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Author: Brad Zelinger

Stride Autism Centers® Opens Location in Lincoln, Nebraska

Posted on by Brad Zelinger

Stride is pleased to announce that enrollment for children ages 2 to 6 is open at our new center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Conveniently located at 4545 S. 86th St. Suite 101, this clinic allows us to expand our reach and assist families across Southeastern Nebraska. We are also excited to be starting a center in Omaha later this year, and have plans for additional Nebraska locations throughout the next 12 months. In order to help as many clients as possible, Stride accepts insurance from most private providers as well as Nebraska Medicaid.

Our team of highly experienced and compassionate clinicians utilizes an approach rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. ABA therapy has been extensively researched and is considered the gold standard of treatment for individuals with autism.

We provide individualized support during a child’s most vital developmental period between ages 2 and 6. Stride is committed to maintaining a 1:1 therapist-to-child ratio to maximize the attention each child receives. Our effective center-based model allows children to build social skills as they interact with their peers and engage in naturalistic group activities.
Every child that attends Stride’s program receives a completely customized treatment plan carefully developed by a Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA).

Brad Zelinger, Stride’s Founder and CEO, explained that “Stride’s mission to provide the best possible support to children with autism and their families is deeply personal to me. My sister has an autism-related disorder called Rett Syndrome. She is nonverbal, and requires substantial support in everyday activities. I founded Stride so individuals like her can get the effective therapy they need as early as possible to live more independent, joyous lives. As a Midwesterner myself, I’m particularly motivated to bring Stride’s services to underserved communities throughout the Midwest.”

Regarding the program, Stride’s Clinical Director and University Chair of ABA at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Dr. Ashley Whittington-Barnish, PhD, LCP, BCBA-D, NCSP said that “Decades of research demonstrating the effectiveness of early intervention for children with autism underlie our decision to specialize in the early treatment of young learners.”

“Our mission-driven team is incredibly motivated by Stride’s unwavering commitment to meaningful outcomes. We’re grateful that our singular focus on the highest quality care has allowed us to attract outstanding clinical leaders and therapists alike,” Dr. Whittington-Barnish added.

Families interested in learning more about our Lincoln center or program in general can contact us online or by phone at 515-207-5251.

Stride’s Founder and CEO Gives Opening Remarks At 17th Annual Goldstick Family Lecture

Posted on by Brad Zelinger

The 17th Annual Goldstick Family Lecture in the Study of Communication Disorders took place on September 30, 2021. The lecture was hosted by the College of Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and always draws upon leading scholars in the field of special education.

This year’s lecture was held virtually, with more than 400 individuals from across the United States tuning in to hear from Dr. Connie Kasari, Distinguished Professor of Human Development and Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The focus of Dr. Kasari’s lecture was “Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities at School: Inclusion, Integration, and Improvement.”

More than 17 years ago, Phil and Beverly Goldstick, grandparents of Stride’s Founder and CEO Brad Zelinger, created a fund for the Department of Special Education within the College of Education in honor of their granddaughter who lives with Rett Syndrome, a severe autism-related disorder.

Prior to Dr. Kasari’s introduction, Mr. Zelinger offered some remarks concerning Stride’s mission and background. Mr. Zelinger revealed that growing up with his sister inspired him to form Stride, and that she, along with his grandparents provide him with energy and motivation as he seeks to give back to surrounding communities.

He also spoke about how Stride is a provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for preschool children with autism in Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. With a focus on underserved communities, Stride seeks to assist those with autism and their families at the earliest possible moment to help the children lead more independent and joyous lives. Stride’s full-day program places great emphasis on producing a rapid increase in vital skills so that these children ages 2 to 6 can graduate into kindergarten and first grade programs with a greater chance of success.

Toward the end of his remarks, Mr. Zelinger said that he appreciated being able to speak prior to this incredibly important topic. He went on to say that while a lot of attention goes to the transition from preschool to kindergarten or first grade, more needs to be done in these new school environments that aren’t as tailored to meet the needs of children with autism.

Enrollment is Open for Stride Autism Centers® in Hiawatha

Posted on by Brad Zelinger

Stride is excited to announce that clients can now enroll in our therapy program for preschool children with Autism at our new center conveniently located at 1327 Boyson Road in Hiawatha.

Autism is a communication and social disorder, and Stride’s combination of one-on-one therapeutic interventions and structured group activities aims to rapidly enhance verbal & nonverbal communication skills as well as other critical life skills. Stride’s ABA therapy program is the most evidence-based approach for treating autism. ABA helps prepare children for success in kindergarten and beyond.

Stride’s mission and commitment to its clients is profoundly personal to Founder and CEO Brad Zelinger. His sister lives with an autism-related disorder, called Rett Syndrome. She is nonverbal and requires considerable assistance in her daily activities. Mr. Zelinger founded Stride so individuals like his sister can receive life-changing therapy as early as possible to help pave the way for happier, more independent lives. Stride’s team of highly trained Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) share this unwavering commitment to meaningful outcomes for their clients.

