Inpatient care for children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Helping families navigate the challenges of autism — together.
Children and adolescents with autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders often face steep, overlapping challenges: difficulty communicating basic needs, social deficits, sensory sensitivities, and trouble with everyday tasks such as basic hygiene, dressing, and eating. For many families, these challenges are compounded by repeated care disruptions, behavioral crises, and a lack of appropriate resources, leaving them unsure where to turn next.
The New Directions Program at Nexus offers a path forward. Designed for children and adolescents with needs that cannot be adequately addressed in outpatient programs, New Directions provides structured, hospital-based care rooted in evidence and compassion. We equip children and families with the tools and support needed to promote adaptive growth, social development, and a safe return to home, school, and community — because we’re passionate about mending minds.
A compassionate care environment tailored to children and adolescents with autism and co-occurring conditions.
Common diagnoses:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Behavioral dysregulation
- History of traumatic brain injury
- Intellectual disability
- Other neurodevelopmental disorders
A personalized approach to treatment for autism and other developmental disabilities.
Children, adolescents, and young adults with developmental disabilities such as severe autism and medically complex needs have very limited care options. Hospitals often discharge these patients quickly because of difficult behaviors — which is why Nexus is different. Our specialty programming, combined with in-depth caregiver training, gives patients and families a solid foundation on which to build at home.
Program features:
- Programming tailored to developmental level and functional ability
- Medication management to reduce maladaptive behaviors and enable engagement in therapeutic activities
- Occupational therapy to improve fine motor skills, daily living tasks, and sensory processing
- Physical therapy focused on gross motor development, strength, coordination, and mobility
- Speech-language therapy addressing expressive/receptive language, pragmatics, and augmentative communication tools, such as picture exchange communication systems (PECS) and speech-generating devices (SGD)
- Daily therapeutic groups to support peer interaction, task completion, and communication
- Social skills groups to address conversation skills, emotional expression, and interpreting nonverbal cues
- Token economy system that rewards participation and reinforces prosocial behavior
- Individualized behavior support plans monitored by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs)
- Safe, calming unit spaces with clearly defined routines
- Sensory room with adjustable lighting and tactile tools for sensory integration and relaxation
Admission criteria:
- Admitting ages 6 up to 18
- Presentation consistent with a DSM-5-TR diagnosis for a neurodevelopmental disorder that requires intensive out-of-home therapeutic interventions
- Significant maladaptive behaviors that cannot be safely addressed in a less restrictive environment
- Symptoms interfering with significant life domains, including family, school, community, and recreational/vocational activities
- Ability to respond to clinical services within a structured setting and engage in therapeutic programming activities
- Cognitive and adaptive functioning to benefit from the program’s clinical services and programming
- Medical needs that can be managed appropriately by the pediatric team and facility
Wonder what makes severe autism different from milder forms of autism? Learn here.
MORE ON SEVERE AUTISM
MEET A New Directions PROGRAM SUCCESS STORY.
“Maddie now lives in her own space — dubbed “Maddie’s House.” A rotating, 24/7 care staff uses the routine she enjoyed at Nexus, allowing her to achieve the highest level of independence possible.”
– Tabitha, Maddie’s Mother
Evidence-based, thematic curriculum that helps patients gain skills and confidence.
We use specific metrics to evaluate progress with communication and behavior.
Testing is conducted at admission and throughout the patient’s stay, allowing treatment plans to adapt and evolve as patients make progress.
- Aberrant Behavior Checklist: Measures behavioral disturbances and psychiatric symptoms
- Communication Matrix: Assesses all types of communicative behavior
- DBC-2: Evaluates emotional and behavioral dysregulation and monitors interventions and medication usage
- Modified Overt Aggression Scale-Revised (MOAS): Measures destructive verbal and physical aggression
- Vineland-3: Assesses individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Wee-FIM: Evaluates progress in formal physical, occupational, and speech therapies
Neurodevelopmental program services
