Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that affects how some people conduct themselves, gain knowledge, speak and listen and relate to others. It's a disorder that we continue to learn about and one that might be more prevalent than first realized.

NeurAbilities Healthcare of Lancaster approaches autism from both clinical and behavioral perspectives. Two of the organization's main goals are to enhance the lives of people and families affected by the disorder and to integrate those individuals into society.

"People are often coming to us because they are struggling to support their family members," said Adriana Neumann, NeurAbilities' senior director for applied behavior analysis clinical services. "There's something they're struggling to manage. They want their child to learn, to make progress, to navigate the world. Every family is different. Every person is different. Our job is not to change individuals. Our job is to remove barriers and help them manage."

Established in Lancaster in 2022, NeurAbilities Healthcare is a relative newcomer to the local autism treatment scene. NeurAbilities Healthcare, which is located at 1858 Charter Lane, Suite 201, Lancaster, serves its clients through a community-based approach and on a one-on-one basis.

"We want to provide services with excellence," said Neumann. "Ultimately, we support largely the autism community, people with an ASD diagnosis. You have a lot of individuals who are experiencing different challenges. We like to focus on abilities. We're supporting patients. We're supporting learners. We try to capitalize on people's strengths and focus on what they can do to overcome those challenges. We like to see every individual for who they are."

The Lancaster office of NeurAbilities Healthcare is set up to be a colorful, warm, inviting space filled with toys and pictures that learners can relate to. More than 10 staff members operate the office, including three certified clinicians.

"In Lancaster, or anywhere you go, there are people who don't know what autism is," said Neumann. "The field itself is growing, and there's always a need for autism services. As we're working to grow the Lancaster clinic, we want to enhance community engagement. There will be a push in the community to know what autism is and what NeurAbilities does. Hopefully, we'll be able to improve awareness around that."

Currently, NeurAbilities Healthcare is serving about 15 local learners, mostly children under the age of 9 from Lancaster County. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 36 kids in the United States has ASD.

"We provide community-based services," said Neumann. "We look at what individuals need. We do services in our clinic, in homes and in schools. It's anybody with challenges impacting their abilities to function. Those are the people who are coming to us for our services."

Backed by a private equity firm, NeurAbilities Healthcare is a self-sufficient private practice. Some of the services provided by NeurAbilities Healthcare are covered by Medicaid or health insurance.

"We have individuals who come in who have certain skill deficits in communication, in patterns of behavior, in social interaction," said Neumann. "We also support individuals who engage in challenging behaviors. When someone is engaging in a behavior, there's a reason for that. We want to be able to teach a different skill. We're focused on anything that supports independence."

"There are other agencies that provide similar community-based skills," Neumann added. "Some agencies don't have clinics - they go into schools and homes - and some only have clinics. But it seems to me that there's always a need."

NeurAbilities Healthcare operates a total of three diagnostic centers and 14 applied behavior analysis clinics in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

"We've got improved insight into what autism is, and we have more doctors who understand what it is," said Neumann. "There are more diagnoses. The question we are asking is, 'What is causing this?' There has been research into it, but there's not a hard answer."

For additional information, go to http://www.neurabilities.com/locations/lancaster-pa.