Stride Autism Centers - Hiawatha ABA Therapy

"Our son was diagnosed with ASD in 2022 and we put him on the waitlist wherever we could for therapy. We were lucky to get into Stride the same year and the team did a great job in helping him transition into the sessions full day. He was initially attending daycare and getting him to walk into the classroom was a struggle(lot of tears), and it’s not something any parent wants for their child on a daily basis. We were skeptical about ABA, since historically many have had traumatic experiences with the way it was practiced. But once he started attending Stride he was so happy and excited to be there. This changed everything for us. They have a great team working one on one with each child and a BCBA who oversees the plan. They are flexible, friendly and work with parents to make sure our inputs matter in all decisions made in regard to the short and long term therapy plan put in place for the child. They are willing to collaborate with therapists at other clinics the child is attending, so it helps with the overall progress and development. If your child has been diagnosed with ASD, ABA therapy is the way to go. They receive one on one therapy through play and I believe it is very crucial to start as early as possible. Our son has made great progress so far with communication, fine and gross motor skills, which are essential before starting school. We look forward to continuing with the team at Stride."

"This ABA center has been a life changer for my girls and me. My daughter has been there for a year now and we have seen her improved drastically. She loves going to Stride and the staffs are very friendly and knowledgeable. We are so thankful to have found a place where our girls can feel safe being themselves and have fun learning and developing new skills. I also like the fact that Stride has security cameras everywhere all their rooms are always open. I would highly recommend this place!"

"It is an absolute blessing to have Stride here in the Midwest . Coming from Colorado to Iowa with a not-yet-diagnosed autistic son, it was a rude awakening to see that there were ZERO early intervention ABA therapy clinics . Being a former behavior specialist myself, I found Stride (brand new at the time) and I immediately got my son enrolled. He made more advancements in language at Stride than he did seeing a speech pathologist. His SIB is gone . He is potty trained. He is social. He is polite. All of these things the staff at Stride helped let shine in my son. The staff at the Hiawatha location value and honor my son as an individual, and adhere to my wish that they never address any stimming, movement breaks, or any behavior or quality that is inherent to the autistic experience and NOT maladaptive. This is critical in ABA because it is a controversial topic as so many autistic adults recall horrible experiences of AbA from their childhoods. I advise anyone looking for a good ABA therapy clinic to interview and research the history and contemporary issues surrounding ABA so you know what to look for . I have only seen my child thrive at Stride, and HIGHLY recommend them ."

"Our family is forever indebted to Stride Autism in Hiawatha! When our daughter Layla was diagnosed with Autism, we were shocked and in disbelief. Danielle Markowitz, our lead BCBA, walked us through every step of the way. She loves and cheers Layla on as if she was her own daughter. She reinforces her learning goals weekly and adds on and updates daily and weekly. She holds weekly parent-teacher conferences by zoom and shares the learning techniques Layla has acquired. It is so exciting and fulfilling to watch my baby's progress in action! She picks me up when I have a weak moment and celebrates every bit of Layla's progress, differences, and ways of life. Danielle and her team even potty trained Layla at our home in 1 day at the age of 3 yrs and 2 months. Our daughter has a speaking device that was prescribed through our speech therapist that Stride uses to help Layla communicate. She is saying so many new words and sentences now! Contrary to prior old beliefs, ABA therapy when applied correctly is the only evidence-based methodology that if applied to autistic children early on, can help our kiddos learn to express themselves and help push forward in preparation for kindergarten years. Brad Zellinger, the CEO of Stride has been amazingly supportive, responsive, and determined to help my daughter. He made the process so simple and worry-free. He has a personal touching life story with Autism and shifted from a very successful career to build Autism centers that are far and few. Although I have been in healthcare for 20 years, Danielle and the behavioral team at Stride (Jessica, Taylor, Sarah, Payton, Marsha and others) has taught me that neurodiversity is something to celebrate, and I have become a better, mom, physician, and person because of this. Thank you Danielle for being Layla's godmother and for being a sister and friend!"

"My son has attended Stride Autism Center in Hiawatha since it has been open in August 2021. They have helped my son set goals and achieve them! I have heard of some parents that have had terrifying experience with A.B.A. therapies in general but I cannot say that we have through this center (or have heard that from anyone at Stride in general). They have focused on positive reinforcement with him and focused on building a positive relationship with him and us (which is so important). My son is now (mostly) potty trained and hitting goals we have had for him for some time now. I even get to watch sessions through his weekly meetings via zoom! My son is excited to walk into Stride almost every day. It makes drop off’s a breeze when he is excited to go to school. The therapists are trained professionals that my son is excited to see every time. My son may be non verbal but can be very expressive if he is not in a good situation. His reaction to going to school every day gives me confidence to drop him off every day. Brad, the C.E.O. of Stride is also very personable and builds a great connection with families. That is not something that is alway common in businesses in general. I cannot recommend this center enough. If you choose to try to get your child into Stride make sure you have correct insurance lined up ahead of time and you get on the waitlist sooner than later though! Doing so could save a huge headache and heartache waiting for that early intervention to start. Starting this journey can seem overwhelming and it can be a process but so worth it!"