Rosenberg TX – December 16, 2022 – The Behavior Treatment and Training Center is one of Texana Center’s best-kept secrets. The program provides new hope to young people ages 8-17 with autism and intellectual disabilities whose aggressive behaviors put them at risk for removal from home or school. Through short-term residential therapy using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), families are able to avoid placing youth in long-term care residential facilities. 100% of participants last year returned to their own homes.
The program, which accepts Medicaid, is typically self-sustaining. However, during the recent wave of inflation that has hit local grocery store shelves, Texana had to reach out to the Fort Bend Junior Service League for help.
“We know the request for help buying food sounds very basic,” says Director Kate Johnson-Patagoc, “but it can be a vital part of treatment. Many children with autism struggle to adjust to new foods and may eat only a few foods, to their nutritional detriment. Struggling with restrictive eating patterns can even be a reason why some children must leave home for treatment. Cutting back on the types of food purchased is not really an option with children who may have special dietary needs or utilize specific foods as a reward for their behavior plans, which can be expensive.”
The grant of $10,000 from the Fort Bend Junior Service League ensures that children in our programs have nutritionally balanced meals as well as the small food items such as cheerios, grapes, or crackers that are used as rewards during treatment. Their support is vital in providing positive, proactive, safe, ethical interventions to help children remain in their own schools and communities.
