Autism Therapy Provider Advances Plans to Open Five New Centers in Twin Cities by June 2020

Goal: Expanding Access to Services, Decreasing Wait Times in Minnesota Where 1 in 44 Children Has Autism

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May 07, 2020, 12:27 ET

MINNEAPOLIS, May 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As Minnesota moves towards a loosening of "stay-at-home" restrictions put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19, Caravel Autism Health continues forward with its plans to bring needed autism diagnosis and treatment services to local families. Caravel Autism Health is opening five new autism therapy centers in the Twin Cities area by late spring. These centers are specifically designed to serve children and are staffed by autism health specialists who provide diagnostic evaluations, evidence-based treatment, and family guidance and counseling.

Caravel Autism Health will serve children with autism from seven autism therapy centers across the state of Minnesota by June, with plans to add others by early 2021. "We're opening these centers to expand access to services in Minnesota, where the prevalence of autism is higher," explained Jackie Vick, Vice President of Minnesota Clinical Operations for Caravel Autism Health. One in 54 children in the U.S. has autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Minnesota, one in 44 children has autism.

"We want to help close the provider shortage gap in Minnesota, where we have seen overwhelming demand from families for the kind of treatment we offer," said Caravel Autism Health CEO Mike Miller. "Because of COVID-19, we've focused recent efforts on implementing best practices recommended by healthcare experts and enhancing safety protocols for the families we serve and our clinical staff," said Miller. "Having implemented those enhancements, we can now return to our mission of delivering autism therapy through our new centers for local families. These new resources will reduce wait times for both diagnosis and treatment by giving families access to specialists who can provide the life-changing therapy their children need," explained Miller.

"Autism can be reliably diagnosed in children under two years of age," explained Vick. "Providing families with access to specialists is critical because the earlier we can begin intensive therapy, the better positioned children are to make the greatest gains possible." Vick's team specializes in creating and leading Applied Behavior Analysis ("ABA") treatment plans that help children with autism develop skills, create connections, and gain confidence. "This has been a challenging time for all families, especially for those who have a child with autism," said Vick. "We know families need the services we're bringing to the Twin Cities, and we're committed to delivering on our promise to them."

Caravel Autism Health has already opened the doors to its Twin Cities autism therapy centers in White Bear Lake and Woodbury. Additional autism therapy centers in Lakeville, Plymouth, and Shakopee are currently scheduling evaluations with new clients and will fully launch next month.

Clinical directors for all seven new locations have joined Caravel Autism Health's Minnesota team, which will ultimately employ more than 300 professionals. Caravel Autism Health is currently scheduling appointments for diagnostic evaluations and ABA therapy. Parents in the Twin Cities area can call 507-322-7752 to schedule appointments with Caravel's autism health specialists. The five new centers are located at:

White Bear Lake: 1011 Meadowlands Drive, Suites 1-2
Woodbury: 731 Bielenberg Drive, Suites 102-104
Lakeville: 10450 185th Street W, Suite 100
Plymouth: 3007 Harbor Lane North
Shakopee: 4201 Dean Lakes Boulevard

For a complete list of Caravel Autism Health's Minnesota locations, including centers in Rochester and Mankato, visit https://caravelautism.com/locations/.

About Caravel Autism Health

Since 2009, Caravel Autism Health has been devoted to helping families navigate the challenges of childhood autism. Caravel's team of autism health experts specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of children on the autism spectrum. Caravel's research-based programs help children with autism reshape their development and embrace new ways of interacting with the world.

SOURCE Caravel Autism Health