Columbus clinic for children with special needs has grand opening

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A clinic for children with special needs prepared for its grand opening in Columbus.

The Essle Center for Perceptual Development is a one-of-a-kind clinic that helps parents and children learn together.

Many families are forced to travel many miles from home, even out-of-state to get therapy or individualized treatment for their special needs child.

Now pediatrician in Columbus is looking to help children within this community to reach their individual goals.

“It is hard to meet the needs of the entire Golden Triangle with one facility; there are awesome and great, but in Columbus, I know we have to refer children an hour or more away to get services like going to Tupelo or Jackson,” Dr. Jackson said.

The Essle Center for Perceptual Development was a continuation of Dr. Andrea Morris’s mother’s vision to merge education and therapy in one facility.

Now Morris, a pediatrician, and Behavior Analyst team are looking to help children here in Columbus with special needs. The first program available is geared toward children with Autism using Applied Behavior Analysis, also known as ABA.

“And they work on specific behaviors. Every child is going to have a different plan. There is no blanket therapy for all children. Each child is going to have a specific set of goals, and once we meet that goal, we work on the next goal,” Morris said.

While therapy is important for the child, Morris said her clinic will prioritize family involvement to maintain good learning behaviors.

“ABA also provides parent training, so it helps you navigate how you are supposed to do things at home and helps you connect to your child in a different way, and helps you understand what the child is actually going through,” Morris said.

Morris said if you want to know more about your child’s stage in development, don’t be afraid to consult qualified clinicians or other professionals.

“You definitely want to connect with either the school board or PCP and ask questions about what you can do next. We are the one that helps to navigate that with you,” Morris said.

If you want to learn about the clinic click here.

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