Autism

Harwood is one of the few agencies in Shelby and surrounding counties with specialized programs for children under the age of five with autism spectrum disorders.

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 110 children will be diagnosed with autism. Harwood Center employs a psychologist, behavior analyst, and licensed special education teachers to develop intervention programs for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. These services are provided in the home, with typical childcare programs, and/or at Harwood Center. The staff develops specialized programs, which are implemented on an individual basis. One such intervention is Applied Behavior Analysis. This is a proven therapy for children with autism and involves an average of 10 hours of individual therapy a week.

Children may receive therapy services while at school. Harwood employs a speech/language therapist who delivers individual language therapy to children needing this service and provides assistance to parents and staff as they work to improve the communication skills of all children attending the Center. Because of Harwood’s unique physical environment — its main location is housed within the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities and a satellite class is located within the Memphis Jewish Community Center — the Harwood Center-based students are able to interact on a daily basis with typical children from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) Child Care Program and the Memphis Jewish Community Center Preschool. 

Classroom for children with autism spectrum disorders

Harwood Center
Location: 711 Jefferson Avenue (within the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities)

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Days: Tues. & Thurs. class, 18 months to 3 years
           Mon., Wed., & Fri. class, 3- and 4-year olds