Mission Autism Clinics opening in Shamokin Dam this month

Marcia Moore, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·2 min read

May 8—SHAMOKIN DAM — Tears welled in MaraLynn Arbogast's eyes as she watched her 3-year-old son, Bryson, enjoying the toys on display inside the Mission Autism Clinics Friday afternoon.

"He loves it. He won't want to leave," the Coal Township mother said.

The new clinic located at 45 State Route 11, the site of the former Tedd's Landing restaurant, will open May 24 and offer Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy to children between the ages of 2 and 12 who are on the autism spectrum.

CEO Paul DeAngelo has opened four other clinics in Bloomsburg, Easton, Pittston and Sugarloaf since January 2020 after partnering with Ohio-based Autism Based in Motion to provide services to autistic children in rural areas across Pennsylvania. The clinics' board-certified therapists will also work with Valley speech, occupational and physical therapists.

"The ABA therapy we provide has been proven scientifically to help children. Our mission is to bring quality services closer to families, to make it more accessible," DeAngelo said. "We assess the child and build a specific plan for them."

Arbogast said her son has been receiving limited speech therapy for more than a year but she's looking forward to seeing how much progress Bryson will make receiving specialized therapy in the day program which is open five days a week from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., particularly since his development has slowed during the pandemic when he was receiving virtual therapy.

"This is fantastic. Everything he needs to engage is here," she said of the separate bright and airy rooms providing specific areas of learning, including a playroom with a giant Connect 4 game and a miniature bounce house.

Clinical Director Karen Wert said the facility will also provide after-school services from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

"I fell in love with the (program) because you really see the kids' personalities emerge," she said.

Four children have already enrolled in the day program and 10 others are in the process of signing up, DeAngelo said.

For more information or to learn how to enroll, visit www.missionautismclinics.com.