Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


April marks National Autism Awareness Month and a local center is highlighting its various therapies and programs for those with autism.

The Oxford Center has an innovative state-of-the-art facility off Whitmore Lake Road in Brighton. The Center first opened in South Lyon in 2008, but only did Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at that time. That’s a specialized form of medical treatment that delivers 100% pure oxygen to the body through increased atmospheric pressure in an enclosed hard chamber. The therapy enhances the body’s ability to aid in its healing. Founder/CEO Tami Peterson told WHMI it is a proven medical treatment that has been very successful for non-verbal children with autism and others.

In 2018, the Center moved to Brighton and started out in a 32,000-square-foot building. Last summer, a 35,000-square-foot expansion doubled the size to accommodate its growing autism program. It includes therapy rooms, employee spaces and the innovative “Village of TOC.”

The Village of TOC is an actual village with a roadway, crosswalks, curbs, streetlights, a park, and 12 functioning retail stores including a grocery store, coffee shop, pet store, toy store, along with an ATM, dentist office, and hair salon. It is the only facility of its kind in the U.S.

The retail shops and stores are open to the public for business, which is also a therapy tool. Peterson says children are able to learn in a natural environment and gain the skills they need to be successful in different settings. She noted they’ll be adding more to that this summer and at any given time, they have at least 60 children with autism at the Center.

Peterson also highlighted ABA therapy, which helps increase positive behaviors to replace problem behaviors in children with autism. She noted they can also help connect people with good testing options to find out if a child has autism, stressing early intervention is important.

Peterson said waiting to see is never the best choice and early intervention is key because the sooner a child is diagnosed, the better it is for them. Once they get the right services, Peterson says they gain the skills and tools they need to go back into their community, fit in, and be successful.

Peterson will be a featured guest on WHMI’s Viewpoint program Sunday morning at 8:30. It can be accessed in the Podcast section of our website.