The Allied Network for Neurodevelopmental Advancement (ANNA) center in Wayland is a local business that works to offer a unique and personalized education for children with autism under the age of 6. They strive to create a safe learning space where these children can advocate for themselves and thrive. The center had its grand opening on Saturday, April 26 on 526 Boston Post Rd..
ANNA offers a variety of services for both children and parents, all of which falling under the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) umbrella, which is a therapy dedicated to understanding and changing behavior. Studies have proven that ABA is effective in increasing positive behavior and decreasing negative behavior. It helps children improve their social interactions and learn new skills.
“So the inspiration was, really, how do we deliver services that are more affirming, that center the child and the family and what’s meaningful for them,” Director of Community Outreach Ashley Falandys said. “And how do we do so in a way that’s accessible for everyone?”
With the goal of accessibility and impact in mind, specialists at ANNA provide support for the whole family, offering parent coaching to better inform parents or guardians on how to support their child and provide them with the best care possible.
“[We] make sure we’re supporting [parents] a little more holistically, beyond just being a place where they drop their child off for services,” Falandys said. “We really want to support the whole family.”
Recently, there have been some false statements and claims made about autism, which can deeply affect the community and how people perceive autism. In April, which is Autism Awareness Month, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Francis Kennedy (RFK) Jr., made false claims and inaccurate generalizations about people with autism. He also claimed that he was going to start a registry of people with autism, but later pulled back on this statement. However, this has already had an effect on families, causing them to feel more concerned and hesitant when evaluating their child.
“I have had some conversations with families who are a little apprehensive,” Falandys said. “We have had a couple of families decide not to move forward with evaluation for their child, and [we] completely respect that, obviously, in light of everything that’s going on.”
At Wayland Public Schools, the Special Education Department understands that autism is a wide spectrum, meaning every child with autism is going to present differently. That being said, before ANNA, there weren’t ample resources for younger children with autism in Wayland. Wayland Public Schools Director of Student Services, Ronnie Kessler, acknowledges the importance of having a center in Wayland for younger children.
“The younger students get intervention the better, not just for autism, but even [for] learning a second language,” Kessler said. “The earlier you learn, the better, so I think it’s great to have resources close to home.”
Both Kessler and Falandys spoke of a collaboration between the ANNA center and Wayland Public Schools. Not only would this branch out support for children with autism, but it would help gain more public awareness and reduce the stigma around autism.
“We don’t think of autism as something that needs to be fixed or corrected,” Falandys said. “We don’t think that the goal for an autistic child should be for them to ‘catch up’ or appear to be neurotypical, but the goal really is for them to have all the tools and all the opportunities that they need in order to be their authentic self.”