Emery Wainscott
Lifestyle Editor
ewainscott@murraystate.edu
The Early Childhood Program for children with autism or a delay in development had its opening ceremony on Friday, Sept. 10. Co-supervisor Sean Simons said the program was designed to meet a need in the community for more individualized therapy.
The program is staffed 1:1, primarily by Murray State students with supervising faculty. Children must be between the ages of two and six years old. The program meets Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon in John W. Carr Hall.
“Children at risk for a developmental delay, especially autism, can be reliably diagnosed during the early childhood period,” said Simons, director of the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders. “For autism, most children as early as 18-24 months can be reliably identified.”
The CASD has been able to raise funds for financial aid options. Those interested in donating to this fund can visit their page on Murray State’s website and click “Support Our Efforts.”
This program is one of the services offered through Murray State’s CASD. Other services include diagnostic evaluations for families who suspect their child may have autism or a developmental delay. Evaluations cost $250 and are supervised by a licensed psychologist. Workshops and training for parents are also available on a fluctuating schedule.
In the Early Childhood Program, those enrolled are able to participate in dramatic play, a sensory table, math, puzzles, writing, art and a building block center. The children’s time is split between the play centers and individual work to achieve their targeted goals with a graduate assistant.
After arrival, children begin in the play centers, then go to the gym to strengthen their gross motor skills, which involve whole-body movements. After these exercises, the children meet back in the classroom to read stories and sing songs.
The program currently has four children enrolled. The classroom has the capacity to serve five full-time children, said Jessica Branch, co-supervisor for the Early Childhood Program.
“The age range of 2 years up to 6 years of age was chosen because this is a critical time in development,” said Branch, who also is the program coordinator for the Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Program. “The majority of brain growth occurs within the first five years of a child’s life, and therefore it is the perfect time to provide early intervention.”
The program length will differ depending on the child’s and the family’s goals. At the end of each semester, the program’s teams and the family will evaluate the child’s progress, Branch said.
“The goal is to meet children where they are developmentally to provide individualized services,” Branch said. “We would like to see all children be successful in their future educational environments.”
The program was designed to accommodate parents who experience long wait times or who want a more one-on-one approach, Simons said.
“Dr. Branch and I are trained school professionals—her as an early childhood educator and myself as a school psychologist—so we are advocates of our public school districts,” Simons said. “Our goal is to either transition children into a classroom setting when they are ready or, in some cases, private therapy that can better meet their needs long-term.”
Branch said she has been working with Simons for over a year and a half on the program, but it was in the works long before she was in the picture. In their time on the project, they have received two grants to fund classroom materials and furniture. They looked at several different spaces before settling on Carr Hall, and then they set up a donor page.
“Dr. Simons and I have attended trainings out of state and have then trained the students who are working in the center,” Branch said. “Some of the obstacles that we face are finding ways to balance this service with our full faculty teaching loads and requirements.”
Simons earned his Ph.D. in school psychology from Oklahoma State University. He is currently a licensed psychologist and board certified behavior analyst.
Before coming to Murray State, he worked in public schools and the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, which is only one of five National Institutes of Health Autism Centers of Excellence in the world.
Branch, who directly supervises the classroom two days a week, earned her master’s in special education: mild to moderate and moderate to severe licensure from University of Toledo. Her Ph.D. is in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in special education from the University of Toledo.
She taught as an intervention specialist in a public preschool and then worked as a preschool special education director in Ohio prior to moving to Western Kentucky.
Parents who are interested in enrolling their children in the Early Childhood Program can visit murraystate.edu/autism and fill out a request form. A faculty member from the program will reach out once submitted.
For more information about the CASD and the Early Childhood Program, visit their page on Murray State’s website.