LEWISBURG, W.Va. – A Greenbrier County mother is hoping to bring awareness to the need for applied behavioral analysis therapy programs in West Virginia.
Susan Loudermilk is a family therapist who’s working to become a board certified behavioral analyst. She says she went back to school and got into this career path due to having two of her own children on the spectrum and realizing the lack of ABA therapy choices in the state.
Loudermilk says she had to resort to taking her son to Detroit, Michigan for the specialty training for her and her son. Loudermilk says this is why she currently travels to families in the area to offer therapy.
“The goal is to provide services for the children in our area and surrounding area that otherwise wouldn’t get any. Outside of regular therapy in school,” said Loudermilk.
Loudermilk is currently in the process of getting her necessary clinical hours remotely under an organization called Diversified Assessment and Therapy Services. Nathel Lewis is the executive director of children and youth services for the group. Lewis says the lack of board certified behavioral analysts is directly tied to a lack of people who are certified to offer clinical hours to others.
“We no longer have an in state college that trains board certified behaviorists so WVU ended that program in 2018. Marshall University is working on an online program to be able to train board certified behaviorists again,” said Lewis. “I think that’s the starting point, is to be able to get an in state education program.”
Lewis says right now a lot of children in need of ABA therapy have to get treatment in neighboring states. She says in 2020 West Virginia did introduce a waiver program through Medicaid to help get those children the help they need in the state.
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