Open Mic

April is National Autism Awareness Month, and several area businesses and support groups have stepped up to help parents navigate autism diagnoses. 

LearningRx Houston Central recently hosted a Community Resources Forum at Congregation Brith Shalom to introduce businesses in the area that cater to children with autism.

Providers attending the resource forum included Discover Fitness Foundation, Grant’s Eco-Art, Houston Applied Behavior Analysis, InSNC, REACH Therapy Center, Judy’s World, Medicare Pediatric Group, National ARD/IEP Advocates and Jeffrey P. Rice, L.M.F.T., L.P.C.

They were joined by Riverkids Pediatric Home Health, Social Motion Skills, Tangible Difference Learning Center, the Dan Center, the Monarch Institute, the Westview School, Usborne Books and More, and Winter Pediatric Therapy.

Phil and Amy Parham, contestants from season six of “The Biggest Loser,” served as keynotes for the Community Resource Forum, sharing their experience of having a son with autism.

The couple said brain-training exercises at LearningRx dramatically improved his life. Now their son is taking regular classes, reading on grade level and doing better in math. “We’ve been really blessed with LearningRx,” Amy Parham said.

According to the advocacy group Autism Speaks, autism affects one in 110 children born in this country. “More children than ever before are being diagnosed with autism,” Henry King, director of LearningRx Houston Central, said. “Our goal is to help parents understand the diagnosis and handle it in the best way possible.”

King offers several tips for parents. “Receiving an autism diagnosis may seem difficult, but there are support groups, care providers and several services in our area that can help,” he said.

A second opinion may be a good start. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, King suggests that parents create a plan to help children learn. For example, LearningRx has programs to help build cognitive skills in autistic students.

“We have several autism experts on our staff, and we’re dedicated to helping autistic students and their parents,” King said. “We can also connect parents to the best resources in the community and help them stay informed.”

Creating ways to build cognitive skills is one of the main goals of LearningRx Houston Central, a brain-training center that offers unique programs to transform a student’s ability to learn at a core level. The center is located at 5110 Buffalo Speedway, Suite 202.

For more information, call LearningRx Houston Central at 713.839.8885 or visit http://www.learningrx.com/houston-central.

About LearningRx
LearningRx specializes in identifying and correcting the underlying cognitive skill deficiencies that keep people from achieving their full potential in school, business or life. The program was pioneered by Dr. Ken Gibson. Using a comprehensive skills assessment test and intensive one-on-one training, certified trainers enhance weak cognitive skills such as attention, memory, processing speed and problem solving.

Attached Photo courtesy of LearningRx Houston Central

From left, Henry King, director of LearningRx Houston Central, hosted Amy and Phil Parham, both contestants on the NBC TV show “The Biggest Loser” in 2008, at the Community Autism Resource Forum in Houston.