Children with Autism will soon have a new place to receive services in Siouxland.

The PierCenter for Autism, a non-profit organization, plans to open a center sometime this fall at 709 Iowa Street, according to founder Josh Cobbs.

Cobbs, whose 12-year-old son Noah has autism, said he formed the non-profit in hopes of filling a great and growing need in Sioux City.

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey released in March, 1 in 88 children in the United States has autism. The prevalence of the condition has risen nearly 80 percent over the last decade, according to the CDC.

At the PierCenter, board certified behavior analysts will offer applied behavior analysis therapy to school-age children and certified teachers will also be on hand to provide tutoring support. From there, Cobbs said he only expects services to slowly grow.

“We really want to try to connect the spans as they go through life, so if an individual needs something at age 7, we want to provide that service for them,” Cobbs said. “If they need something at age 17, because those needs are different, we want to be able to provide that service.”

Many Sioux City area families, including his, Cobbs said, have driven long distances in order for their children to receive services.

“That’s common to a lot of families in this area. They drive to maybe Des Moines or Omaha or Sioux Falls or Iowa City,” he said. “We’re not going to be able to replace all of those services that families go out of town for, but we’re hoping to certainly supplement and cover some of those services.”

Although Cobbs said his group has talked about opening a center for children with autism for years, he said the idea took off in January. A seven-person board was formed and an agreement was reached to lease space from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

The center’s name, Cobbs said, plays off of the meaning of the word “pier” – a support for a bridge.

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Autism support center plans to open this fall

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