LOGAN – Opal Autism Center in Logan opened the doors to their new facility to the public on Monday. They are located at 650 N. 870 W. in Logan. The Cache Valley Chamber of Commerce was on hand to do a proper ribbon cutting and tour the building.
Kylee Lewis is the clinical director of the center has a master’s degree in special education from Utah State University and has other certifications that qualify her to lead the Opal Autism Center.
Opal Autism Center is a family-owned business that uses positive reinforcement and play to keep children engaged and having fun while providing high-quality evidence-based Applied Behavior Therapy. They provide individually focused care for the autism community through compassion-led, science-backed services.
All therapy is tailored to each little learner. They try to expand the clients’ interests and preferences, while teaching them important skills that will help them navigate daily life and interact with the world. In short, they want their clients to improve their quality of life.
Their goal is to significantly reduce the typical long wait times, alleviate stress for parents and get little learners in our programs as soon as possible.
Kylee Lewis is the clinical director of the center. She has a master’s degree in special education from Utah State University and is a state certified applied behavior analysis professional and a board-certified behavioral analyst through the state of Utah.
“We also do diagnosis testing here,” she said. “We have space for up to 30 children, but the kids will not all be in the same place at the same time.”
They keep the groups small and there are different places in the building where they meet.
She said they will have one registered behavioral technician and board-certified behavioral analyst work with one client during the time they are in the facility.
“The kids lead the therapy,” Lewis said. “We don’t dictate what they should be doing; it is ascent-based compassionate care.”
She said early intervention is the key to help kids excel in daily life and school.
The facility has a large activity room and several other rooms where kids can receive different types of therapy.
The Logan center is one of 14 Opal Centers and the first in Utah.
Dan Nicholson is the CEO of all the Opal Autism Centers and said the Logan building is nearly 12,000 square feet.
“We have an authorization team that works with insurance companies to get everything approved for us.”
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention said about 1 in 32 children have a form of autism spectrum disorder and it occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
Autism disorder is over three times more common among boys than among girls.