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Clinical specialist Catey Funaiock sits with 5-year-old Brandon Dreher before their session in the pediatric feeding disorder program at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 18, 2013.
A partnership between the Marcus Autism Center, one of the nation's premier autism research centers, and the state of Georgia is working to boost early detection and diagnosis of the disorder.
Research shows that 1 in 88 children in the U.S. have autism spectrum disorder, a range of developmental disabilities that affect their ability to communicate, understand language and relate to others.
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Marlaina Dreher, left, looks on to see if her 5-year-old son Brandon will feed himself during a session in the pediatric feeding disorder program at the Marcus Autism Center, Sept. 18, 2013.
Brandon is autistic, and has come a long way in his seven weeks in the pediatric feeding disorder program at the Marcus Autism Center. He used to eat only crackers and McDonald's fries, but meal time is no longer a constant battle.
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Clinical specialist Catey Funaiock, left, observes from behind a one-way mirror as Marlaina Dreher, left, plays with her 5-year-old son Brandon at the Marcus Autism Center, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013.
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Marlaina Dreher broke into applause as her 5-year-old son, Brandon, grabbed a red plastic spoon filled with pureed lasagna and fed himself.
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The partnership between the center and the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning aims to train a small group of state and contract employees to work with day care operators and pre-K providers throughout Georgia to identify the early warning signs of autism and support parents.
Marcus Autism Center, which operates under the umbrella of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, is one of three institutions designated as an Autism Center of Excellence by the National Institutes of Health.
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Research has shown intervention has the greatest impact if it begins before the age of 3, and experts estimate that a child with autism needs at least 25 hours per week of intensive work on behavioral issues. Treatment can be costly.
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Said Dreher, "My husband, Sean, and I have said, 'What if we had come here two years ago? Where would we be now?'"
She pulls Brandon in closer as he buries his face in her chest before a session in the pediatric feeding disorder program at the Marcus Autism Center, Sept. 18, 2013.
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Clinical specialist Catey Funaiock, left, takes notes while observing Marlaina Dreher and her 5-year-old son Brandon at the Marcus Autism Center, Sept. 18, 2013.
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"It's devastating to hear that your child has an autism spectrum disorder, but it's even more devastating to hear that and not have anywhere to go," commissioner Bobby Cagle, who oversees the Department of Early Care and Learning, told the Associated Press. "For those people, it is even more important that we work on developing these resources and developing a network of professionals around the state that can help once the disorder is diagnosed."
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Marlaina Dreher plays with her 5-year-old son Brandon after he fed himself during a session in the pediatric feeding disorder program at the Marcus Autism Center, Sept. 18, 2013.
