Spreading the News of a “Terrific U”

Giving back and helping others realize their own “terrific” selves is something the Clevengers work toward every day.

a picture of vanessa clevenger — Vanessa Clevenger, 10, wanted to find ways to help other kids with sensory issues.

After years of struggling in school, often being called out for behavioral problems stemming from hyperactivity and sensory-seeking behaviors, Vanessa Clevenger told her mother, Amber, that she wanted find ways to help other kids with similar issues. Vanessa, who was 8 years old at the time, had been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at the MU Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders and had been experiencing sensory processing problems as well.

“She told me, ‘Mom, I get in trouble, but I’m not a bad kid.’ Of course, we knew that and thankfully we were finally able to make in-roads with her school to develop a better plan for her education,” Amber Clevenger said.

Vanessa, who is now 10, thought she could help make sensory items for kids who, like her, sought out specific sensations to help reduce anxiety and provide focus. She began producing hand-made stress balls using balloons and sand that she was able to sell for very cheap.

a picture of vanessa and leah clevenger showing off their merchandise — Vanessa and her sister, Leah, show off their merchandise.

“One of the biggest problems families with sensory issues have is how expensive sensory items, such as fidget spinners and cubes, can be,” Amber said. “Vanessa wanted to help provide access to these items to families who may not be able to afford them normally.”

Out of this mission, “Terrific U” was born. Terrific U is a business run by the Clevengers out of their home in Fulton, Mo. that sources sensory-friendly items for children with sensory issues.

“We have been able to find sensory items like fidget spinners, magic snakes, pop tubes and stretchy toys from wholesalers at a price that lets us deliver them to customers for much cheaper than if they had to buy from a traditional store,” Amber said. “With how often kids lose little fidget items and toys, that cost can really add up for a family, so we are proud to be able to provide access to cheaper options that can help calm kids with sensory and hyperactivity issues, like Vanessa often experiences.”

The company also sells t-shirts that they hope spread their message of awareness, acceptance, kindness and love.

a picture of vanessa and leah at their booth at a craft fair — Vanessa and Leah show off the Terrific U booth at a local craft fair.

“We want the world to know that everyone has a story,” Amber said. “We want to spread awareness and encourage everyone to be kind and embrace differences. Kids like Vanessa may do things differently, but that’s not wrong. It’s just different. We want to advocate for the kids who are different.”

And they are spreading that awareness, one stress ball at a time.

Research Core Staff Spotlight: Meet Amanda Gunn

One of the three primary missions of the Thompson Center is to conduct interdisciplinary, collaborative research on the causes of and treatments for autism in an effort to improve the lives of families with autism.

One of the ways that make’s the Thompson Center one of the premier autism research centers in the country is our staff of outstanding, expert research core members who provide logistical support to several ongoing research projects at a time. Over the course of the next several weeks, we will highlight some of the amazing research core staff who make the innovative, life-changing research conducted at the Thompson Center possible.

What’s your name?

Amanda Moffitt Gunn

Where did you grow up?

Grosse Ile, Michigan (pronounced “eel” not “aisle”). It’s an island in the Detroit River about a quarter mile west of the Canadian border.

What is your position at the Thompson Center?

I’m a Research Specialist I

How long have you worked at the Thompson Center?

I’ve worked at the TC is various roles off and on since 2007. My current stint started in 2017, I think. I’ve been with the Research Core since October of 2020.

What is your role at the Thompson Center?

I mostly collect clinical data for research purposes. This means I conduct a lot of formal assessments like the ADOS and other developmental or cognitive tests in addition to more experimental data (like iPhone video recordings or cheek swabs or new surveys under development).

What got you interested in autism research?

I’ve always been interested in brain/behavior relationships, but I worked exclusively with MR images as an undergrad (no actual human contact). Later in graduate school, I gained experience in working with kids and teens with ASD in various research studies, and I thought they were pretty cool to hang out with.

What is your favorite thing about working at the Thompson Center?

My favorite thing about working at the Thompson Center is that everyone is so focused on completing their work to the highest quality in service of autistic kids and their families. There are no slackers, no one “phones it in” (except for telehealth services!), and everyone is willing to go above and beyond.

Thompson Center Staff Spotlight: Meet Kayla Scherer

The Thompson Center prides itself on providing the highest level of care to its clinic patient families.

While passionate and caring expert providers and trainees at the Thompson Center do amazing work in the evaluation and treatment of patients, achieving the highest levels of care would not be possible without the hard work of the Thompson Center front desk staff. In the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting some of the amazing clinic staff who keep things running in the clinic like a well-oiled machine.

What’s your name?

My name is Kayla Scherer.

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Elkhart, Indiana. I lived in Michigan for a short while with my mom and then moved back to Indiana until I finished school. I moved to Missouri and was here for a couple of years, then moved back to Indiana. I’ve been back in Missouri to stay since May 2019.

What is your position at the Thompson Center?

I am a Patient Service Representative at the Thompson Center.

How long have you worked at the Thompson Center?

I have been with the Thompson Center for a year and a half. On July 15, it will be two years!

What is your role at the Thompson Center?

On a normal daily basis, I’m the one that opens everything up, from unlocking the doors to unlocking the cabinets. The next stage is I start greeting, checking in, verifying all patient demographics, updating insurance information, collecting co-pays, issuing receipts, and giving our patients paperwork to fill out. I also help with checking them out and scheduling follow-up appointments. I also scan in patient records. I put each page into the correct category and print out labels for each one. I also send out follow-up letters to families. In between these tasks I take many phone calls from our patients, pharmacies, schools, and many other places.

What is your favorite thing about working at the Thompson Center?

I love being here to help the kiddos in need. Seeing the smiles on their faces melts my heart! I also love seeing some of our regular kiddos!

Thompson Center Staff Spotlight: Meet Kristy Jackson

The Thompson Center prides itself on providing the highest level of care to its clinic patient families.

What’s your name?

My name is Kristy Jackson

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Shelbina, Mo.

What is your position at the Thompson Center?

I am a Business Support Specialist at the Thompson Center.

How long have you worked at the Thompson Center?

I’ve worked at the Thompson Center for 11 years.

What is your role at the Thompson Center?

My primary role at the Thompson Center is diagnostic scheduling. I schedule all of the appointments for families needing autism diagnostic evaluations and other diagnostic appointments.

What is your favorite thing about working at the Thompson Center?

At the end of the day, I know that when I have scheduled a family for their appointment, I’ve made a difference for someone. I can relate to that family because I’ve been in their shoes before and so when they have those questions and fears, I can talk to them about it and explain what to expect and help them understand the process a bit more and have a little less anxiety about what to expect.

Girls Only!

The most recent autism statistics estimate that 75-80% of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are boys. Because it seems like there are so many more boys with ASD than girls, many autism interventions for children are designed with boys in mind. Unfortunately for the nearly 25% of children with ASD who are girls, many of these interventions don’t address key social communication issues that girls experience differently than boys. That’s where the Girls Only! Social Group at the Thompson Center hopes to make a difference.

“Girls with ASD face extraordinary challenges, especially during their middle school years,” said Michelle Dampf, a speech-language pathologist at the Thompson Center. “The Girls Only! Social Group offers girls with ASD the opportunity to learn the social skills needed to successfully engage in social situations leading to independence and employability later on in life.”

The Girls Only! Social Group targets several skills during its 12 week-long program, including social skills related to body language and gestures, as well as conversational skills. Dampf, who coordinates the group, also works on social problem solving, empathy, self-care and personal care skills with the girls as well. These skills are taught through various evidence-based methods such as video modeling, role-plays, social narratives and visual supports.

“Typically, pre-teen and teen girls learn the necessary social nuances through observation, social interactions, and various life events,” Dampf said. “Girls with ASD tend to miss social cues and do not learn conversational skills, social problem solving, or understand the perspective of others incidentally. Explicit teaching of these skills is needed to facilitate success and overall confidence in social situations and peer engagement.”

The group also offers fun activities and encourages an atmosphere of camaraderie among the participants. One of the favorite parts of the group is when self-advocates visit. Dampf says that when the group participants meet and talk with a young adult who also has ASD, they learn lessons that just cannot be taught unless you have lived with ASD.

“The participants learn that, yes, they have ASD, but that diagnosis does not in any way limit their potential,” Dampf said. “It’s amazing to watch the participants grow in their overall social communication skills and self-confidence.”

The most recent group, which ended in November, took a field trip Papa’s Cat Café in Columbia to close out their successful fall session. The girls all said they thoroughly enjoyed the fun activities that helped them learn the importance of self-care as well as showing empathy for others. While cats were certainly welcomed by the group, one constant remained… NO BOYS ALLOWED!

Thompson Center Staff Spotlight: Meet Lavonna Goldman

The Thompson Center prides itself on providing the highest level of care to its clinic patient families.

What’s your name?

My name is Lavonna Goldman.

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Columbia.

What is your position at the Thompson Center?

I am a Patient Service Representative at the Thompson Center.

How long have you worked at the Thompson Center?

I started working at the Thompson Center in December 2019, so almost a full year!

What is your role at the Thompson Center?

I have many responsibilities in my position. First and foremost, I am responsible for accurately checking in and checking out patients in an expedient manner while providing excellent customer service, compassion, and kindness. I am also in charge of verifying all patient demographic, pharmacy, insurance information and referrals, collecting copays and issuing receipts for patient visits, scanning medical documents and office forms and scheduling office and appointments.

What is your favorite thing about working at the Thompson Center?

It’s really hard to pinpoint one thing that I love about working at The Thompson Center, but if I had to choose just one thing I would say that I love the small impact that I can make in the lives of our families. Even something as small as just being a listening ear to those parents who have nobody else to talk to, helping a frustrated parent in the lobby calm a child down, or even giving a patient that comes in every week a sticky hand toy after their session is complete, just because you know it’s their favorite toy. Those small general acts of kindness make a small impact on the parents but also leave a huge impact in my heart and that’s why I love working here!

Student Spotlight — Meet Basmah Alshatti

Bringing people of diverse backgrounds together to provide the best care, collaboration and education is something the Thompson Center has prided itself on since its inception 15 years ago. Although Basmah Alshatti’s native country is halfway around the world, she has been able to experience the excellence of the Thompson Center firsthand.

Basmah, who is in her second year of her master’s degree in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences in the University of Missouri School of Health Professions, was born and raised in Kuwait. Growing up learning both English and Arabic, the language barrier was no problem for her when her family moved to West Virginia and later St. Louis while she was in high school.

It was while she was in high school that Basmah discovered the field of speech-language pathology and how it can improve children’s lives.

“I always knew I wanted to help people,” Basmah said. “Initially, I thought that meant pursuing a medical degree and becoming a physician, but I learned that there are many options for helping improve people’s lives and that is why the field of speech-language pathology really stuck out to me. It allows me to build relationships with patients as well as to better their functional living.”

After moving back to Kuwait to study and earn her undergraduate degree, Basmah had the opportunity pursue a medical degree. Instead, Basmah chose a different path. A path that brought her back to Missouri and eventually to the Thompson Center.

“I had visited the University of Missouri while living in St. Louis during high school, so I was familiar with the school and all of the amazing resources they had for learning on the job,” Basmah said. “The Thompson Center itself was a huge factor. The ability to work directly with patients, to learn how to be a speech-language pathologist (SLP) by practicing and helping patients and their families, along with the amazing faculty and providers at the Thompson Center — that makes this place truly one of a kind.”

a picture of Basmah Alshatti working with a young boy

“Basmah’s ambition to learn everything she can within the realm of speech-language pathology and autism spectrum disorders makes her the perfect fit as a graduate student trainee at the Thompson Center,” said Michelle Dampf, a speech-language pathologist and Basmah’s clinical supervisor at the Thompson Center. “Basmah has provided quality speech-language intervention and family-centered care through well-planned sessions for her clients this semester. She uses her bilingual skills as needed within her sessions and in feedback with families. All of the families have been so appreciative of Basmah’ s excellent care.”

After Basmah finishes her master’s degree in May, she plans to pursue a doctorate in SLP somewhere in the U.S. Following that, she hopes to return to her native country, Kuwait, where she can do what the Thompson Center has done for her: teach and spread knowledge.

“With the initiative and professionalism that I have witnessed during Basmah’s outplacement this semester, I am eager to see her achieve her goals and increase the independence and employability of those with communication needs in Kuwait,” Dampf said.

“Every Mizzou student in this field should get to experience the Thompson Center,” Basmah said. “It is truly a family and something I hope to bring back to Kuwait. I want to share the Thompson Center with the world.”

Finding a Better Way: Meet Dr. Wesley Dotson

“There has got to be a better way.” It was a thought that went through Wesley Dotson’s head many times during his early years as a special educator. Hired out of college to teach special education for high schoolers in Oklahoma, Dotson was familiar with the job. His mother taught special education for 32 years. But being the only man on the special education staff at his school, Dotson was often relied upon to perform forced restraint for students in crisis. It was a calling he did not enjoy.

“I knew that what they were asking me to do, to physically restrain kids who were having severe behavioral issues, was not the way to help these kids,” Dotson said. “I started searching for different strategies and trainings for dealing with and solving behavioral problems.”

That’s when Dotson found Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). He was so enamored with the promise of the therapy that he quit his job and enrolled in the University of Kansas, where he earned his masters and doctoral degrees in ABA and behavioral psychology.

“It was so clear to me that ABA was a much better way to treat behavioral problems in kids with special needs, especially kids with autism,” Dotson said.

After earning his degrees, Dr. Dotson spent the next 10 years at the Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research at Texas Tech University—the last seven as the director. There he led an autism center that performed ABA and psychological services for West Texas children. That is when the Thompson Center came calling.

“The opportunity to join the Thompson Center was impossible to pass up,” Dotson said. “While the Burkhart Center was able to impact families in West Texas, the Thompson Center truly has a national reach. The amount of need, not only in Missouri, but nationwide for effective autism services is monumental, so to join such an established, national center where I can help make that kind of an impact was an obvious decision for me.”

Dr. Dotson joined the Thompson Center in August to serve as the Director of Applied Behavior Intervention Services (ABIS). Dr. Dotson will lead the ABA program at the Thompson Center, as well as the ABA master’s program within the University of Missouri College of Education.

“Another huge draw for me to the Thompson Center and Mizzou was the opportunity to train the next generation of ABA providers while also helping families directly through the Thompson Center’s ABIS clinics,” Dotson said.

“We are so excited to have Dr. Dotson join us because of his considerable expertise in the area of Applied Behavior Analysis, as well as his leadership at an ABA center in Texas,” said Dr. Erica Lembke, chair of the special education department and interim dean of the MU College of Education. “We were fortunate to be able to recruit and hire Dr. Dotson even during a pandemic and we look forward to his leadership as we continue to grow our ABA program.”

Dr. Dotson also was drawn to the Thompson Center due to its mission of autism research. He plans on continuing his line of research on best practices for improving social skills and relationship development through ABA for children with autism.

Throughout his career, Dr. Dotson has always been searching for a better way. A better way to help children and families with special needs. At the Thompson Center, he can continue that search while continuing the Center’s tradition of the highest quality of care, training and research.

Trainee Spotlight — Dr. Colby Wiley

The Thompson Center takes pride in fulfilling its three-part mission of autism treatment, research and training on a daily basis. One of the highest priorities in fulfilling this mission is the training of psychology interns and post-doctoral fellows. This practice not only helps increase the number of patients Thompson Center providers can diagnose and treat, but it also helps fill the huge need for trained autism specialists around the country.

Over the next few weeks, the Thompson Center will highlight a few of our outgoing trainees to see how training at the Thompson Center has helped direct their career paths. Our final trainee spotlight is Dr. Colby Wiley, who spent the last two years at the Thompson Center as a post-doctoral fellow working in the Autism Neuropsychology Clinic.

When did you arrive at the Thompson Center?

I began working at the Thompson Center in September 2018.

What is your background before arriving at the TC?

I was born and raised in Texas. I have lived all over the state, but I call Houston home. I did my undergrad in psychology at Texas A&M and must have fallen in love because I stayed there for my master’s degree in Educational Psychology and doctorate in School Psychology, specializing in Pediatric Neuropsychology. But I wanted to see the world, so I completed my internship in pediatric neuropsychology in Hamilton, Ontario, just outside of Toronto, which set me up nicely for my transition to the Thompson Center.

Where are you headed now that you have finished your time training at the TC? What will be your title/role in this new position?

I have accepted a position at Northwestern Medicine, where I will be working as a Pediatric Neuropsychologist seeing a wide range of referrals from across Chicago.

What created the passion within you to pursue a career in this field?

My first interest in neuropsychology came from a personal experience. My younger sister was having extreme behavioral and emotional outbursts, but no one could figure out the diagnosis. Finally, her psychiatrist suggest she receive an EEG, which identified a rare seizure disorder. With proper treatment, my family was able to manage her outbursts and help her succeed. This instilled in me an interest in the myriad of ways the brain can affect our functioning, and from there I grew into a passion for understanding the brain and leveraging that to help families.

How did your time at the Thompson Center influence the direction of your career?

My time at the Center helped me to see that the patients I most enjoyed working with were the ones with multiple comorbidities and complex needs. Working in the Autism Neuropsychology Clinic, where we frequently see children with not only ASD but multiple comorbidities impacting their functioning, helped me to see that the greatest role I can play in a family’s life is to integrate all of the information they are getting from multiple specialists and develop a comprehensive treatment plan, triaging services for maximal effect.

What is the most valuable thing you learned while working at the Thompson Center?

One of the most valuable things I’ve learned working at the Center was the value of having such a diversity of specialists in a wide range of fields available for consultation just down the hall. I’ve worked in multidisciplinary teams in the past, but being able to pop in and ask a question of someone who is such a specialist in their field, whether it be a psychologist, speech/language therapist, occupational therapist, behavior therapist, or developmental pediatrician was such a great experience not just in my training but in serving the families that we see.

Any last thoughts about your time at the Thompson Center?

I’ve worked with some wonderful colleagues here at the Center. The people I have worked with have been passionate and caring in the work they do with families every day, and I feel I’ve made professional and personal connections that will stay with me for a lifetime.

The Center of Inclusion

Fostering an environment of respect and inclusion has never been more important in our society than it is right now. The Thompson Center is committed to fostering such an environment, and to help lead that charge, faculty and staff at the Center have come together to create the Thompson Center Inclusion Committee (TCIC).

“Many of us came together, saw a need, and wanted to make sure that everyone at the Center was on the same page in terms of creating an inclusive environment,” said Jennifer Delaporte, an autism assessment specialist at the Thompson Center. “Our hope is that if we can get everyone at the TC pulling in the same direction, not only will it create a working environment that values dignity and diversity of all people, but that that environment will spread and reflect on our patient families as well.”

The TCIC is made up of staff and faculty from across the Thompson Center, which members hope helps spread their message fully throughout the more than 80 full-time employees as well as dozens of student trainees.

“We wanted to make sure that every division and office within the Center was represented on the committee,” said Emma Keicher, ABIS clinical operations manager. “Hopefully this will help ensure that we are addressing the thoughts, needs and concerns of people in all areas of the Center.”

Goals of the committee include:

— Identifying gaps in faculty/staff knowledge and generating initiatives to make employees, trainees, and patients/families feel comfortable.

— Emphasizing an open and welcoming environment for Center faculty, staff, students and families.

— Providing resources and activities to foster development and maintenance of inclusive culture.

The TCIC, which officially formed in the spring of 2019, began their work with a bulletin board in a common area for staff. The committee members posted diversity and inclusion content with the hopes of sparking conversations around the topics. The committee has now created a book club for all Center employees which focuses on reading and discussing books related to understanding biases and promoting inclusion. But this is just the start of the movement.

“We envision a slow burn, always moving forward toward our goal of a more inclusive workplace environment,” said Dr. Jennifer Sykes, a Thompson Center psychologist and assistant clinical professor. “We hope this will help the movement be more sustainable by developing an intervention mindset. Ultimately, we want to develop a framework for Center employees and students to be able to have difficult conversations in a respectful way, not just about race, but in all domains, including gender, ethnicity and religion.”

The TCIC plans to frequently seek feedback on the inclusive climate at the Center, as well as helping plan and conduct at least two inclusivity trainings at the Center. Members are working with experts at the University of Missouri Office of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity moving forward to better inform next steps.

With the framework in place and the will to create change, the TCIC is well on its way to making a difference in the lives of everyone who comes to the Thompson Center, either for work or for help.