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< Back LOCAL Closer Look: Autism Community Network Felipe Aguilar Feb 4, 2024 Felipe Aguilar talks with Adrienne Gaither, Director of Caregiver Empowerment and Occupational Therapist, Autism Community Network (ACN) in San Antonio. Gaither provides a historical and organizational overview of ACN. She also describes ACN’s mission as it applies to providing care to persons with Autism. Gaither gives some practical guidelines for caregivers of children with Autism and talks about the importance of early diagnosis. She describes services and resources that ACN provides to children and adults with Autism diagnosis. Learn more at ( https://www.acn-sa.org ). Listen to the interview here: https://www.klove.com/news/closer-look/hot-topx/local-closer-look-autism-community-network-san-antonio-7191 Previous Next

< Back 'Emergent and transactional': How Jonathan Green is Rethinking Autism and Interventions Brady Huggett Aug 28, 2023 Brady Huggett Hi, I am Brady Huggett, the enterprise editor at Spectrum. Recently, a paper was published in the journal Child and Adolescent Mental Health. The paper was written by Jonathan Green, a researcher and clinician at the University of Manchester at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, and Manchester Academic Health Science Center, all in Manchester, U.K. The article is titled “Debate: Neurodiversity, autism and healthcare.” There have since been a few commentaries in response to Jonathan's article, and it has generated some online chatter, which is not unusual around these topics. So we wanted to talk with Jonathan about this paper, why he wrote it, what his key themes are, and also discuss the early reaction to it. That's what I've done. That's the focus of this interview. We talked on August 3rd, 2023, morning for me and, and mid-afternoon for Jonathan in Manchester. And before we get going, I'll say that if you are listening to this on a podcast app, on spectrumnews.org , the posting for this interview includes links to some of the papers that Jonathan and I discuss. So that's all you need to know. We'll start here, where I'm asking Jonathan how this paper came about. [transition music] All right. So, Jonathan, I think the first thing that we should talk about is your impetus for writing this paper. What were you thinking about and how'd you come up with this topic? Jonathan Green Yeah. Um, thanks, Brady. Um, I think the, uh, the occasion of writing the paper really came from the current, uh, very fluid, contentious, and often really difficult situation for clinicians, uh, with the current status of autism, debates around neurodiversity, etc. I was asked to write the paper, actually, after I delivered a lecture about the history of autism- history of the autism concept, and how I thought it had altered over time, and, uh, what I thought the current- uh, what I called the paradigm shift, uh, real, real turning, pivoting points now were, and-and they asked me to write this, uh, this contribution after that. I've worked as a clinician in this field for 30 years or so, and as also a clinical scientist. And I just know the complexity for, uh, clinicians in this field at the moment and the pressures they're under. So this is partly to-to help them. Brady Huggett Can I ask, you-you said you were asked to write the paper, that's by the journal, the journal asked you to write the paper? Jonathan Green Uh, yeah. That's exactly, yeah. Brady Huggett Yeah. OK. And I was gonna ask too, who-who you thought the audience was, and it's for clinicians. I mean, really you're trying to lay forth some new thoughts for clinicians here. Jonathan Green Yeah, I've- that-that's-that is the case, uh, Brady. I, um, I have written some other papers on this topic recent- the last couple of years, which have really been addressed as much or more to the, uh, broad scientific, uh, uh, professional audience, um, and also to the neurodiversity community, and of course, in this modern, uh, media age, you know, that I-I'm totally aware that what I wrote in this paper, although I had clinicians in mind, um, of course, other people will read it, and they have, and they've commented. So, uh, you know, that's-that's just normal these days. Brady Huggett So you, I think, most recently, you-you wrote on this topic in October of 2022. Jonathan Green Yeah. I wrote a-a paper called “Autism as, um, Emergent and Transactional,” um, which is- was a theory paper that really folds into this. And perhaps it would be useful just to explain the origin of these ideas, um, which really lay-lay behind the-the argument in the paper. So earlier in my, uh, career, I, uh, my, uh, my first, uh, area of, uh, research, developmental research actually was in individual different psychology, and particularly in temperamental variation in newborns and, uh, early infancy and its consequence. Uh, so I was, um, very much involved in the-the notion of individual difference and its consequences in development. And within that, the study of temperament historically, uh, I think was a very interesting paradigm where the downstream consequences of early individual difference, which was largely assumed to be genetic in origin, was, uh, plotted in longitudinal studies. And this notion, uh, arose of the so-called transactional relationship between individual difference in development and the world around the individual. So I was imbued in that and in the sort of intervention research that was done early on, which showed that actually, with the right kind of intervention early on, one could actually mitigate the downstream effects of early difference and improve, uh, downstream outcomes, but within this transactional context. So, long story short, around 2000, uh, the turn of the century, um, I began with colleagues to apply this idea to autism as a developmental difference. And basically, we showed in these programs really quite strikingly that actually, you could alter the transactional dynamics early on with autistic difference. And actually, uh, more strikingly than that because that had- that's pretty common knowledge in a lot of intervention procedures, but then actually this-this altered and improved downstream autism, uh, phenotype. So this was not done with high-functioning autism. This was done with kids who are largely, uh, minimally-- well, uh, or, uh, didn't have free speech and had reduced IQ. This underlay