The Uncommon Thread: ABA Autism Center

I want to start by acknowledging the positive experiences we initially had at this center. My daughter began here about a year ago with significant developmental delays. She was nonverbal, had limited eye contact, and there were concerns from her pediatrician and early intervention providers that she may be autistic. We were referred due to the center’s strong reputation in the community.

The intake process was smooth, and the staff initially appeared caring and supportive. They also offered some of the best financial options we found after contacting multiple ABA centers. For the first seven to eight months, my daughter made incredible progress. We were provided with helpful resources and education as first time parents navigating a stressful situation. Overall, that period was a positive experience.

One early challenge was frequent therapist changes. We were told this was normal and necessary for flexibility. While difficult, concerns were addressed when raised, and we trusted the professionals. However, communication often felt abrupt, with changes communicated last minute and little explanation provided.

Eventually, we were informed that the original location would be closing and that my daughter would transition to another program. The timeline for this transition suddenly changed from a month out to the following week. We agreed, trusting it was the appropriate next step. Unfortunately, the transition felt poorly planned. A staff member assigned during this period appeared overwhelmed and lacked patience, and there was a concerning safety incident during transportation. I reported it immediately, and the staff member was removed, but there was no consistent therapist in place afterward.

My daughter was moved from a smaller setting to a much larger one without any familiar support aside from the supervising clinician. After expressing concerns again, she was assigned a therapist who was excellent and truly understood her needs. With consistency, my daughter did very well. However, when that therapist was absent, my daughter experienced severe anxiety and distress.

Without warning, that therapist was abruptly removed with no explanation beyond a brief email citing a clinical recommendation. This sudden change had a significant negative impact. My daughter’s anxiety increased, she cried for extended periods, and we began receiving reports labeling her as behavioral. When she spent time away from the center, her speech improved and her anxiety decreased, making it clear that the constant changes were affecting her well being.

Despite ongoing concerns, additional abrupt changes continued, including a sudden change in her supervising clinician. At a parent meeting, we were told her behaviors were escalating and that a behavior plan was being created, with discussion of possibly moving her to a smaller classroom. My daughter is verbal and shows strong signs of ADHD, and many of the behaviors described aligned more with anxiety and lack of consistency than defiance.

Consistency is critical for neurodivergent children. Toward the end of our time here, it no longer felt like her emotional well being was being prioritized. When we raised concerns, we were told that constant change is part of life and similar to traditional preschool, which felt dismissive. No preschool would cycle through so many caregivers in one year.

We ultimately removed her from the program out of concern for her mental health. Since leaving, she has been noticeably calmer, happier, and more regulated. While the center disagreed with our decision, there was no meaningful follow up. Instead, her belongings were mailed to us which included an empty bag of crackers with a note that said best of luck with your journey. The care and compassion we initially experienced were no longer present.

This program may work well for some families, and it did for us initially. However, our experience declined significantly. I encourage parents to trust their instincts and pay close attention to how their child is treated emotionally, not just clinically.

I can't say enough good things about TUT. From the moment we walked through the doors, we knew we had found a place that truly cares about our child's progress and well-being. The staff is not only highly skilled but also genuinely compassionate, making each day a positive experience for our child.

Our therapists, Jamie, Jen, Joe, Gaby has been a game-changer. They took the time to understand our child's unique needs and developed a tailored program that has shown remarkable results. We've seen significant improvements in communication, social skills, and behavior.

The center itself is well-organized, clean, and equipped with all the necessary resources to support therapy sessions. They also keep us, as parents, in the loop with regular progress reports and meetings, which have been invaluable in helping us understand our child's journey and how we can support it at home.

Overall, TUT has provided our family with hope and confidence that our child is on the right path. We highly recommend this center to any family seeking quality ABA therapy.

The Uncommon Thread is an amazing non-profit organization that inspired me and changed the course of my life.   I have been a Junior ABA Therapist at The Uncommon Thread for 4 summers now and the experience has had a huge impact on me.  When I first started at TUT, I was a Criminal Justice major at West Chester University. The passion and dedication I witnessed from staff and the amazing progress made by the children as a result, inspired me to change my major to special needs/early education.  I too became passionate about working with children with autism and other developmental disabilities.  The Uncommon Thread has changed the long term plans for my future as I now pursue the path to become a BCBA.  I am grateful.