Springtide opens second autism clinic
RIDGEFIELD — Springtide Child Development has expanded its operations into western Fairfield County with the opening of a second multidisciplinary care facility to support children with autism.
Much like its Trumbull location, the Ridgefield center on Copps Hill Road offers applied behavior analysis, occupational and speech therapies under one roof to ensure better outcomes for a child’s success, according to Springtide’s co-founder and CEO Jia Jia Ye.
“Autism is a lifelong journey,” she said. “It’s not something you treat or cure — it ebbs and flows along (with) life.”
Since autism is viewed on a spectrum and manifests in many different ways, Springtide aims to custom-tailor its services to fit a child’s individual needs. Therapists offer a mix of in-home care as well as one-on-one intensives and group sessions at the center, which services children ages 2 to 18.
With respective therapists communicating fluidly as a team, “There are no gaps or overlaps in care, so you get the best value,” Ye said.
While the group sessions have been limited to hosting two or three children with similar skill sets amid the pandemic, they continue to provide some semblance of socialization.
“Kids with autism thrive with structure and predictability, and COVID threw that out the window,” Ye said. “This was the one place where (they) could go to get that consistency.”
The center caters to more specific needs, as well, including language acquisition, social skills, school readiness and functional living skills. .
The Ridgefield facility features an ocean theme with rooms named after marine animals. The therapy rooms include flexible seating options — such as bean bag chairs, couches, traditional desks and floor space — so children can choose a place that is best suited for their learning abilities. These spaces are intentionally designed to mimic home and school settings to assist with a child’s transition.
When choosing a town to establish Springtide’s second facility, Ye regarded Ridgfield’s emphasis on education and its accessibility to residents in Danbury and Norwalk. The company has also signed a lease for a third location in West Hartford.
“We’re excited by engaged parents who … see the value in this type of care,” she said. “It’s such a common condition but it can feel really isolating if you don’t have the right support … I want parents to feel that there’s support out there for them.”
For more information, call 203-880-5495 or visit myspringtide.com.