the paper I-I wrote in last year on, uh, “Autism as Emergent and Transactional.” And you can see how the logic came from that. That's-that's-that's the second bit. And the third bit that underlays this paper is my engagement with the neurodiversity community and autism advocates over the last five, six, seven years, which has been quite intensive. And I've really engaged them, uh, quite deeply in phenomenological work. And, uh, thinking about their own experience and understanding the-the neurodiversity community and advocacy movements and all of those three things together then led me to the kind of position that, um, I'm talking about in the-in the paper here. Brady Huggett And so it's- OK, those are the roots. And you've sort of applied this to our current moment, if you will. And I think early in the paper, you said that there is a receding horizon for the scientific goals around autism, which I thought was a really interesting way to say it. Can you sort of expand on what you mean by that idea, that this is a receding horizon? Jonathan Green That was-that was put sort of purposefully like that to just- I-I think, um- I mean one anecdote to-to exemplify it, when I first worked in autism seriously in the '90s, uh, I was part of the first large, uh, international autism genetics consortium, which was looking at molecular genetics and-and at a big population level and big data. And we started out, I mean, I was junior in the-in the consortium, but, uh, which was led by Michael Rutter at that time. But, you know, I realized that it started out with basically a modeling that there would be probably six genes of main effect that would actually determine autism. That's where it was at the time, around 1995, right? And what I've seen in that consortium, and we've seen over the- over the time, of course, is thatthat wasn't the case, that we've now got maybe 1,000 genes of sm- uh, of small effects, CNVs, plus of course, uh, uh, proportion like 14 percent or so of-of single-gene disorders of main effect that are associated with autism. So- but if you look at common familial autism, this is a polygenic condition. And, um, so there's a-a receding horizon on the genetic silver bullet, right? Which is what we started with. There's also a receding horizon on, um, biomarker identification, not only a genetic, but at a neuroscience level. So I've been involved in a lot of the early babysibs projects in terms of early neurodevelopmental studies. Bottom line, we haven't got a-a simple, um, uh, early marker, predictive marker for-for autism in that sense. I- so that's what I mean by a receding horizon, Brady, um, and the idea that, you know, which some, uh, people misunderstand, that a lot of genetic research basically implies eugenics i-is-is kind of scientifically nonsensical. We'll never find a-a gene, um, marker, a prenatal gene marker that would enable that. Brady Huggett Yeah. So that led you to write, I think that you called it an- right now we are- there's an unparalleled flux in our understanding of autism, right? Jonathan Green Yeah. Brady Huggett And-and as you said, 1994, everyone sort of thought they-they- we would figure it out, it'd be very simple. That's been not the case at all. And now we're sort of in this area where, um, it's not clear what might be known or what even isn't known yet. And that, I think is what led you to sort of say, "Now we need to think about treatment differently." Jonathan Green That's true. I mean, I don't wanna under-underestimate, uh, and under-respect the huge science work that's gone on and the amount we've learned from it, but I think what we've learned Brady Huggett Oh, sure. Jonathan Green What we've learned is complexity and Brady Huggett Yes. Yeah. Jonathan Green -uh, you know, we need to take a different paradigm view. And, uh, the other aspect of the paradigm shift is-is like what we-what we mean by autism. I mean, one of the sections in my paper was, “What is ‘autism’ anyway?” And, you know, and that's come under a lot of debate. And I do think that the advocacy movement has brought into play for us in the clinical science community vividly the lived experience of autism, and that- and the importance of that in our consideration. Brady Huggett OK. So, if we have this idea that autism now is, uh, emergent and transactional, and that's gonna lead hopefully to a new way to treat aspects of autism, I suppose. Take me through how that works and sort of what's needed to be uniformly believed, or not maybe not uniformly, collectively believed in order for that to work. And you-you've laid out three or four things that need to happen. Jonathan Green Yeah. I mean, what I suggest is-is that we need to have a more of a shared understanding that what we call autism is rather a dynamic entity. You know, when I first started in the field, there was this, like, quite preformist idea, really, that autism was a neurological, uh, disorder, uh, that emerged over time as sort of biological emergence. Um, and, uh, it was nothing you could do about it. Certainly, in the U.K., it was total therapeutic nihilism that you could do anything about this unfolding, right? Um, and I think we-we do need to change that. I think the work I've done in-in our therapy program and other people too have shown that no, this- there is, you know, within limits, there is, uh, work that one can do on the environmental aspects around autism that can really cha- substantially change things. So I think we need to do that. And, um, you know, I think we need to seriously realize that we can actually invest in really good early environmental adaptations right from the get-go that could make at least some difference to the evolution of the phenotype. And I've-I've suggested in the paper that, um, we really need to recast our intervention model to be much more proactive, more, um, preventative in orientation, uh, rather than reactive and firefighting, uh, which is so much of what goes on at the moment. Uh, but there's also the need, and this is another aspect of the paper, uh, we need to, uh, avoid culture wars around, um, you know, uh, fighting about what autism is and, um, which is a really unfortunate aspect at the moment. And-and so I wanted to try and create a kind of shared language, um, model that-that would be at least reasonably acceptable to, um, both the, um, the neurodiversity community and also to the, uh, community of, um, adults and