We look forward to helping your child take their best stride forward. To learn more about our program and enrollment, please call (515) 207-5251.

Webinar: Defining & Addressing Challenging Behavior, While Celebrating What Makes Your Child Unique

Posted on by Brad Zelinger

On June 17th, 2021, Stride Clinical Director, Dr. Ashley Whittington-Barnish, and Chicago (South Loop) Lead BCBA, Molly White, presented a Virtual Parent Workshop for Chicago Autism Network.

In their presentation, Dr. Whittington-Barnish and Ms. White delved into ways to recognize challenging behaviors and discussed helpful strategies to address them. They also spoke about the important differences between “challenging” behaviors and “unique” behaviors.

The Critical Role of Parent / Therapist Collaboration

Posted on by Brad Zelinger

No one knows your child as well as you do. When your child is enrolled at Stride, we want you, the parent or guardian, to become a key member of our therapeutic team. The hard work we do during the day must be carried home to optimize the benefits of our individualized ABA programs. Parent / therapist collaboration and communication are critical in this regard. You need understand what Stride is working on in our therapeutic setting and we need to know how things are going at home.

Our team at Stride Autism Centers® has extensive experience helping children with autism make meaningful progress, but it requires some key elements that extend beyond our center. Partnering closely with parents is essential to maximizing ABA’s benefits.

This philosophy of collaboration is supported by extensive research that demonstrates more long-term success when parents are deeply involved.

What the research says

We’ve linked a few scientific papers on the topic below and pulled key points from their abstracts.

You can also check out a this concise, reader-friendly CNN article. The main takeaway is that when parents are more involved, children are more likely to have significant improvement in their symptoms, including verbal abilities and social skills.

What we do to facilitate a parent partnership

At Stride Autism Centers®, our Clinical Advisor, Dr. Hedda Meadan-Kaplansky, PhD, BCBA-D, has helped design our parent support program and trained our staff on best practices when partnering with families. Her extensive clinical background and research in parent support has provided Stride’s team with a strong parent involvement platform. Stride is committed to working with you to find the best ways for you to participate in the therapeutic partnership.

Regular communication regarding your child’s goals and progress is critical for the continuity of therapy in clinic and at home. To that end, we meet with parents / guardians at least once per week. This allows us to be aligned in our approach and to regularly address concerns regarding behaviors and progress occurring in your home. We typically connect over a video call to fit it into your busy schedule.

Our compassionate team members are here to support you on your special journey. While we cannot replace the role you play in your child’s life, we can support you. When your child graduates Stride and goes to kindergarten or first grade, we want you to feel empowered to tackle any challenges that lie ahead.

Please feel free to get in touch if you’d like to learn more about our approach to parent support or enroll in our programs.

Stride’s Founder Helps Raise Over $2,000,000 Towards Autism-Related Disorder

Posted on by Brad Zelinger

Stride is proud to announce that it’s Founder & CEO, Brad Zelinger, has helped raise over $2,000,000 towards Rett Syndrome research. Brad’s sister, Marissa, and the challenges she’s faced due to her autism-related disorder, is the inspiration behind Stride Autism Centers®. This year’s Reverse Rett Chicago event was held virtually and raised nearly $250,000. Since inception, Reverse Rett Chicago has raised over $2,000,000.

 

About Brad Zelinger

Brad Zelinger joined the RSRT board of trustees in 2016. A strong and steadfast advocate and fundraiser for Rett research and RSRT, Brad is inspired by his adult sister, Marissa, who suffers from Rett Syndrome. In 2015 Brad created and launched, along with his and Marissa’s parents, the Reverse Rett Chicago gala. The annual event has been highly successful, raising more than $2 million for RSRT over the last five years and increasing Rett Syndrome awareness in Chicago.

Brad began his career in New York City in investment banking at Moelis & Company. He then returned to Chicago, where he grew up, to work in private equity at Madison Dearborn Partners. Brad holds an undergraduate degree from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and graduated in 2018 with an MBA from Harvard Business School.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=potkoxKavHQ

Stride’s Clinical Advisor Hosts University of Illinois 16th Annual Goldstick Lecture

Posted on by Brad Zelinger

The 16th Goldstick Lecture presented by the College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

This symposium featured a presentation by Dr. Sandy Magaña, professor in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities at the University of Texas at Austin.

Culturally Tailoring Parent-Mediated Interventions: An Iterative Process

In this lecture, Dr. Magaña, Professor in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities at the University of Texas at Austin, will discuss the need for culturally tailored parent-mediated interventions for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other Developmental Disabilities (DD) and the process of cultural adaptation. Dr. Magaña will use examples from her own research in which a parent educational intervention was developed for Latino families of children with ASD/DD and later adapted for African American, Chinese American, and low-resource communities.

