At Abilities, our definition of service and quality begins in the therapy room with a professional and dedicated speech pathologist, occupational therapist, or special educator, but extends beyond the therapy room. We provide many services and programs in the process of diagnosing and treating communication, sensory, motor, reading, writing and hearing disorders.

A full service state approved Theraputic Intervention Agency specializing in children and adults with Autism.

Info and referral, stipends for conferences & workshops

Access To Better Communication (ABC) is a Professional Speech Language Pathology Group located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ABC offers a variety of speech and language services for young children including screenings, evaluations and therapy. ABC is also pleased to announce that two of their speech-language pathologist are currently going through the certification process for Relationship Development Intervention (RDI). Both consultants will complete their training in August of 2006 and are currently taking new families.

The Advocacy Center has a multi-disciplinary staff of lawyers, paralegals, client advocates and support staff who provide the following services: 1. Legal Representation - The Advocacy Center represents clients in areas of the law designated as priorities by its Board of Directors. Legal representation includes counseling, advice, research, negotiation, administrative review, administrative hearing, state office review, litigation and class action. If a person needs legal representation in a non-priority area, the staff can make referrals to other sources of legal representation. 2. Advocacy Assistance (non-legal) - Many persons with disabilities seek Advocacy Center's help by making a phone call to our office and speaking with Intake Staff. However, we know that it is not always easy to make that call. People in residential facilities, such as group homes, nursing homes and psychiatric hospitals, may not feel safe in calling us, or may not be able to verbalize their needs. So we have Ombudsmen who visit group homes and nursing homes, and Client Advocates who visit psychiatric hospitals. Ombudsmen and Client Advocates help solve problems, make complaints and achieve goals. 3. Information and Referral - The Advocacy Center knows that it is difficult to identify the right resource for each person's needs. Staff help people to access services by providing information about resources, and making referrals to legal, social, health, education, employment, and other related services. 4. Systems Advocacy - The Advocacy Center works to improve systems that are used by people who are elderly and/or have disabilities, including education, health, legal, social services, transportation, and vocational systems. Most of our systems advocacy work is carried out by teams of several staff who meet as needed to achieve a system enhancing objective. Occasionally a team will include persons from outside the agency. Other systems advocacy work may consist of individual Advocacy Center staff participating in task forces outside the Advocacy Center. 5. Education and Training - The Advocacy Center educates others about the legal rights of persons who are elderly and persons who have disabilities, through presentations to groups, participation on committees and task forces, media campaigns, technical assistance flyers, and educational booklets. Training offered by the Advocacy Center may be in response to requests from specific groups; or may be set up by the Advocacy Center in response to needs identified by the staff. 6. Self-Advocacy - The Advocacy Center helps to give clients the skills and knowledge to act on their own behalf. 7. Publications - The Advocacy Center provides a variety of booklets, reports, flyers, and other resources pertaining to persons 60 years or older and persons with disabilities. Special reports are published from time to time and usually focus on a specific issue or problem. An example is the 2003 report, Mental Health Rehabilitation Services: "Rehabilitation" or a "Get Rich Quick Scheme?" that looks at problems with Louisiana's mental health rehabilitation program. 8. Outreach and Training - The Advocacy Center often responds to community groups who ask for someone to talk to them about its work. Outreach includes the visits to residential facilities by ombudsmen and client advocates and various issues affecting people with disabilities. All services are free of charge for persons with disabilities.

