The Avela difference
Autism care grounded in science
At Avela Health, we’re revolutionizing autism care by grounding our approaches in contemporary evidence about what works for whom. Our goal is to ensure that every child and family achieves outcomes that matter to them and that intervention fits within the context of their day-to-day lives.
Autism intervention in:
Young children (0-6)
What does the research say about intervention for young autistic children?
If you’re exploring support options for your child, it’s natural to wonder: what actually helps? The strongest research supports interventions that combine the best of both developmental and behavioral science. These approaches support a child’s social-emotional growth, relationships, and motivation—while also using proven teaching methods to build skills. Together, this blended approach has the most rigorous evidence behind it to date (Sandbank et al., 2023).
These interventions, often referred to as Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (or NDBIs), support your child’s learning and development by incorporating teaching opportunities into play and everyday routines. Instead of using rigid or adult-led teaching, NDBIs follow the child’s lead, focusing on building joyful connections, communication, and social interaction in ways that feel natural and meaningful.
The goal is to support each child’s growth while honoring who they are—including embracing and encouraging autistic ways of being (Shuck et al., 2022). In practice, this means helping a child regulate their sensory needs, respecting how they naturally communicate and connect, and creating environments where they can be fully themselves—without feeling pressured to hide or change who they are.
How much intervention is needed for young autistic children?
Many parents worry about how much intervention their child needs—and may have been told that “more is better.” But here’s what the research shows: there are many studies showing that positive outcomes can be achieved even when intervention is delivered at a lower dose than is often recommended (e.g., Anderson et al., 2024; Pickles et al., 2016; Rogers et al., 2021).
In a recent meta-analytic review of 144 published studies involving over 9,000 children ages 0–8, Sandbank et al. (2024) found no evidence that the intensity of intervention (measured in hours per week or total duration) was associated with better outcomes. This means that children who received intervention for just a few hours per week—or for only a few months—had similar outcomes to children who received many more hours over longer periods of time.
What matters most is finding something that fits your family’s rhythm and needs. Choose an intervention that feels sustainable and supportive—for your child and for your whole family.
Who should deliver the intervention?
Too often, parents are left on the sidelines when it comes to supporting their autistic child—watching from a distance as professionals work with their child in clinics or classrooms. But parents know their children best, and they deserve to feel empowered and included in the process.
At Avela, we believe parents are the most powerful change agents in a child’s life. Parenting is already full of moments that matter—so why not learn simple ways to support your child’s growth while doing what you already do every day?
That’s why all of our intervention is parent-mediated—meaning we coach and support you to use strategies with your child during your everyday routines. Rather than pulling your child out of their natural environment, we work with you to bring meaningful support into the flow of real life. Whether it’s mealtime, playtime, getting dressed, or running errands, we help you turn those moments into opportunities for connection, communication, and growth.
Research shows that parent-mediated intervention is effective. There are many studies demonstrating that these interventions lead to positive gains for children and for parents (e.g., Levato et al., 2025; Ouywang et al., 2024; Van Noorden et al., 2024).
The Avela approach to intervention for young children
So what does this look like in practice? At Avela, intervention begins with a conversation: What’s important to you? What matters to your child and your family?
We work collaboratively with families to design a support plan that meets you where you are, addresses goals that matter to you, and fits into the context of everyday life. We know that intervention doesn’t have to be intensive to be effective, so we create supports that blend seamlessly into your routines. You’ll meet with your Avela provider at times and a cadence that works for you—whether that’s once a week or several times a week, for longer sessions or short check-ins of just 15 minutes.
There’s no need to carve out extra time for intervention—we help you integrate strategies into what you’re already doing. The goal is to make your days feel more connected, more manageable, and filled with moments of joy.
Quick takeaways
- Follow your child’s lead. Effective support can be delivered in ways that are fun and enjoyable for your child.
- Support doesn’t have to be intensive. Research shows children can thrive with fewer hours of intervention than many assume.
- Parents are the change-makers. Avela uses a parent-mediated model, coaching caregivers to build connection and skills in real-life moments.
- Sustainable > intensive. What matters most is a plan that fits your family’s rhythm—not one that overwhelms it.
School-aged children (8 - 18)
The Avela approach to intervention for school age children
As children grow, their needs shift—and so does our approach. For school-aged children and teens, our focus turns to the challenges that often emerge in later childhood and adolescence: anxiety, low self-esteem, meltdowns, shutdowns, and struggles with managing expectations at home and school. These aren’t signs of failure. They’re signs that your child is overwhelmed, stressed, or not being fully understood.
