New 'Life Speed' clinic in Chicago suburb provides behavioral services to children with autism
FOREST PARK. Ill. (CBS) -- Forest Park is the new home to an early childhood autism clinic.
Life Speed Behavioral Support Services and their work takes therapy beyond the center's four walls.
While the location is new - they just moved in last month - it's the second iteration of Life Speed, but in this new space, they're able to service far more kids through their therapy and behavioral services, and they've just begun accepting new clients.
The stream's Jamaica Ponder has more.
All the jumping, swinging, and playing around - almost seems too fun to be therapy.
"We wanted things to be learner-led like we knew how to make things safe, but still fun."
Tony Russo owns Life Speed Behavioral Support Services in Forest Park, and right now, these joyful kids are at his Life Speed autism clinic. They're learning how to interact with the world around them and unlearning behaviors that may hold them back.
"There is a huge need, these are things like sensory sensitivities, extremely rigid or repetitive behaviors. Fixations on things that would otherwise be out of the ordinary for most kids," Russo said.
He along with his team of therapists sees a roster of tiny clientele using Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, or ABA.
"But the way we approach care is different than what most ABA companies do, based on a very, very old standard of care."
Instead of four to six hours of therapy, they typically do 90 minutes to three hours max, and instead of four to five days a week…
"Our sessions are probably three times a week, and the reason is because we want people to be at their best," Russo said.
They blend the different environments of home and school, along with sessions at the clinic - something parents say is integral to the process.
"I'd actually been recommended a different company. They couldn't come to the house, so they said, why don't you call Life Speed? And that's how we got hooked up with Tony."
Katie's son has been with Life Speed since that first appointment a couple of years back.
"So the main goal is to just kind of develop his communication skills, your voice, and just basic interaction with other people. And so with his disability, it makes it really hard for him to do that," she said. "And yeah, I think they helped bring out the best."
A large part of Life Speed's approach relies on the parents — like Sean and Araceli — also taking up new behaviors.
"It was a learning curve for us to learn how to deal with his special needs, so it was a teaching moment for him and for us as well," Araceli said.
"We really want the families to be involved. We're not doing anything for you, we're doing it with you," Russo said.
"I think that's the biggest takeaway, is that what does he need to thrive in helping us understand the tools and the steps that may be very specific to his needs," Sean said.
"It's not like you have a broken arm and in eight weeks it's done, you know, it's ongoing. Yeah. Constant, ongoing effort and that's what you have to remind yourself too, that it is constant."
And in that constant effort, Life Speed is equipping kids, and their caregivers, with the tools they need to thrive.
"It comes from that place of relationship, of toleration, of understanding, of compassion and empathy. Not that there's a right and a wrong way, but let's hope there's a better way, and we get there together," Russo said.
Life Speed's approach is rooted in a holistic one toward treating children with autism. The most important detail? No child walks in there alone. It is a family affair. Whether living with autism or with a child with autism is something the entire family needs to adjust to. Sometimes that's easier said than done, and that's where the therapists at Life Speed come in.
