Madison Co. nonprofit helps children with intellectual, developmental disabilities
MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — The Arc of Madison County Inc. is a nonprofit that is a partner of the United Way of Madison County.
The organization serves children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with a goal of giving those individuals, “the opportunity to choose and realize their goals of how they live, learn, work, and play.”
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The Arc of Madison County has an Early Childhood Program that serves children from birth to age five.
Christy Marks, early intervention coordinator, and Summer Washington, service coordinator, explained that the Early Childhood Program provides three services: early intervention, a pediatric outpatient center, and an autism evaluation clinic.
The early intervention service works with children ages birth to three and their families in their natural environment.
“The goal is to help bridge that gap of any developmental delay that a child may have, so we provide them services to help them reach those goals,” explained Washington.
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At the pediatric outpatient center, staff members offer physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy for children ages birth to five. The center serves 35 children per month.
Therapists at the clinic use a play-based approach with the goal of making learning fun for the kids.
The pediatric outpatient center accepts Medicaid and most private insurances.
The autism evaluation clinic offers autism evaluations and services for children ages two to five. According to the Arc of Madison County, 1 in 36 children is diagnosed with autism.
“We see children ages two through five years old to evaluate social and emotional development, communication, thinking and problem-solving ability, adaptive skills and behavior,” Marks explained. “Autism evaluations can be initiated by parents or through a referral from your child’s pediatrician. The Autism Clinic can determine if your insurance covers the evaluation prior to scheduling an assessment.”
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The autism evaluation clinic was established with a goal of filling a need in the community for low-income children and families who did not have the resources to get a diagnosis for their child.
An autism diagnosis opens up more opportunities for therapy. The autism evaluation clinic also accepts Medicaid and most private insurances.
According to Washington, there are signs that a child might need early intervention.
“Every parent wants their child to develop on track, and there are certain milestones that families noticed that their child may not be reaching,” Washington said.
For more information, you can go to The Arc of Madison County’s website or call (256) 696-5700.
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