parents whose, uh, whose children and adults who have major disability, you know, and no one is underestimate- certainly not me, since I've worked with them for 30 years, underestimating, uh, the-the importance of that and the need. So, uh, this, the idea that, you know, that intervention is-is-is inappropriate is-is not compatible with clinical experience. And there's- so there are real dilemmas here that we have to really, uh, talk about together. Brady Huggett Yeah. So the-the idea basically in this, you know, as you said, we're in this unparalleled flux of our understanding, is to maybe make a shift from, "Hey, we're looking for these genes so that we can affect these genes," to autism is emergent. How do we change the environment so that this autistic person, this autistic young child, flourishes so that their outcome is improved? Jonathan Green Yeah. That- in a- in a nutshell, that is exactly the paradigm, and it-it-it-it-it-its orientation is-is to, um, accept and value the difference, but to try and optimize the outcomes as much as one possibly can. And what we can do in health care, I think, is this early intervention piece, but of course, it links with societal change, uh, with change in the workplace and all sorts of other things that are beyond earlier education, that are beyond health care to actually within the same model of accommodation to improve flourishing and outcomes. Brady Huggett You just- you-you just mentioned, and you mentioned this in the paper, that there's been this sort of fracturing of the landscape. The neurodiversity movement has brought like, uh, just a ton of attention to things that were not being looked at before, honestly, and that- and that has bumped up against the medical community, which is sort of looking at autism as this medical condition, right? This is the social model versus the medical model that you-you alluded to before, and you're hoping the paper might sort of help stop the fracturing. Do you think it's been able to do that? I know it's early days, of course, the paper's not even out in print yet, but what is your thoughts about this after having been out for a while? Jonathan Green Uh, well, obviously, the paper in itself won't do it, but, um, I think that I am committed to a-a-a common language. I think, uh, as I- and I wrote about this a bit more extensively in the-the 2000-the 2022 paper on, uh, emergence and transaction that, you know, we have-- part of the whole remit of clinical science has been to integrate the basic biology, basic science, clinical practice, and-and social understanding, youyou know, to have a unified view is-is so powerful. And, um, so how are we gonna do that? Well, we do need a model, and that's what I'm trying to present here. We do need a model of thinking, but then of course, we need, um, dialogue, and we need engagement with each other. And, uh, I try and do as much of that as I can myself and others that are also doing it. And they'll need to be given on both sides. That's obvious, uh, because there is a, uh, a lot of incompatibility. You know, one thing I-I don't want my model to-to underplay is the, um, the disability aspects of a lot of autism and/or to overplay how much treatment can do. I think it can do a lot, and we've shown this empirically what it can do, but it-it's not a magic cure. And I think from the other side, there's-there's too much defensiveness about the-the felt threat from neurodiversity language, um, the social model and, uh, advocacy community. And, uh, and it-it sort of, uh, I mean there are de- there-there are trigger areas around which this revolves, of course. I mean, one is the notion that, um, any intervention or treatment is, uh, is basically destroying autism or under- or-or trying to wipe it out, uh, that sort of eugenics narrative, which is, you know, a-a tough one. And, um, when I'm in the room with autistic advocates and, uh, we can really talk this through, I-I think and hope that there's a- there can be a bit of mutual understanding here. And I hope that the kind of treatment model I'm proposing is more acceptable because this is not about changing or wiping out autism, it is about, uh, supporting it. You know, that's the argument we've made, and I think generally that's been understood and supported by- Brady Huggett Yeah. Jonathan Green -many. Brady Huggett Yeah. So, let-let me-let me ask about that 'cause I think-I think when- you tell me what-what feedback you've gotten on this paper already, but I think the idea would be for a neurodiverse advocate, if they-if they read this paper, they would say what they're doing is trying to lessen autistic traits and therefore make me less autistic, and that is what they're fighting against. Jonathan Green Well, yeah. This is-this is, uh, a complex, very nuanced, um, uh, argument here. I mean, it's-it's-it's so interesting because it comes up against autism identity. So, there's a social identity model and argument, but a lot of it gets tied to this behavioral phenotype definition diagnosis. Now, this is a complex argument because if people then say, "Well, no, you're- then you are taking away my autism identity," what I say is, no, I'm not, I'm-I'm really not doing that. But the-the nature of autism development is like all our developments, all our identity develops in over time. You know, none of it's pre-formed. None of us have a preformed identity, and I don't believe autism identity is preformed either. Um, you know, and so one has to-to take this developmental argument, but of course, in the social space, autism identity is a binary, and it's a valued identity. And so that is a very reala very real dialogue and challenge, a mutual challenge I-I'd say. But from a- I think what I'd be saying, and the- and this is where I think the phenomenology is important, is that we actually think from the phenomenology work that we've done that the-the core neurodivergent phenotype may lie slightly be-behind what the behavioral phenotype currently tells us, so that if you listen to autistic people and their experience, actually, their experience doesn't really map onto the DSM category. You know, their-their experience is of an overwhelming world, a huge sensitivity, which often has great benefits as well as difficulties associated with it, an attentional style, which is highly focused at times, and then, uh, feels pretty, uh, chaotic at other times, but again, has some very, uh, powerful