As a mom, you already know parenting comes with a lot of joy, but also some stress. You’re working, making meals, carving out fun times with your children, and juggling a hundred other things. If you’ve started to feel concerned about your child’s behavior, it may feel overwhelming to consider Autism or finding access to services. Nebraska Behavior Supports is here to make that process easier!
First and foremost, trust yourself! You are the expert on your child. If you are concerned about your child’s abilities or developmental progress, the first thing you can do is educate yourself.
Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by challenges in communication, social skills, and repetitive or rigid behaviors. But it can look very different from child to child and across ages in the same child. You can start by learning about Early Signs of Autism.
If you are concerned that there is an issue, trust yourself and get an evaluation from a pediatrician who can complete an autism screening. If your pediatrician believes your child has autism, ensure you receive a diagnosis using standardized diagnostic tools that your insurance accepts.
If your child has Autism Spectrum Disorder, you can access 1:1 Applied Behavior Analysis
(ABA) services with us, Nebraska Behavior Supports, covered by your insurance. Under this
model, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst will complete an assessment and create a tailored treatment plan to meet the unique needs of your child. They will then supervise individualized care and provide parent training to help you, the parent, carry out interventions even when practitioners are not present.
While you are working to get services in place for your child, there are other resources you can access.
Additional Resources
PTI Nebraska | Parent Training and Information (PTI) Nebraska aides families in
navigating their child’s special education process and understanding their rights and
responsibilities regarding early intervention, special education, and transition services, and
helps parents gain the knowledge and tools they need to participate effectively in their children’s education.
Autism Action Partnership | Autism Action Partnership provides support programs and works with businesses in the community to increase opportunities for those with autism to live enriched lives.
Project Harmony | Project Harmony advocates to create a better system of protection and support the healing process for children and families who have experienced trauma.
Autism Speaks Grandparent’s Guide to Autism | This is a Grandparent’s guide to Autism which provides some basic information and tips from a grandparent’s perspective of a child with Autism.
Autism Speaks Siblings Guide to Autism | This guide provides some information coming from the perspective of someone whose sibling was diagnosed with autism including what it may look like and some quotes from people whose sibling has autism.
As a parent, you play a big role in spotting any signs of autism early on. Trust your instincts—if you notice anything about your child’s behavior that is concerning or if they’re not hitting their milestones, don’t hesitate to talk to their doctor. They are there to help.
And you’re not alone. There are plenty of resources out there to support families like
yours. From ABA therapy to support groups and even financial assistance options, there’s help available. By catching things early, reaching out for support, and making use of these
resources, we can give our kids the best shot at a bright future.
Learn more about Nebraska Behavior 
Colleen is the Regional Director for Nebraska Behavior Supports and the mother to a beautiful little boy. She juggles facilitating ABA Therapy services to hundreds of children across the state of Nebraska, supporting her in-office team, and being a loving mother to her family. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Deaf Studies from Towson University and continued her education to a Master’s in Education from Purdue Global to aid herself in her position as a teacher. Her background in special education opened her up to the possibility of exploring ABA therapy in 2021 when she began her career with NBS as a Case Manager. Her determination and tenacity allowed her to flourish in a field that was quickly expanding
throughout the state, including rural communities, which are her true passion project. As the Regional Director, she strives to offer ABA services to all families throughout the state of Nebraska, no matter their location. Colleen’s favorite food is Indian, and in her spare time she thrifts, and works on DIY projects at home.
Suman Mohammad Asra is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and New York State Licensed
Behavior Analyst, with a background in Childhood Elementary Education and Children/Youth
Studies from the City University of New York Brooklyn College. Her interest in special needs
education was sparked while teaching general education in the New York City Department of Education, leading to an Advanced Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Pursuing Applied Behavior Analysis, she completed her Master of Arts degree at the City University of New York Queens College, becoming a BCBA and LBA in 2020. Currently serving as Assistant Clinical Director at Nebraska Behavior Supports, she also works as a BCBA/LBA Clinical Supervisor, School Behavior Consultant, and provides private in-home services, alongside her role as an Emergency Medical Technician. With expertise in behavior analysis, intervention planning, and parent training, she aims to further her education with a Psy.D in Clinical Psychology to establish a multidisciplinary agency for individuals with special needs.
