WAVES

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Waves’ Autism Spectrum Disorders Program provides evaluation, planning and/or programming for Autism Spectrum Disorders for children 2 to 5 years old. Referral can be made by Tennessee’s Early Intervention System (TEIS); Primary Care Physicians; local School Systems or parents.

We provide a continuum of services for young children and their families throughout Middle Tennessee. Our highly qualified Autism Team provides a family-centered, comprehensive, 3-tiered approach, individualized to meet your child’s specific needs.

Our Autism Team offers a unique planning phase to help families build a framework for success for their child. Together, we will create functional goals from which all service providers will work. We will help your family better understand your child’s learning differences and appropriate resources available in your community. We believe the most effective programming is individualized, multi-disciplinary and fluid to best meet the changing needs of your child and family.

Programs may include:

• Family Training: to help parents and caregivers effectively engage, communicate, and play with their child
• Structured Peer Interactions: Facilitated by training staff to enhance social skills development, whether in our classroom or in a community preschool or daycare
• Occupational Therapy: for teaching functional play skills, address sensory integration/modulation/regulation and self-care skills
• Behavioral Consultation: to address problem behaviors and specific skill acquisition

Warning Signs of Autism:                                   

• Does not babble or coo by 12 months of age
• Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp, etc.) by 12 months of age
• Does not say single words by 16 months of age
• Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own (rather than just repeating what someone says to him or her) by 24 months of age
• Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age.
• The child does not respond to his/her name.

• The child cannot explain what he/she wants.
• Language skills or speech are delayed.
• The child doesn't follow directions.

• The child doesn't point or wave bye-bye.
• The child used to say a few words or babble, but now he/she doesn't.
• The child throws intense or violent tantrums.
• The child has odd movement patterns.
• The child is hyperactive, uncooperative, or oppositional.
• The child doesn't know how to play with toys.
• The child doesn't smile when smiled at.
• The child has poor eye contact.
• The child gets "stuck" on things over and over and can't move on to other things.
• The child seems to prefer to play alone.
• The child seems to be in his/her "own world."
• The child seems to tune people out.
• The child is not interested in other children.
• The child walks on his/her toes.
• The child shows unusual attachments to toys, objects, or schedules (i.e., always holding a string or having to put socks on before pants.)
• Child spends a lot of time lining things up or putting things in a certain order.