Introduction

For five months in 2019-2020, I worked with children diagnosed with autism as a part of an early intervention program at Fraser, a non-profit organization in the Twin Cities. This is a reflection of my experience and its connection to public health.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

ASD is a developmental disability affecting social, communication, behavioral, and emotional skills. It is usually first apparent in childhood, and lasts throughout one’s life. ASD often co-occurs with other mental or developmental conditions, such as anxiety, depression, conduct disorder, OCD, and ADD/ADHD (CDC, 2020). ASD can negatively impact a child’s ability to interact in the world, as one aspect of an ASD diagnosis is impaired functioning at school, work, or other areas (NIMH, 2018). People with ASD may have difficulties with relationships, and understanding what behaviors are expected of them. Although there is no cure for ASD, early intervention services have been shown to improve outcomes for children with ASD by preparing children to be successful in future settings (CDC, 2020).

Fraser

Fraser is a non-profit organization based in the Twin Cities metro area. It started when Louise Whitbeck Fraser started educating children with special needs in 1935 (Fraser, 2020). Since then, the organization has grown and now serves people of all ages. The organization focuses on early childhood interventions for autism and mental health, but Fraser also provides community living and career planning programs for adults diagnosed with ASD or with other special needs.

I worked at Fraser’s Minneapolis day treatment program. Day treatment is an early intervention program serving kids who have been diagnosed with ASD in a one on one small classroom setting. The clients I worked with were between two and five years old. In day treatment, we did a variety of activities that felt like play, but that focused on developing fine and gross motor skills, social skills, language, and regulation skills. All clients additionally participate in family therapy, and many also attend speech therapy, physical therapy, or daily living skills sessions before or after day treatment.

My Experience

I worked at Fraser from October of 2019 until March of 2020, when services began to temporarily close and many employees were furloughed due to COVID-19. During this time, I worked in two different classrooms as a “clinical program assistant”. My role was to assist the lead teachers in the classroom in planning and leading activities, working with clients one on one, and tracking clients’ goal progress.