MN: One in 28 with autism; providers 'currently at full capacity, along with wait-list'
- The end of childhood
- May 1
- 2 min read
April 30, 2025, Marshall Independent: Clinic facing rising need to support children with autism
MARSHALL — Continuing to see a dire need in the area for early intervention programs to support children diagnosed autism spectrum disorder, The Ready Clinic in Marshall is experiencing a wait-list of families looking for care. The clinic has seen developmental improvement among its clients, and is also seeking public support to continue its services over the region.
The Ready Clinic works with children from 18 months to 7 years old with autism in early intervention therapy and services to improve cognitive skills, before moving to their long-term school placement. The clinic is a part of the Minnesota Service Cooperative, and does not collect state or local tax dollars for its programs. Operating revenue is based from membership fees and grants.
In a public meeting held Tuesday morning, Marshall Ready Clinic staff gave updates about the work being provided, along with challenges they currently face.
“The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) just came out with updated rates of the occurrence of autism,” Clinical Director Amber Bruns said. “Right now, 1 in 31 kids are identified as having autism. In Minnesota specifically, we are now at 1 in 28.”
The Ready Clinic stands on Main Street in Marshall, while also having a clinic in Montevideo and Cosmos. Montevideo was the first clinic to open in 2019 with Cosmos following, and Marshall opened in May 2023. . . .
All of The Ready Clinics are currently at full capacity, along with a wait-list.
“For our three clinics right now, there are 35 families that are waiting for these services,” Behavior Analyst Clinical Lead Amy Sippl said. “There are 24 families that are waiting for evaluations from us.”
Specifically, the Marshall clinic has 23 families on a wait-list as of April. . . .
Both Bruns and Sippl spoke on the challenges the clinic is facing, including increased costs and staffing.
“We have already closed one in-person center (in Pipestone) due to our costs, and we do not want to continue to cut services because we aren’t able to financially make it work,” Bruns said. “If we are not providing this service, this service does not exist in this entire corner of the state, and I think it’s an incredible disservice to the kids who need it, and the families.”
“We are a first come, first serve provider. Regardless of a child’s insurance, we are not an in-network or out-of-network provider,” Sippl said. “We will figure out a way for your family to have services.”
Bruns also added that they often hear from families about the high expense of early prevention services, and noted that the current rates still don’t cover all of the clinic’s costs.
Comments