strengths to it. And all of this, of course, is from the, um, verbal advocacy and this is often what's criticized about. It's not representative, but it-it's a very important group, and these people can tell us what it feels like to be autistic. And what they tell us doesn't map onto DSM very well. We may want to alter the phenotype a bit, which may in turn alter what people think of as the autistic identity. And it's not the same as the ADOS thing that we measure and that we change because what I'm a-arguing is that what we are changing is downstream effects, which is not quite- which is slightly different. So it's a-it's a subtle argument, but I hope that's clear. And one other thing I wanna say is that intellectual disability associated with autism is another big issue here. So that for children who are non- and-and adults who are non-communicative, who have- or nonspeaking, um, who-who are really cognitively, uh, delayed and autistic, what's their lived experience? Is that a very different kind of thing? And a lot of the time, we just don't know that because we haven't been creative enough in being able to access their experience. And I think that is a-an area that we're gonna need to really look at. Brady Huggett I-I wanted to ask a thing too because you-you mentioned- in the paper, you actually mentioned that you'd worked on another paper with three autistic colleagues of yours, and you sort of went back over your earlier lives and you realized there were some similarities in the way that, um, you developed versus the way they developed, and also some differences. But on this-on this paper, you're the only author, but did you run this past some of those same colleagues? Jonathan Green Uh, yes. Yes. The, um, uh-uh, these ideas have been, uh, talked about with them. I mean, I'm not- I'm not saying that they would agree with everything I've written here, but they're familiar with these, uh, with the model that I've put forward. And, um, I think I've learned a lot from them, which has also illuminated thethe model. So, uh, Jo Bervoets, who I, uh, reference in the article is one of those colleagues that I wrote that paper with. So, uh, I'm not- I'm not claiming they'd sign up to this, [chuckles] but, um, you know, that- I-I hope that this is something- my informal feedback is that this is, uh, something that's at least to-to some of those colleagues is-is an acceptable kind of way of framing the thing. Yeah. Brady Huggett Yeah. A couple of things I wanna ask you and then we're done, but one is, what feedback have you seen? Again, it's not out in print, but it is online, and as you said, it has been disseminated widely. What feedback have you seen? I mean, I have some- I have seen people online saying things like, "This is eugenics," as you mentioned, right? Um, what-what feedback have you gotten? Jonathan Green Uh, well, there are- there are a couple of, um, published commentaries on the paper. So the-the journal, uh, commissioned, uh, actually three commentaries, uh, but two are- two are in at the moment. Um, and so they're available, so you can see those. One is from a-an autistic, uh, advocate, uh, academic, and the other from a clinical science, uh, colleague. Um, so there, you'll see there- I mean the-the, um, if I distilled it down, the-the-the feedback from the clinical science colleague is largely, um, I-I would say supportive of the model. Uh, the-the autistic, uh, advocate, uh, colleague, particularly focused on a-a lack of, um, in this, what- in my paper, on a lack of attention to autistic identity. And I think she's right to do that. I don't think I have talked about that, uh-uh, very much. Uh, partly it's because I don't feel really qualified to do so. She makes some points that, you know, that-that there's not enough attention to that. And I, you know, I do accept that that is a-a legitimate area where we have to really wrestle and discuss together about those things 'cause there are some paradoxes in there. Otherwise, um, online, yeah, there's been, uh, some of the sort of Twitter commentary around eugenics, which is, you know, I think is a bit, um, it's like any-anything that in- that-that suggests intervention at this current time can provoke that, uh, kind of feedback. And I hope I've tried, really tried hard to, um, to explain why I think that this, the kind of intervention certainly, that we are talking about here, um, its-its aim is to- is to validate and to support, uh, neurodiversity rather than, uh, get rid of it. Um Brady Huggett Yeah. Jonathan Green -so Brady Huggett Yeah. Jonathan Green -uh, you know, you do what- one does one's best with that. Brady Huggett Yeah. So just the final question. You know, this-this paper mentions neurodiversity throughout, and the word has, I mean, grown exponentially since it was first coined. And I think, almost that everybody has their own definition of what that word means, and I'm wondering how you would define neurodiversity. Jonathan Green Um, yeah. So I-I don't think I would want to, um, hazard an overall definition because, as you say, this is a term that has been used so differently by different people. I mean, of course, it-it began as a-a-a term of, uh, assertion really, of the importance of um, you know, neurological differences. Um, and it-it-it came from the, you know, neurodiversity community, um, uh, as a-as a- an idea. And I think it really applies to the idea that there is a range of brain difference. Uh, and I suppose whatwhat is, um, controversial about it or-or radical about it, is how wide you take that net. You know, we-we could, you know, think about, um, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, you know, these things are all very, uh, you know, and they're not really pathologized as it were really within the developmental science. And then you- then you can think about ADHD, uh, another neurodevelopmental condition that is, as it were, "pathologized", intellectual disability, Tourette syndrome, anorexia, schizotypy. Uh, so it's, uh, how broad you-you embrace the differences here. So that's an important thing, is like there's a range of, as it were, normative variation. And it's how broad, and I think the neurodiversity community would often wanna argue for a very broad definition of-of-of this. So, uh, and then, of course, there's the idea that-that the concurrent with that is the-the fact that the people should have equal social