Raising youth with autism is incredibly fulfilling, but can also be very challenging — especially without strong support. For youth with autism to truly thrive, they need support from parents, caregivers, teachers and other caring adults who understand and want to help them succeed. That’s exactly what we do at KVC Missouri.

KVC Missouri offers autism programs in St. Louis and beyond. We provide access to academic, social and emotional support for both children with autism and their families. Explore our programs and learn what KVC Missouri is doing to support youth with autism.

Autism Education Program

As part of KVC Academy, our autism education program lays a foundation for strengths-based learning, with individualized lessons and evidence-based interventions. The class sizes are kept smaller so that each student gets focused attention and differentiated instruction. Other features of the program include:

• Tablets to support academics and communication
• Speech, occupational and creative therapy integration
• Community-based outings
• Life skills instruction
• Social skills development
• Individual, family and group therapy
• A sensory-sensitive environment, including individual sensory diets
• Functional communication training
• And more

This program is ideal for anyone looking for autism programs in St. Louis that focus on empowering children to modify challenging behaviors, improve their communication and help them function in a less restrictive environment.

Autism Camp Program

Youth who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or who have a social communication disorder thrive at our autism summer camp! These seasonal and summer camps focus on skill-building and social and emotional growth. All in a supportive environment, with staff specially trained to provide sensory, communication and behavioral support. If you’re looking for an autism summer camp for your youth, reach out to learn more about when and where the next camp takes place.

Autism Respite Program

We understand that children with autism need extra support and so do their families. Lacking resources can be challenging and depleting for parents. In fact, 50% of all mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder have elevated levels of depressive symptoms. Siblings may feel neglected as their sibling with autism may require more constant attention and care. This is what the Autism Respite Program in St. Louis is designed for: to give families regular breaks while providing youth with autism an opportunity to socialize with their peers and work on life and social skills.

KVC’s autism respite home in St. Louis County provides youth with structured routines, life skills practice, fun activities and personalized attention while giving parents and siblings some often much-needed respite. When 16-year-old Addie first came to the respite home, her father described her as mostly nonverbal. Now, she is thriving and looking forward to attending the camp this summer.

“We have been so impressed with Meghan Becker and the staff at the house, as Addie enjoys going when it is her day to visit,” said her father. Addie’s parents and her two siblings enjoy having a little time off while Addie goes on field trips and spends time with her friends at the respite home.

In-Home Respite Services

Different families have different needs and schedules when looking for autism support in St. Louis. That’s exactly why we have so many different programs available to help! Going to a respite home may not always be practical, which is why KVC Missouri offers free in-home services to support social skills, foster independence and help youth with autism practice community integration.

The goal of these in-home respite services is to help youth with autism increase independent living and social skills while remaining in their home and community. They are completely free (no referral needed!) and available to any child ages 3 to 20 with a diagnosed developmental disability and lives in St. Louis or St. Louis County.

What Makes Our St. Louis Autism Services Different

Our autism services are about more than just small class sizes in sensory-sensitive environments, although that is part of it. Everything we do at KVC Missouri is not only thoroughly researched but also highly individualized to ensure every child gets the best possible support to thrive, with a dedicated team of professionals trained to work with these youth. Here are a few ways our autism programs stand out:

Creative Therapy

One common theme throughout our autism programs is the integration of music, art and sensory therapies. These creative therapy approaches are powerful tools for youth with autism that have been shown to improve communication, emotional regulation and social skills.

Other possible benefits of creative therapy for youth with autism include:

• Reduced anxiety and stress
• Improved sleep habits
• Decreased maladaptive behaviors
• Improved motor skills, neurological development and language ability

Evidence-Based Approaches

The way we approach everything from creative therapy to life skills development and academics is evidence-based. That means we developed these programs through rigorous research and evaluations with proven success and benefits to youth with autism. This isn’t guesswork: it is combining years of research with individualized care to create a plan that will help your youth succeed.

Family Collaboration

You know your child better than anyone, and no one cares about their success and wellbeing quite as much as you do! That is why we prioritize family collaboration in developing treatment plans and goals for youth in our autism programs. This can even include family therapy to help you, your spouse, your other children and anyone else living in the home better support and understand your child with autism.

Learn More About Our Autism Programs

If you’re looking for world-class, evidence-based autism programs in St. Louis and beyond, come visit us at KVC Missouri! We would love to meet your family and find out more about how we can help you and your youth with autism thrive. Learn more about our autism services here or call us at 1-844-424-3577 for more information.