Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children opened a $20 million autism and behavior health center this fall.

The center, decorated in muted blues, greens and purples, offers families a one-stop location for both diagnosing and treating children with autism and other behavioral health needs.

A hospital study found that child mental health services were the biggest area of need in the Delaware Valley, officials said.

In the past two years, Nemours has hired more than 25 psychologists, pediatricians, psychiatrists and therapists, said Jennifer Pendley, co-director of Nemours' Division of Pediatric Behavioral Health.

Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children opened a $20 million autism and behavior health center this fall. Image via WikiMedia.

A child psychologist is also embedded in every Nemours primary care practice in Delaware.

The hospital cares for about 2,000 children and teenagers with autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the disorder occurs in 1 in every 68 children under 8 in the U.S. Symptoms can range from mild to severe.

Pendley said Nemours officials worked with parents of children with autism to design the center located across the street from the hospital on Rockland Road in Wilmington.

There's a long hallway connecting the parking lot and the building, avoiding the need for families to climb stairs or take an elevator.

The waiting areas include private nooks for patients and dozens of outlets for parents and children's electronics.

Pendley said one distinct feature of the center is a kitchen for the hospital's feeding program. Since children with autism have "pretty unique sensory needs," they can often have issues with food or feeding themselves, she said.

While other hospitals' programs focus on intense treatment programs for feeding, Nemours doctors want to identify these problems earlier, she said.

The kitchen allows parents to prepare meals for their children and then learn how to help their child consume a wider variety of food.

At many major hospitals, the general focus is often on diagnosing and evaluating autism and behavioral health conditions, Pendley said. Patients are then referred elsewhere for treatment.

Nemours doctors wanted to be able to provide everything in one place, Pendley said.

"This was a priority. This wasn't an add-on," she said. "This is your space."

This news was originally posted by Meredith Newman, Delaware News Journal on 6:00 a.m. ET Oct. 15, 2018

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/life/2018/10/15/nemours-autism-children-behavioral-health/1614864002/

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