To meet these needs, we offer support in a way that fits your family. This might mean working directly with your child using evidence-based therapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (e.g., Pahnke et al., 2024; Petersen et al., 2024) or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT, e.g., Sharma et al., 2021; Wichers et al., 2023), or it might mean coaching and supporting you as a parent to respond effectively in tough moments using strategies such as Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (e.g., Greene & Winkler, 2019; Murihy et al., 2023).
In many cases, it’s a blend of both. We tailor our approach to what works best for your child and your family—not a one-size-fits-all model, but something that honors your lived experience and your goals.
We partner with families to make sense of these challenges and respond with empathy, flexibility, and tools that truly help. Rather than relying on rewards and consequences, we help you build skills together with your child—skills like emotional regulation, problem-solving, and self-advocacy.
Meeting your tween or teen where they are
We start by understanding what’s going on beneath the surface. Is your child struggling with anxiety? Are there frequent meltdowns, or moments where communication breaks down? We’ll work with you and your child to identify the root causes and find solutions that feel respectful, collaborative, and achievable.
Through a blend of supportive parent coaching and practical strategies, we help you navigate those tough moments—bedtime battles, school refusal, sensory challenges, big feelings that seem to come out of nowhere. We also help you and your child build a shared language around expectations and needs, so your home becomes a place of more connection and less conflict.
Building confidence and advocacy in adolescents
As your child grows, we focus on building their confidence and sense of agency. We support parents in encouraging self-advocacy—not by pushing kids to be more “independent,” but by helping them understand and communicate what they need in a world that doesn’t always get it.
This kind of work looks different for every family. For some, it means working through school challenges or preparing for transitions. For others, it means learning how to talk together about concerns in a way that actually works. For all, the goal is the same: a stronger, more connected relationship with your child—and a sense that you’re walking this path together.
Quick takeaways
- Needs shift with age. Older kids often face anxiety, shutdowns, low self-esteem, or emotional overload—not “bad behavior.”
- Therapy is tailored. Avela offers evidence-based therapies like ACT, CBT, and parent coaching to meet your child where they are, all delivered in a way that affirms the autistic experience instead of trying to make youth different than who they are.
- We focus on the why. Meltdowns and challenges are signals—not failures. We help uncover root causes and address them with care.
- Parent support matters. Coaching helps you handle tough moments and build shared language around expectations and needs.
- Confidence and self-advocacy grow over time. The goal: helping kids understand themselves and ask for what they need.
Profound autism (0 - 18)
What is profound autism?
You may have come across the term “profound autism” and wondered what it means or why we sometimes use it. This term is used to describe autistic individuals who have significant support needs, including challenges with communication, daily living, and safety. Often, this includes people who do not use spoken language or use only a few words, and who may also have co-occurring intellectual disability.
Some autistic individuals with profound support needs also experience medical challenges like epilepsy or behaviors such as self-injury or aggression that impact their well-being or the safety of those around them. These are complex situations—not signs of who a person is, but signs that they need support that is intensive, ongoing, and thoughtfully tailored to their unique needs. People with profound autism often require ongoing, intensive support to stay safe and thrive.
How can Avela help parents of children with profound autism?
At Avela, we recognize that every child is different—and that includes how much support they need and how they experience the world. Some common concerns we help parents of children with profound autism navigate include complex behaviors like self-injury or aggression, daily living and independence skills such as sleep, eating, or toilet training, and sensory challenges.
We work with families to create personalized, respectful plans that address these concerns with proactive, feasible strategies—always honoring each child’s unique needs and strengths.
What does the research say about intervention for profound autism?
While there is limited research specific to supporting people with profound autism, the studies that do exist tend to focus on behavioral strategies like reinforcement and prompting (e.g., English & Anderson, 2006; Kurtz et al., 2020). At Avela, we build on this foundation by emphasizing evidence-informed practices that are positive, respectful, and rooted in real-life routines.
Just as important, we equip parents with tools and support that help them feel confident and connected—not just managing the day-to-day, but thriving as a family.
Quick takeaways
- Profound autism = profound support needs. This may include limited communication, intellectual disability, and complex behaviors.
- Care must be individualized. Avela creates plans tailored to safety, daily living, sensory needs, and family goals.
- Parents need tools, too. We equip families to feel confident and capable, not just survive the day-to-day.
- Dignity is non-negotiable. Our approach honors each child’s strengths and humanity—no matter how intensive the needs.
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