Health care
BY HALEY VELASCO
Health Care Edition
2025
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Local service centers in Houston Bay Area open to help rising autism rates
Autism percentages compared to overall enrollment at CCISD Clear Creek ISD Houston region school districts
Texas
2% 3% 5% 4% 1% 0
+79.7% increase over 6 years
As the number of children diagnosed with autism increases, local autism centers o ering services for families has followed suit. The overview According to a 2022 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in every 31 children age 8 has been identi ed with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. That number has more than doubled compared to 2012, when 1 in every 69 children age 8 was identi ed with ASD, the CDC study shows. This increase has led to a rise in Bay Area autism centers, including Changing Stories, an autism service and consultation center based in Webster. Elizabeth Hewatt, owner of Changing Stories and a certi ed behavior analyst, established the business in 2022 with in-home behavior therapy,
communication support, skills assessments and other related services for children with autism. Her inspiration is rooted from her daughter, who was diagnosed with autism in 2003. In January, the business expanded with a new clinical facility to do outreach and individualized therapy for children. Diving in deeper While Hewatt has a positive outlook on the num- ber of autism service centers now open compared to when her daughter was diagnosed in 2003, she noted a lot of centers don’t service teenagers to adults, as they don’t have the capacity. For elementary age children and teenagers, Changing Stories has had to implement a waiting list. However, Hewatt is looking to expand on its preschool program.
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT
Also of note Clear Creek ISD has also addressed the rise of autism with both in-house and outside services. The district over the past year has hired more professionals and allocated more resources. Pro- grams related to alternative academics, modi ed academics, extended school year services and homebound services are some of what the district o ers, Community Impact previously reported.
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BAY AREA EDITION
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