rights, um, and, uh-uh, so as a sort of social activism. Um, you know, I think that then if you are- OK, so how do I respond? Well, basically the idea is in essence intuitive to me from, as I said, I started off with the idea of individual difference, um, uh, research. And a lot of this is just a reframing of that. Uh, you know, we know a lot of the genetics research has suggested there are a lot of common genetics, uh, between these different conditions. I'm personally more of a splitter than a lumper. So I like to keep, uh, these-these individual conditions, I think have very particular characteristics. And I don't wanna lump them all together into one thing, but there'sthere's-there's is clearly a family of neuro-neuro difference. [chuckles] So, yeah, I think, um, neurodiversity is quite an interesting concept, both scientifically in terms of shared genetics. Um, you know, and you maybe were, uh, familiar with the essence, uh, model of, uh, Chris Gillberg, which he's talked for many years about how all these conditions are all somewhat part of a one group. Um, and I've personally not really agreed with him, but, you know, it's there, that he's argued that for many years. And I don't think there's a big difference between that and a lot of what the advocacy community say from their own lived experience perspective, to be honest. And I think we can learn a lot from each other about that. Brady Huggett Uh, that was a- one of the longest definitions of neurodiversity I've ever heard, but-but a complex one. I like it, thank you. Thank you. Um, that's-that's all I had, Jonathan. Uh, thanks for taking the time to talk about your paper and Jonathan Green OK. Brady Huggett -uh, good luck with it. Jonathan Green Thank you. Previous Next

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Frequently asked questions. General Services Autism Clinic How is ACN connected to the neurodiversity movement? ACN identifies as an ally of the neurodiversity movement, promoting empowerment, connection, and communication within the autism community. Our staff engages in regular training regarding implementation of neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based practices, and many of us have lived experience of having a loved one on the spectrum. Who leads ACN and provides its services? ACN is led by professionals and a dedicated board, many of whom are parents or family members of neurodivergent individuals, ensuring first-hand understanding of caregivers' challenges. How can I get involved with ACN? You can get involved with ACN by attending events, participating in programs, volunteering, or making a donation to support our mission. How can families benefit from ACN's services? At ACN, we empower the family & caregivers to be the best providers they can be. We help guide you and help you show up for your autistic loved one. Families can also benefit from ACN's services by gaining access to early diagnosis, therapies, resources, support groups, and empowerment programs. Is ACN's assistance available in Spanish? (hablamos español?) Yes, ACN provides assessments, therapies, and resources in both Spanish and English to meet the diverse needs of families. Sí, ACN brinda evaluaciones, terapias y recursos tanto en español como en inglés para satisfacer las diversas necesidades de las familias. How can I support ACN's mission? Tell your friends about us and the work we are doing. You can also support ACN's mission by making donations to help us continue providing high-quality services and resources to the autism community. How can I become a volunteer for ACN? Just reach out! Send us an e-mail to info@acn-sa.org. We've got great things coming up and can always use your help! Does ACN collaborate with other organizations? Yes, quite a few actually! ACN prioritizes forming partnerships and alliances with like-minded organizations to create a broader network of support for the autistic community. Reach out if you think we might be a good match for you. How does ACN contribute to the San Antonio community? ACN strives to make the San Antonio community more accessible and supportive for individuals with autism and their caregivers. Our new inner west side campus is here to serve, and we welcome everyone to take part in raising the bar for autism care and inclusivity in South Texas. How does ACN promote autism awareness and acceptance? ACN's programs, services, and events all work towards raising awareness and promoting acceptance of autism within the community. We encourage aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, and first responders, everyone to join our herd and create a circle of protection around the autistic individuals that make our world so special. How can I stay informed about ACN's events and programs? You can stay informed about ACN's events and programs by attending Coffee and Connections sessions, signing up for the blog, subscribing to our emails, following us on social media, or checking out our events page. What is the difference between Pre-K and ECSE? ECSE stands for Early Childhood Special Education. It is a program for children 3-6 years old that have received an educational evaluation and qualify for special education services to help transition into the school setting. Pre-K is typically provided to children 3-4 years old. Program admission is based on a variety of factors. If you are interested in your child attending either of these programs, you should speak to your local school district. Does my child have to be toilet-trained to go to school? No. When a child with developmental differences qualifies through educational testing for a classroom called Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), they do not need to be toilet-trained to attend. In fact, goals related to your child’s education will be made specifically for them based on this educational testing, and often, toilet-training is one of those goals. This means that the school staff will partner with you to help get your child toilet trained as part of their individual education plan (IEP). Please note that the ECSE classroom is different than a Pre-K 3 or Pre-K 4 classroom because it falls under the special education umbrella, and children must qualify for the program through individualized educational evaluation. My child has a school diagnosis, do they need a medical diagnosis as well? Your child will benefit from having both a school diagnosis, which