Kalispell’s Child Development Center is appealing to local families to get their children screened for autism during April, Autism Awareness Month.

Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the United States, with 1 in 68 individuals and 1 in 42 boys diagnosed on the spectrum.

The Child Development Center is a nonprofit that encourages parents to get treatment and early intervention to lessen the disorder’s impact later in life on learning, behavior and social skills.

Karlyn Gibbs, the center’s autism treatment supervisor, said the younger the better.

“There’s a lot of evidence to support the belief that earlier is better,” she said of intervention. “Young brains are more flexible, so it’s easier to rewire, or retrain, brain pathways to minimize and even eliminate future problems.”

The Child Development Center offers free screenings for children. From birth to 3 years old all services are free and it happens to be the best time to address autism. 

The center offers individualization, making for a valuable experience for at-risk children. Carolyn Prussen, the executive director of the Child Development Center, described how that works.

“No two children, no two families are alike, so intervention is individualized,” she said. “The end result is families are more supported and children are more successful.”

Founded in 1975, the Child Development Center is a private nonprofit supporting families in Western Montana whose children are at risk for delays in development or have a diagnosed developmental disability. Programs serve children and young adults from birth to 21-years old.

For information or to set up a free screening, call 406-549-6413.