressing, sleeping; and adaptive skills such as coping strategies, transitions to new environments, and others.
Skill Sprout utilizes peer models to help children learn about taking turns, playing cooperative games, having conversations, and other social skills. Peer models are supervised by a trained facilitator who coaches them on engaging children in positive behaviors. “This helps kids to learn skills such as playing kindly,” says Katie. “Kids can help support each other, learning leadership, kindness, compassion and empathy.”
“Inspire. Teach. Grow.” is part of the message of Skill Sprout. “The children who become resilient, I am inspired by that,” says Katie, proud to be a part of the team that helps children develop such resilience.
For additional information, please call 1-800-773-1682 or go to the website at: www.SkillSprout.com
Those with autism or autism spectrum disorders often have some difficulty in social situations, communication, and repetitive behaviors. The symptoms can show up in varying degrees. A diagnosis of autism can help in finding the right kind of medical, educational, and therapeutic services.
Seven Red Flags for Identifying Possible Autism:
1. No big smiles or other warm, joyful expression by six months or thereafter.
2. No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter.
3. No babbling by 12 months.
4. No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months.
5. No words by 16 months.
6. No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months.
7. Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age.
Skill Sprout offers free screenings. Call 1-800-773-1682 for scheduling.