is called educational eligibility, and a confirmed medical diagnosis of autism. Educational eligibility will assure that your child is given the correct variety and intensity of educationally-focused therapies and supports, while a medical diagnosis helps your child gain further access to clinical supports that might be recommended. It is important to note that children do not have to wait for a medical diagnosis of autism to gain access to therapy, as even a determination of developmental or speech-language delay might open the doors for your child to begin intervention as early as possible. How do I know if my child has been medically diagnosed? At Autism Community Network, you will receive direct feedback from the doctor and other members of the diagnostic team at the end of your visit. During this conversation, your child’s unique profile will be discussed at length, along with recommendations for support, and you will have ample opportunity to ask any questions you may have. When you receive the full report, this diagnosis will be stated in the document, and you will have the opportunity to schedule a follow-up session with our LCSW to review results and any further questions you may have. Still can't find what you're looking for? Write us a short message and well get back to you right away! First Name Last Name Email Write a message Thanks for submitting! Submit

< Back Jarrod Purkeypile, MA CCC-SLP Speech Language Pathologist Jarrod Purkeypile began his speech pathology journey after earning two unrelated undergraduate degrees from Southwestern Adventist University and volunteering for two years in South America. In 2014, he completed his master's degree from the University of Kansas and moved to Oklahoma City to join their only bilingual pediatric therapy clinic. After the birth of his first son, Jarrod and his family moved to San Antonio, where he worked for 8 years in the home health industry, before finding ACN in 2024. Jarrod has experience working in schools, clinics, homes, daycares, summer camps, children's gyms, and from home via telehealth. His talents include silly voices, juggling, imaginative play, cartwheels, storytelling, and more. Outside of work, Jarrod keeps himself busy with his 3 lively children and his beautiful wife, Eileen. His home is always full of soccer balls, Lego robotics, tabletop artwork, dark chocolate, and blissful noise. He enjoys dates at the Tobin, watching cartoon movies, playing sports, and the occasional free moment. jarrod.purkeypile@acn-sa.org 210-435-1000

The center. 535 Bandera Rd, San Antonio, TX 78228 Harvey E. Najim Campus The Harvey E. Najim Campus, generously donated by Harvey E. Najim, is dedicated to the service of the autism community. Our new center opened its doors in July 2023 and allows us to provide state-of-the-art treatments and diagnostics for individuals in need. We are also able to scale our services to better meet the needs of the growing population we serve. We are proud to announce that we will begin offering adult services in the near future. Our goal is to ensure the autism community in South Texas has a place to call home with all the support they need. What the new campus means for you. New programs & services Less diagnostic wait time. You have spoken, and we have heard you. Our new campus houses +4 new employees and 2 more observation rooms to handle multiple screenings at once. Our goal is to significantly reduce the time spent on our waiting list. More inclusivity. Our new campus allows us to offer expanded, wrap-around services for the whole family. Additionally, we can now provide more long-term support for our children as they age. Better community integration. Our generous donors at Valero have made it possible to host community events and resource fairs in our fully equipped Valero Community Center. From Camp AUsome! to our sensory-friendly holiday events, we are sparking a flame in the ever-growing autism community. Cozier environments. When you step into our building, you'll notice something special. We've designed it to feel just like home - cozy, welcoming, and peaceful. You won't find harsh fluorescent lights or noisy, echoing hallways here. Instead, we've crafted sensory-friendly spaces, not just rooms. Smarter play. We are huge proponents of learning social skills through play and child-led interactions, so we have created our space to be targeted to the autistic person and their caregivers. From the customizable projections on the climbing wall to the state-of-the-art video rePLAY system, we put play first. Relevant learning spaces. There is a world of opportunity out there, and big futures await. We have added immersive environments dedicated to teaching autistic children and their caregivers daily life skills. We look forward to seeing you in our teaching kitchen or back for Camp We:CODE. Leave your mark. ACN is providing exciting naming opportunities for our new campus. Name a wing, room, or help us pave our entryway with a dedicated brick. You can donate to ACN and support us in our effort to develop an amazing new facility. Donate today and make your mark on ACN! Customize a brick Location location location. Where we are building. Our new campus is located in the inner-west side of San Antonio, Texas. We believe that being in this area provides a centralized location to serve all of San Antonio. We're proud to serve from here and look forward to creating new relationships in the community. Please come by for a visit! Book your next event in our Valero Community Center. ACN's new campus features the amazing Valero Community Center annex space, fully renovated and equipped with a catering kitchen, restrooms, and floor-to-ceiling windows that open to the outdoors. For more information contact: info@acn-sa.org