Stride’s Evidence-Based Autism Therapy Now Available at Four Iowa Locations

Posted on by Brad Zelinger

Mission-Driven Organization Expands Rapidly to Serve More Families in the Midwest

DES MOINES – April 30, 2021 – Stride Autism Centers® (“Stride”), a mission-driven provider of evidence-based therapy for children with autism, today announced that it has expanded to serve families at four centers throughout Iowa. Stride is now actively enrolling clients at all four locations, including Clive and Johnston in the Des Moines metro area, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport in the Quad Cities.

Stride’s clinical team specializes in Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA therapy – the most rigorously studied “gold standard” of treatment for individuals with autism. All of Stride’s centers exclusively serve preschool-age children (ages 2-6) and utilize 1:1 therapist-to-child ratios to provide individualized support during the most critical years of child development.

Every child at Stride has a highly customized treatment plan developed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts and overseen by a dually credentialed clinical psychologist/BCBA-D.

“Stride’s mission to provide the best possible support to children with autism and their families is deeply personal to me,” said Brad Zelinger, Stride’s Founder and CEO. “My sister has an autism-related disorder called Rett Syndrome. She is nonverbal, and requires substantial support in everyday activities. I founded Stride so individuals like her can get the effective therapy they need as early as possible to live more independent, joyous lives. As a Midwesterner myself, I’m particularly motivated to bring Stride’s services to underserved communities throughout the Midwest.”

“Decades of research demonstrating the effectiveness of early intervention for children with autism underlie our decision to specialize in the early treatment of young learners,” said Dr. Ashley Whittington-Barnish, PhD, LCP, BCBA-D, NCSP, Stride’s Clinical Director and University Chair of ABA at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

“Our mission-driven team is incredibly motivated by Stride’s unwavering commitment to meaningful outcomes. We’re grateful that our singular focus on the highest quality care has allowed us to attract outstanding clinical leaders and therapists alike,” Dr. Whittington-Barnish added.

About Stride Autism Centers®

With center-based programs throughout the Midwest, Stride Autism Centers® is a mission-driven provider of Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA therapy, to preschool-age children with autism. Stride can help with communication, social skills, self-care, school readiness, play and leisure, transitioning and emotional regulation. Prospective families can call 515-207-5251 (Iowa) or 312-554-5578 (Chicagoland) or visit Stride’s website at www.stridecenters.com.

Stride’s Evidence-Based Autism Therapy Now Available at Four Iowa Locations

Posted on by Brad Zelinger

Mission-Driven Organization Expands Rapidly to Serve More Families in the Midwest

DES MOINES – April 30, 2021 – Stride Autism Centers® (“Stride”), a mission-driven provider of evidence-based therapy for children with autism, today announced that it has expanded to serve families at four centers throughout Iowa. Stride is now actively enrolling clients at all four locations, including Clive and Johnston in the Des Moines metro area, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport in the Quad Cities.

Stride’s clinical team specializes in Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA therapy – the most rigorously studied “gold standard” of treatment for individuals with autism. All of Stride’s centers exclusively serve preschool-age children (ages 2-6) and utilize 1:1 therapist-to-child ratios to provide individualized support during the most critical years of child development.

Every child at Stride has a highly customized treatment plan developed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts and overseen by a dually credentialed clinical psychologist/BCBA-D.

“Stride’s mission to provide the best possible support to children with autism and their families is deeply personal to me,” said Brad Zelinger, Stride’s Founder and CEO. “My sister has an autism-related disorder called Rett Syndrome. She is nonverbal, and requires substantial support in everyday activities. I founded Stride so individuals like her can get the effective therapy they need as early as possible to live more independent, joyous lives. As a Midwesterner myself, I’m particularly motivated to bring Stride’s services to underserved communities throughout the Midwest.”

“Decades of research demonstrating the effectiveness of early intervention for children with autism underlie our decision to specialize in the early treatment of young learners,” said Dr. Ashley Whittington-Barnish, PhD, LCP, BCBA-D, NCSP, Stride’s Clinical Director and University Chair of ABA at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

“Our mission-driven team is incredibly motivated by Stride’s unwavering commitment to meaningful outcomes. We’re grateful that our singular focus on the highest quality care has allowed us to attract outstanding clinical leaders and therapists alike,” Dr. Whittington-Barnish added.

About Stride Autism Centers®

With center-based programs throughout the Midwest, Stride Autism Centers® is a mission-driven provider of Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA therapy, to preschool-age children with autism. Stride can help with communication, social skills, self-care, school readiness, play and leisure, transitioning and emotional regulation. Prospective families can call 515-207-5251 (Iowa) or 312-554-5578 (Chicagoland) or visit Stride’s website at www.stridecenters.com.

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