The Advocacy Center has a multi-disciplinary staff of lawyers, paralegals, client advocates and support staff who provide the following services: 1. Legal Representation - The Advocacy Center represents clients in areas of the law designated as priorities by its Board of Directors. Legal representation includes counseling, advice, research, negotiation, administrative review, administrative hearing, state office review, litigation and class action. If a person needs legal representation in a non-priority area, the staff can make referrals to other sources of legal representation. 2. Advocacy Assistance (non-legal) - Many persons with disabilities seek Advocacy Center's help by making a phone call to our office and speaking with Intake Staff. However, we know that it is not always easy to make that call. People in residential facilities, such as group homes, nursing homes and psychiatric hospitals, may not feel safe in calling us, or may not be able to verbalize their needs. So we have Ombudsmen who visit group homes and nursing homes, and Client Advocates who visit psychiatric hospitals. Ombudsmen and Client Advocates help solve problems, make complaints and achieve goals. 3. Information and Referral - The Advocacy Center knows that it is difficult to identify the right resource for each person's needs. Staff help people to access services by providing information about resources, and making referrals to legal, social, health, education, employment, and other related services. 4. Systems Advocacy - The Advocacy Center works to improve systems that are used by people who are elderly and/or have disabilities, including education, health, legal, social services, transportation, and vocational systems. Most of our systems advocacy work is carried out by teams of several staff who meet as needed to achieve a system enhancing objective. Occasionally a team will include persons from outside the agency. Other systems advocacy work may consist of individual Advocacy Center staff participating in task forces outside the Advocacy Center. 5. Education and Training - The Advocacy Center educates others about the legal rights of persons who are elderly and persons who have disabilities, through presentations to groups, participation on committees and task forces, media campaigns, technical assistance flyers, and educational booklets. Training offered by the Advocacy Center may be in response to requests from specific groups; or may be set up by the Advocacy Center in response to needs identified by the staff. 6. Self-Advocacy - The Advocacy Center helps to give clients the skills and knowledge to act on their own behalf. 7. Publications - The Advocacy Center provides a variety of booklets, reports, flyers, and other resources pertaining to persons 60 years or older and persons with disabilities. Special reports are published from time to time and usually focus on a specific issue or problem. An example is the 2003 report, Mental Health Rehabilitation Services: "Rehabilitation" or a "Get Rich Quick Scheme?" that looks at problems with Louisiana's mental health rehabilitation program. 8. Outreach and Training - The Advocacy Center often responds to community groups who ask for someone to talk to them about its work. Outreach includes the visits to residential facilities by ombudsmen and client advocates and various issues affecting people with disabilities.

Information, legal advice and referral

The Arc of Louisiana advocates with and for all people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities and their families that they shall live to their fullest potential

Offers support groups in the Central Louisiana/Alexandria area, and information and referral services. ARISE’s mission is to assist parents of children with autism by providing knowledge, training, and behavioral services.

More than 10 national autism leadership organizations have come together to form AutismCares, a nationwide disaster relief effort that will potentially assist thousands of Katrina families living with autism. To address the most immediate needs, ”AutismCares – Katrina” is coordinating support for the unique needs of families affected by autism through facilitating temporary / permanent relocation support, mobilizing specialty assistance teams and providing autism-conscious supplies directly to these families and the professionals caring for them.

The goal of the Baton Rouge Autism Society of America's Website is to provide easy access to the most current information about resources, publications, news releases, events and other activities related to Autism Spectrum Disorder throughout the city of Baton Rouge and surrounding areas.

The Bayou Chapter is a local chapter affliated with the Louisiana State Autism Chapter (LSAC). We provide a network of families who offer support and experience.

To promote and advocate for the general welfare of persons with autism, to support the families of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and to raise awareness of all aspects of autism which affect the families.

We provide support for families, teachers and community service providers who interact with individuals on the Autism Spectrum Disorder. These services include behavioral interventions, Applied Behavior Analysis, Components of an effective classroom, staff training, building peer relationships, social skills training and play groups.

The Center provides multidisciplinary evaluation and treatment for children with cerebral palsy, developmental delays, and learning disabilities.

I have created this group to help parents find out more about this disorder. If anyone has information please feel free to post. We are here to help each other and be there so we are not alone in this.

Private Practice Family Therapist/LPC located at The Center for Therapy in Shreveport, Louisiana.(Founded by David and Suzanne McMillian, who is an Occupational Therapist (Shreveport is located in Northwest Louisiana close to both East Texas and Southern Arkansas. The Center also provides Occupational, Physical, Speech & Language therapy services as well as Mental Health Counseling, Family Therapy, Educational Tutoring and even Massage Therapy . Also, many Alternative Therapies available EX: Clinical Hypnosis, Thought Field Therapy, EMDR, and more.

Live ONLINE radio talk show focusing on disabilities hosted by Monica Moshenko, advocate and parent of son with ASD. Listen online each Sunday at 10 PM Eastern and Tuesday at 11:30 AM Eastern. Unique guests and topics educate, and inspire listeners. Past shows available online. For more information or to be a sponsor of this radio network call 716-522-9185 Our TALK makes a difference!

WE SPECIALIZE IN PHASE 1-IV CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDIES