Avela Health

12/10/2025

When choosing autism services provider for your child, what are potential red flags?

On the podcast Inchstones by Sarah, Avela Health's Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Cynthia Anderson, shared what she wishes every parent would ask a potential provider: How do you define progress?

The answer tells you whether a provider is focused on helping your child feel safe, confident, and understood — or simply trained to blend in.

A provider should serve as your partner in helping your child (and your family) feel safe, connected, and successful.

11/25/2025

Holiday meals can bring well-meaning but stressful social pressure — comments like “you’ll like it if you try it” or “you have to taste everything.” For autistic individuals, this can feel intrusive and disconnect them from their body’s cues.

Encouraging food autonomy transforms mealtime into an experience of safety and self-trust. Caregivers can model this by saying:

“You know your body best.”
“It’s okay to stick with your favorite foods.”
“You get to choose what feels good today.”

👉 Read our full guide how to support autonomy, honor sensory needs, and build holiday food traditions that feel peaceful and rooted in acceptance:

Supporting an autistic family member during the holidays begins with shifting expectations — from focusing on “trying everything” to creating an environment grounded in predictability, autonomy, and acceptance.

10/29/2025

Halloween can be exciting and overwhelming — especially for neurodivergent kids. Here are some simple, clinician-recommended ways to make the night easier, calmer, and more fun for your whole family:

🧡 1. Let your child lead the way.
If they want to wear a costume all week, great. If they’d rather skip it, that’s okay too.

🍬 2. Follow their comfort level with trick-or-treating.
Start small, and give gentle countdowns like “five more houses, three more…” to help them know what to expect.

👂 3. Choose sensory-friendly options.
Try smaller, quieter events like a local trunk-or-treat. Bring headphones or comfort items if needed.

💬 4. Encourage autonomy and communication.
Practice how your child can communicate — verbally, with a device, or even a card that says:
“Happy Halloween! I’m nonverbal, but I’m excited to be here.”

Let them decide whether to wear a costume, how long to participate, and when to take breaks.

🏡 5. Have a calm space ready.
Create a “break zone” — a cozy corner at home or in the car where your child can rest and reset if things get too loud or bright.

✨ 6. Focus on joy, not perfection.
Celebrate what your child enjoys most — decorating, sorting candy, or just watching the fun.

If plans change, that’s okay. End the night with something familiar, like a book, music, or a favorite show.

👻 7. Practice ahead of time.
Rehearse knocking on doors or saying “trick or treat.” Small practice runs build comfort and confidence.

💫 Remember: There’s no “right” way to celebrate.
Halloween joy looks different for every family — and that’s something to celebrate. 💙

10/22/2025

"Asking for support is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to learn.

Maybe it’s cultural — something about being an American woman comes with layers of conditioning. We’re taught to be capable, to hold it all together, to succeed without complaint. To ask for help feels paralyzing, like admitting you’re not strong enough.

But parenting neurodivergent children, especially those with profound, non-speaking autism, is nothing like what we once imagined. It’s CEO-level work for their education, their health, and their very livelihood.

In that reality, the belief that you can do it all alone isn’t strength — it’s unsustainable.

What I’ve learned the hard way is this: a community of support changed my life. Every doctor, clinician, and loving soul who stepped in to support my children has been an answer to the unspoken prayer I whispered when I was buried under rubble.

Asking for help is not weakness. It’s survival."

Read all of Sarah Kernion's latest article for Avela Health below 👇

10/21/2025

At Avela Health, we’re rethinking autism care. Instead of one-size-fits-all treatment, our model is built on contemporary evidence about what works, for whom, and why.

Our goal is simple: to ensure that all autistic people—from toddlers to teens to young adults to seniors—achieve outcomes that matter to them.

Our Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Cynthia Anderson, has conducted years of research on tailored evidence-based approaches and this is the backbone of how we deliver care that’s effective, sustainable, and family-centered.

👉 Curious about the science? Read more in the reply below.

09/26/2025

If you’re researching autism services, you’ve probably come across ABA therapy. It’s often called the “gold standard,” but many parents also hear growing concerns—from the intensity of 20–40 hour programs to autistic self-advocates who felt harmed rather than helped.

So what’s the truth? ABA can help some children build important skills, but it has also been criticized for focusing too much on compliance instead of connection. Families today deserve clear, honest information—and options that respect their child’s autonomy, joy, and unique needs.

No one therapy works for every child. What matters most is finding care that aligns with your values and helps your child thrive as themselves. 💙

Read the full article from our Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Cynthia Anderson.

You may be wondering if ABA or an alternative to ABA therapy is right for your family. We explain how ABA and alternatives to ABA are defined and what to look for in a provider.

08/25/2025

When your life shifts overnight, through a diagnosis, a loss, or a truth you never imagined, something profound happens. Your brain rewires. Your sense of time, identity, and expectation is forever changed.

That’s what happened for one of our Avela moms when Milly and Mack were diagnosed with profound, non-speaking autism.

She writes about how hope once felt like “sparkly anxiety,” and how presence in this moment became her new compass.

Her children’s way of being in the world has reshaped her own:
💙 Believing mothers when they speak their truth
💙 Measuring worth by connection, not milestones
💙 Choosing presence over pressure

When Milly and Mack were diagnosed with profound, non speaking autism, the mental blueprint I’d carried since I was a little girl - the one filled with milestones and tidy timelines - mutated into something I couldn’t recognize.

08/15/2025

“Academic accommodation isn’t what makes me successful.
My skills do. The accommodation gives me room to use them.”

Academic accommodations are often framed as a way to 'level the playing field.' But for one student navigating ADHD, anxiety, and depression, that phrase eventually did more harm than good.

Nico reframed how they saw academic accommodations in their life — from compensating for what they lacked to supporting the skills they had.

Read Nico's full story: https://www.joinavela.com/resources/academic-accommodations/

07/28/2025

In a world where every brain is different, understanding how ADHD and autism show up — and how they don’t — can be game-changing for families trying to support their children with compassion and clarity, and adults trying to understand their own behaviors.

In our latest blog, we break down:
✔️ What makes autism and ADHD unique
✔️ Where they overlap (hello, sensory differences and stimming!)
✔️ Why it’s so hard to tell them apart sometimes
✔️ How to tell what you or your child might need — and what support can actually help

https://www.joinavela.com/resources/understanding-adhd-and-autism-key-differences-and-shared-strengths/

Many people wonder how ADHD and autism are similar or different. While each individual is unique, understanding the distinctions drawn by these diagnostic labels can help us better support and appreciate each other.

07/22/2025

📣 Hey North Carolina — Avela Health is now accepting Blue Cross NC for autism and ADHD evaluations. 📣

Avela Health is expanding access to neurodiversity-affirming autism and ADHD care across the state of North Carolina via telehealth.

If you or someone you know is seeking a comprehensive evaluation—for a child, teen, or adult—we now accept Blue Cross NC and have virtual appointments available within a week.

Each evaluation is led by a neurodiversity-affirming provider trained in the nuance of differential diagnosis (autism vs. ADHD, anxiety, trauma, and more), especially for high-masking individuals. We know how hard it is to find care that feels both thorough and human, and here to help.

Ready to get started or have questions for our team? More info in the comments.

07/21/2025

Transitions are hard for everyone. For autistic kids, a move can feel like the world is turning upside down—routines disrupted, sensory input on overdrive, favorite toys packed away.

And for you? It can feel like you’re holding the whole family together with one hand while taping boxes with the other.

But it doesn’t have to be chaos.

Our latest guide, written by our clinician Laura, shares practical, evidence-based strategies to help your child—and your whole family—move with more confidence and less stress.

Moving to a new home can be an exciting experience, often filled with opportunities for growth and change. However, for the parents of an autistic child, this process can also bring a series of challenges that impact the entire family.

07/15/2025

Profound autism advocate, author, podcaster, and Avela contributor Sarah () shares what it’s like to raise children with profound autism—and what it taught her about instincts, advocacy, and love.

Sarah’s story is about more than autism — it’s about becoming the parent your child needs, when the world doesn’t hand you a roadmap: “Profound doesn’t just describe the level of support my children need, it also describes the depth of my love, the intensity of our days, and the transformation of what I thought motherhood would be.”

📖 Read the full piece at the link in our bio