InBloom Autism Services leads with compassion to individualize both the care and education its team extends to every child who walks through their doors. 

Chief Clinical Officer Ellen Fittro, M.S, BCBA, and Vice President of Marketing and Client Experience AnnMarie Fauske both exhibit an undeniable passion for helping children with autism and their families.

It’s a genuine enthusiasm Fittro’s exemplified since her undergrad years of studying behavior analysis and therapeutic intervention.

“When I learned about that, I was like, hook, line and sinker. I’m sold,” she recalls. “We were assessing and providing some intervention and support to those families and training them on what to do and really helping these individuals decrease behaviors that can cause self-harm, or maybe harming others. … So it was really impactful to me to be able to do that outreach and to really see the benefits that those families gain from getting just that education we could provide.”

Fauske was inspired to get involved as research expanded to recognize signs at an early age, a concept previously absent from public consciousness—which is why many adults were diagnosed later or not at all, hindering their access to beneficial resources. Early intervention is emphasized at InBloom Autism Services, as educating both caregivers and the public.

“No matter where you are on the spectrum, a service like InBloom is gold. That’s why I like to say we’re on a mission to educate parents that 18 months is not too early to really understand or look a little bit more closely at milestones. If it feels like your child may not be reaching those, there’s so much help available,” Fauske explains. “It’s not at all about labeling a child with X, Y and Z: Everybody learns differently. I’m truly inspired every day by Ellen, by Dr. [Jacqui] Otto and all of our RBTs [registered behavior technicians], CIOs [clinical integrity officers] and BCBAs [board-certified behavior analysts] who have this niche experience and understanding.”

“Early intervention is so important,” adds Fittro. “Because brains are still very much in development, there’s so much potential during those early years under age 5. Not only that, but it really gives us an ability to start catching those kiddos up with the skills that they need as soon as possible. This gap is smaller from where they’re at to where they need to be during those earlier years. The longer you wait, the bigger that gap becomes, and the longer it can take for them to catch up to where they need to be. So it’s really critical that we start as soon as we can.”

The programming is specially individualized, based on a process of getting to know a child, their interests and their strengths. Fittro describes paying attention to what a child gravitates toward in their center to determine the best way to make learning a positive experience. This careful mindfulness of details and constructive association between preferences and education creates a kinesthetic learning environment in which loved ones are kept in the loop all along the journey.

“You have the benefit of having a team of people around you. You know how they say, ‘It takes a village?’ Well, your village might just be our team of folks who are constantly having eyes and understanding and encouragement because we were not only working with the child, we’re working with the family to understand how to apply this at home and other places; we all grow together. And every step along the way, fears and misunderstandings go away,” Fauske explains.

It’s a priority at InBloom to learn from the children they advocate for so they can accordingly evolve. In fact, Fittro says that she never stops learning from the center’s families, the newest research and team collaboration. That camaraderie comes from each person having the same goal of focusing on each child’s best interests.

“There are so many possibilities that can be expanded upon from learning to celebrate your child’s differences and their unique strengths. That is what we’re here to help with,” Fittro affirms. “We look at what they are motivated by, what they are spending a lot of their time doing, where their passions are, and we can build on that and create a good, solid foundation of independence and ability to flourish in their future. We have the tools to aim high, and to continue to aim high.”

The methodology is categorized under what they refer to as the “applied behavior analysis therapy umbrella,” which contains different proven teaching and therapeutic techniques. Having the children engage in play is common during these sessions, as it is calming, motivating and encourages expression. Their main goal is to help a child communicate in ways that work best for them to successfully express their needs and wants.

“When you see that their communication starts to build, then we naturally see a decrease in challenging behaviors as well. That can look a lot of different ways for the children,” Fittro says. “For kids that aren’t yet able to speak to communicate, we have different modes. We have pictures, we have sign language, we have devices such as iPads and different tech devices that can really help them get their wants and needs met.”

Every child and every caregiver has a different story and varied paths, and InBloom Autism Services celebrates that individuality. While each child has a uniquely customized experience, the emphasis on compassionate care and a team of people rooting for their success is ubiquitous.

InBloom Autism Services
Multiple locations
(888) 754-0398
InBloomAutism.com