Dear Ms Adams,
Thank you for this fascinating profile of a teenage girl in West Virginia, who was able to graduate from high school after a history of medical and developmental challenges stemming from her premature birth:
It is inspiring to see that, even after a significantly premature birth, Hope Crichigno survived and then flourished in the intensive autism services center at West Virginia University, where she received Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)-based therapy. Your interviews with her family and Dr. Susannah Poe, the Director of the treatment center, and one of Hope’s therapists, were especially insightful.
It was clear from your article how important it was for Hope and her family to be able to access early intensive behavioral intervention services, a specific type of ABA-based therapy for young children on the autism spectrum. Today, Hope’s parents continue to use the ABA-based strategies and supports to help her cope with her profound autism, including successfully participating in the stimulating environment of the high school graduation ceremony.
Despite the work of the West Virginia University center and colleagues at the Key Learning Autism Center in Morgantown, 96% of young people with Autism still suffer from an ongoing autism services gap. They don’t have access to the types of ABA-based services that continue to make such a difference in Hope’s life.
At the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT), we support access to the evidence-based interventions and supports that are proven to be safe and effective for people like Hope and her family. We believe that a genuine intervention option is one that is supported by scientific evidence. We invite your readers to visit our website for more information about evidence-based interventions for autism. ASAT provides a range of resources for autistic adults and their families, which may be of particular interest.
Best,
Eric V. Larsson, PhD LP BCBA-D, President of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment
David Celiberti, PhD BCBA-D, Executive Director