Our Valero Community Center is your next spot . The valero cc offers 986 sqft of Check Availability About the Valero Community Center Amenities Degree University Name Briefly describe your degree and any other highlights about your studies you want to share. Be sure to include relevant skills you gained, accomplishments you achieved or milestones you reached during your education. Scheduling Degree University Name Briefly describe your degree and any other highlights about your studies you want to share. Be sure to include relevant skills you gained, accomplishments you achieved or milestones you reached during your education. Table of Fees Degree University Name Briefly describe your degree and any other highlights about your studies you want to share. Be sure to include relevant skills you gained, accomplishments you achieved or milestones you reached during your education. Rental options. 2 day rental I’m a paragraph. Double click me or click Edit Text, it's easy. Book now 1 day rental I’m a paragraph. Double click me or click Edit Text, it's easy. Book now 4 hr Rental I’m a paragraph. Double click me or click Edit Text, it's easy. Book now Valero supports ACN you can too! As a non-profit, ACN depends on the support of companies like yours. No matter the size, your gift makes a difference. Donate

< Back CHILDCARE About Childcare Services Our childcare resources provide information on finding high-quality childcare options for individuals with autism. These resources can help families find providers who are trained and equipped to support children with autism and provide them with the care they need. CHILDCARE PROVIDERS Brightstar Kid Care 210.377.3355 Web: www.brightstarcare.com/san-antonio-north-central-/child-care/ 7410 Blanco RD, Ste. 200, SA TX 78216 We offer flexible sick-day childcare and sitter services and pediatric home care; including a wide range of home care services for children with special needs. Our clinical caregivers are experts in well-baby and newborn care. Our in-hospital companions give family caregivers a respite break and peace of mind that their child is being looked after when in the hospital. Brighton Center 210.826.4492 Web: www.brightonsa.org 14207 Higgins RD, SA TX 78217 Bright Beginnings Child Care Center: NAEYC Accredited Center, curriculum is designed to meet the needs of each child based on his/her developmental level; ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Family Endeavors 210.208.5700 Web: www.familyendeavors.org 535 Bandera RD, SA TX 78228 This agency provides a myriad of programs including Fairweather Programs; Supportive housing; job training; employment; case management; and supportive services provided to individuals and mothers with disabilities and their children. Children & Youth Services; Licensed after school programs; childcare & learning centers; and summer day camps. Joy Learning Center - Child Care 210.736.2552 250 Sherwood Dr, SA TX 78201 JLC provides quality childcare for children diagnosed with Autism between the ages of 18 mos. - 12 yrs. Specialized in early learning intervention and individualized instruction for children with language and learning disabilities. Low Page 39 staff to child ratio and staff holds degrees in occupational and speech therapy; psychology and ABA. Mi CASA 210.561.7660 Web: www.micasachildcenter.com 8601 Cinnamon Creek, SA TX 78240 A day program for school age students, from 6:30 a.m. till 6:30 p.m. Respite Care of San Antonio – Daycare 210.737.1212 Web: www.respitecaresa.org Christ Episcopal Church, 605 Belknap Pl., SA, TX 78212 Families may bring their children (6 wks. To 5 yrs.) with special needs and complex medical conditions, Monday - Friday from 7:30pm – 4pm (extended care 4pm -6pm); non-disabled siblings (up to the age of 5) welcome. Study Hall Learning Center 210.615.0565 Web: www.studyhalldaycare.com Multiple Locations Summit Christian Center 210.402.0565 Web: www.summitsa.com/ministries 2575 Marshall RD, SA TX 78259 Summit offers many different programs dependent upon the age of your child. They offer a nursery for ages 2 months to 3 years; a King’s Court - ages 4 to 1st grade; Elevate - grades 2nd through 5th; Emerge - grades 6th through 8th; The X - grades 9th through 12th and other young adults programs. They also offer divorce care for children of divorced parents; which includes a program to help kids deal with the hurt caused by the separation; provides special needs Sunday school classes with a trained staff. Also offers Parents and Challenges Support Group and field trips for children ages 2 to 18. CHILDCARE REFERRAL & RESOURCES City of S.A. - Head Start 210.206.5500 Web: saheadstart.org 1227 Brady Blvd, SA, TX 78207 Family Service Association - Smart Start 210.299.2400 Web: www.family-service.org E-Mail: support@family-service.org 702 San Pedro, SA, TX 78212 Provides consultants who assist with connections to local child care resources and community agencies, as well as national agencies and information; SMART START Connections is a network member of the National and Texas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Association (NACCRRA and TACCRRA) and the national Child Care Aware system. Basic services are no charge. Online Child Care Search Web Only Web: https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Care/Search_Texas_Child_Care/ Spectrum Sitters, LLC 512.777.2676 Web: www.Spectrum-Sitters.com E-Mail: contact@spectrum-sitters.com Serving Central Texas; Texas Association of Child Care Resource Specialized Sitters for Special needs children. Provide both on call sitters, as well as long term sitter referrals. Texas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies 210.299.2424 Web: www.taccrra.net 702 San Pedro Ave., SA TX 78212 Assists in locating a network of childcare resource and referral agencies serving communities throughout Texas; includes help for childcare for children with special needs. Texas Department of Family & Protective Services 210.333.2004 Web: www.txchildcaresearch.org Provides an online search of all Texas licensed facilities including center-based childcare and home-based childcare. Database is searchable by location and programs provided, such as special needs care, acceptance of childcare subsidies and transportation. Inspection reports of facilities available online. Previous Next

