top of page
Search

St. Albans, WV: Autism therapy center opens; 90 on waiting list

May 28, 2025, WCHS TV, Charleston, WV: New autism therapy center opens in St. Albans, addressing regional need for local services

ST. ALBANS, W.Va (WCHS) — Autism Services Center held the grand opening of a new Applied Behavior Analysis clinic in St. Albans on Wednesday.


Dakota Newman said he hopes this new facility will be a good fit for his son, after not having many options for this kind of treatment and service this close to home.


"He's six years old and we've had a lot of back and forth," Newman said. "With different therapies and stuff like that. We're on the waiting list for this and hopefully the next couple months we'll be in it. It seems to be great so far just walking in here he feels at home."


Autism Services CEO Jimmie Beirne said there was a great need for this facility in the area, and they are already providing services to almost a dozen children, with 90 on the waiting list.


"The families that were traveling to Huntington, which is a good 45 or 50 minutes without traffic, they are so excited not to have to make that long trip," Beirne said. "And we can serve so many people in the Kanawha Valley here."


Beirne said the need for services in the area exceed what service providers are able to accommodate right now, in part due to difficulty recruiting staff.


The new facility has 24 dedicated therapy rooms and many more areas that are equipped to provide high quality care and provides two playrooms for children at the clinic that Beirne said is an important part of skill development. . . .


The CDC estimates that autism is prevalent in one and 31 children in the United States. Newman said the lack of care options is troubling for parents.


"It's kind of scary honestly, but its really nice just him being in here socializing with other kids with the same needs as he has," Newman said.


Autism Services Therapies in St. Albans will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and offers full day and part day therapy schedules.

 


 
 
 

Comments


bottom of page