Specialty care program supporting families and kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder
The leading platform in virtual family mental health care. Evidence-based treatment. Measurement-based care.
The Challenge
A lack of whole-person and whole-family treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder results in increased costs
Failing to recognize and address neurodiversity with whole-family treatment can lead to increased costs, stress, isolation, and difficulties in accessing appropriate support, potentially impacting the well-being of both neurodivergent individuals and their families.
4x
4x higher ED utilization by adolescents with ASD than adolescents without ASD. Emotional dysregulation leads to ER visits, psychiatric hospitalizations, and crisis interventions.
70%
70% of children with ASD have at least one co-occurring mental health disorder. Traditional ASD care models focus on core symptoms, neglecting the broader family’s mental health needs.
2x
2x more likely that parents of autistic children stop working or transition to part-time work to care for their child. Parents experience high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout, increasing healthcare utilization.
Refer a patient
Personalized and comprehensive mental health care that works for families.
WHAT WE TREAT
Most Common Co-Occurring Conditions
common challenges
The most common co-occurring mental health challenges for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Challenging behaviors
Challenging behaviors including aggression, property destruction, tantrums, kicking, etc.
Behavior management
Difficulties following instructions and routines, sleep disturbances, emotional regulation, skin picking, etc.
Support for parents with transitions from higher levels of care
Helping parents navigate the complexities of transitioning care.
Suicide prevention & self-harm
Teaching parents to recognize and manage both typical and concerning behaviors.
Sleeping challenges
Helping you recognize typical vs. concerning sadness, and how to help your child feel better.
how it works
RAFT Program: Autism Spectrum Disorder
Get access to the highest-quality care, immediately.
Refer your patient to us
Whether the child has an ASD diagnosis and is receiving or awaiting ABA treatment, the child is awaiting a comprehensive ASD diagnostic assessment, or parents or siblings of a child with ASD are seeking support.
RAFT Program Intake
We conduct a personalized intake call led by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to define the parents’ need for parent training and the mental health needs of the child with ASD.
Patients begin care immediately
Start with Little Otter experts.
our services
Evidence-based mental health care supporting kids and their families with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Our process meets families at all stages of their ASD care journey: whether the child has an ASD diagnosis and is receiving or awaiting ABA treatment, the child is awaiting a comprehensive ASD diagnostic assessment, or parents or siblings of a child with ASD seeking support.
Evidence-based Therapy
Evidence based programs like Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT-ASD), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Trauma-Focused CBT, and Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) with Master’s or PhD-level therapists.
Psychiatry
Expert assessment, titration, and comprehensive medication management including stimulants, to treat co-occurring conditions like ADHD, depression, and anxiety for patients with ASD.
Parent Coaching
Master’s-level Board Certified Behavior Analysts with extensive expertise in working with parents of children with ASD using Parent Management Training (PMT) & RUBI Parent Training.
the little otter way
A comprehensive model for kids and families
The Family Mental Health Check-Up
Developmentally-sensitive assessment and report on whole-family health, including child, parent, siblings, impact on family functioning and relationships. Helps parents understand “when to worry.”
Wraparound care and digital services
Notes after every session, personalized on-demand content, unlimited messaging with their care team, and progress reports.
Care coordination to best support families
Master’s-level BCBA care navigators facilitate collaboration with ABA providers, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and other external services to ensure integrated care.
Measurement every step of the way
Session-level PROMIS measures, session-level clinician reported measures (CGI-I and CGI-S), and sub-speciality screens and therapeutic alliance every 6 weeks.
The leader in child mental health
Dr. Helen Egger is the Co-founder and Chief Medical & Scientific Officer at Little Otter. She is a child psychiatrist who has been a leader in the field of child mental health for more than 30 years. Previously, she was Division Chief for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Duke Medicine and Chair of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Director of the NYU Child Study Center at NYU Langone Health.
Dr. Egger is also an internationally-recognized researcher in early childhood mental health. Her research has set the standard for measurement of child mental health, and it's the foundation of Little Otter's Family Mental Health Check-up and Little Otter's measurement-based, whole family model of care.
Get in touch to learn more
The only platform specialized in early child mental health.
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