< Back ADULT & TRANSITION AGE SERVICES About Adult & Transition Age Services As individuals with autism transition into adulthood, they face new challenges related to employment, independent living, and social engagement. Our resource library provides information on services and programs designed to support adults with autism, including day programs, vocational training, supported employment, and social skills groups. We also provide information on legal and financial planning options for families preparing for their loved one's transition into adulthood DAY PROGRAMS The Arc of San Antonio - Life Enrichment 210.490.4300 Web: www.arc-sa.org 13430 West Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78216 6530 Wurzbach, San Antonio, TX 78240 Beach House Arts Day School 210.549.0067 Web: bhaonline.company.site 114 N. Ellison Dr. #403 Serving both teens and adults with IDD. CALAB Activity Center 210.647.0191 Web: www.calabinc.com 6470 Heath RD., San Antonio, TX 78250 Vocational Program, Day Habilitation, HCS Services and other services offered. Educare Community Living Corporation 210.979.7009 3700 Belgium Lane, SA TX 78219 Business Office & Day Habilitation Helping Hands – UUMC 210.690-7303 Web: https://www.helpinghandsdayprogram.org 5084 De Zavala Rd., San Antonio, TX 78230 Helping hands is a part of the special needs ministry at University United Methodist Church. Helping hands is a pre-vocational day habilitation program that serves higher functioning adults with special needs who need a place to grow, develop skills, and establish life-long friendships. Helping Hands offers daily tasks and activities to adults who have intellectual and developmental challenges. Homelife And CommunityServices; Inc 210.736.3334 Web: www.homelifeandcommunityservices.com 2401 Wilson Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78228 A Home and Community Based Services (HCS) provider agency; must have Medicaid and be registered through AACOG (Alamo Area Council of Governments) to qualify for services with this agency. Offers community support; day habilitation; respite; employment assistance; individual competitive employment; dental and nursing services; physical therapy; dietary services; counseling and day habilitation summer camp; serves Bexar County residence of all ages. Mission Road Ministries - Adult Programs 210.924.9265 Web: www.missionroadministries.org/unicorn/about 8706 Mission RD, San Antonio, TX 78214 Mission Road Ministries provides residential; day service; employment guidance and vocational programs for adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD). To qualify for assistance; individuals must have a diagnosed IDD and have Medicaid. Private pay is also an option for Non-Medicaid clients; to request assistance; call Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Mother Earth Adult Daycare 210.691.1778 Web: www.motherearthadc.com 8464 Barron RD, SA TX 78240 Mother Earth Adult Day Care is a non-residential facility providing exceptional health care services to Adults 18 and older, Individuals with medical and mental health needs, those requiring daily nursing intervention. Medicaid constituents who have a disability are qualified. Private pay is also accepted. RMI (Reaching Maximum Independence) 210.656.6674 Web: www.rmihomes.org 6336 Montgomery Drive, SA, TX 78239 HCS/ICF-MR/Private Pay Life Enrichment Center SAFIRE (San Antonio Fitness, Independent and Recreational Environment) 210.236.7662 Web: www.safireso.org 11111 Iota Dr, SA, TX 78217 No more sitting around all summer wondering what is available for your individual with intellectual disabilities age 14+. Each day SAFIRE will offer large group recreation games, individual workout programs and a social experience like no other; must be able to function in a 1:8 ratio of staff to clients and participate in small group games appropriately. Cost: $125.00 weekly. Summer Camp: Daily Weekly or Monthly Enrollment, extended hours available. SA Life Academy 210.382.1247 Web: salifeacademy.org St. Andrews UMC 722 Robinhood Place, San Antonio, TX 78209 Relationship building, academics, community involvement, sound mind and body and expressive creativity. For applicants 18 years and older. Seniors 2000 210.435.1800 Web: www.seniors2000.com 4396 Callaghan Rd. San Antonio, TX 78228 VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS Easter Seal Rehabilitation Head Injury & New Beginnings Program 210.614.3911 Web: www.easterseals.com 2203 Babcock Rd, San Antonio, TX 78229 San Antonio Lighthouse 210.533.5195 Web: vibrantworks.org 2305 Roosevelt, San Antonio, TX 78210 Vocational services for visually impaired Southwind Fields 210.526.1567 Web: www.southwindfields.com 11835 IH-10 West, Suite 306, San Antonio, TX 78230 The Southwind City Locals program is designed for men and women of a wide variety of abilities. Whether living in their own place, or at home with a caregiver, a Southwind Local Advisor will come to them. If living at home is what's best for now, we'll help build skills to reach new levels of independence towards tailor made goals. City Locals already living in the community, may stay in their current place of residence, should they choose to do so. Those moving to the area, or who would like to relocate, may reside in an affordable Southwind partnership apartment complex, maintaining their own lease agreements, while enjoying the fellowship and community of living alongside other Southwind City Locals. City Locals receive basic case management services from our City Local Advisors, who will check in several times weekly to assess health & safety of the living environment, bus training (if appropriate), assistance with assuring bills are paid on time (if applicable), and the offer of assistance for financial management, employment search and retention (if applicable), medical needs, personal care, and independent living skills training. Workacccess, Inc 830.714.9280 Web: www.workaccess.us Oak Meadow Methodist Church 2740 Hunters Green, San Antonio, TX 78213 Youth and adult program provide work training and placements, with selfemployment support. Early childhood program for children with special needs. Previous Next

Events coming up. ACN Annual Summit 2026 Toward Neuroharmony: Welcome to the Autism Renaissance Click here for our 2026 Summit Information! More upcoming events. June 8th - 12th March 9th - 14th July 6th - 11th June 22nd - 26th July 20th - 24th Camp AUsome! WE:PLAY Join us for our first camp of the summer, WE:PLAY! This play-based camp focuses on building communication, regulation, and social skills. Camp AUsome! WE:ACT Camp WE:ACT is for autistic middle and high-school students interested in musical theater. Campers will learn and perform scenes and songs from Disney favorites! Camp AUsome! WE:CODE Camp WE:CODE is fun for the techy kids! Learn to code and build with new friends. ACN bring in local experts to teach and build all things technology! Camp AUsome! WE:GO Our only camp for neurotypical/allistic siblings. This week-long camp takes place in Copano Bay, TX along the Gulf Coast where campers spend there time learning to do all kinds of fun things! Let's Get Social