Written by: Daniel Bethers, 9/18/2025
Original article: https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/public_announcements/article_5bdcdf86-bbb7-4bd0-91bc-ca5c959106ad.html
A new autism-specialized preschool is coming to Dubuque with the aim of helping children close the social skill gap with their peers.
Caravel Autism Health is expanding its local footprint by renovating the second floor of a newly constructed building at 6600 Boulder Brook Court, with work expected to wrap up in about six weeks. The 7,000-square-foot space will house several classrooms and an indoor “sensory room” or playground, all specially designed to minimize impact on children with sensory issues and provide soothing stimulation with specially selected toys, furnishings and interior decor.
“One of the things that we work into our designs is a very specifically designed classroom-setting environment so that kids can understand what the existing educational system looks and feels like,” said Gordon Montgomery, vice president of marketing and communications at Caravel. “They can either go into (our) preschool, or if they miss preschool, kindergarten. We’ve also got things like a motor skills room with a rock wall and trampolines and other indoor activities.”
Many children with autism struggle to adapt to the school environment due to the myriad social skills required to understand the typical system. Autistic children can struggle to comprehend the need for deference to teachers, taking turns speaking, communicating desires or discomforts productively, effective play and social bonding with peers and other social norms that are required to learn subjects well.
Because learning these skills challenges children with autism more than their neurotypical peers, their education in a system designed for neurotypical children can become less effective as a deficit of social and academic development accrues with each year of non-intervention.
Caravel Autism Health’s programming emphasizes early intervention in autistic children’s lives to create the most effective change in a child’s quality of life.
Montgomery said autism is comparable to being born with a weak left leg. A person might never walk exactly like someone who never had the condition in the first place, but “they may become highly functioning” with physical therapy.
“(With this course, kids) can ultimately take on a much broader experience and participate in more typical life experiences that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to do before — at least — not fully,” Montgomery said.
The facility will use the nationally recognized applied behavioral analysis therapy method to achieve this with students.
“We’ll be primarily working on improving our clients’ communication skills, social skills and adaptive skills, as well as reducing any challenging or problem behavior that a child might engage in,” said Hannah Bechen, director of Caravel’s facility at 2055 Holliday Drive. “How to initiate conversation, how to sustain those conversations — these are all things that we teach. … We really want to focus on teaching kids to communicate in a way that is meaningful for them, using their words, but also potentially some alternate communication methods like picture cards — maybe an iPad or speech-generating device.”
Each child in Caravel’s program will have a behavioral technician assigned to them in a one-to-one ratio of staff to kids. Classes are done with only four to eight kids.
“Oftentimes, our clinicians will even go with the kids to get them set up with (individualized development plans) and help them get set up at school, pediatrician visits,” Montgomery said.
Children with autism are now being diagnosed as early as age 1. Caravel serves children from ages 2 to 10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show that about 1 in 31 kids is on the autism spectrum.
Montgomery said that the reason autism rates appear to be increasing nationally is that treatment such as what Caravel offers is becoming more accessible. Caravel’s service is covered by insurances, including Medicaid.
Parents who suspect their child is autistic can take a basic, 10-question screening form for free at tinyurl.com/autismscreener, with a positive result indicating a clinical diagnosis should be performed.
Common signs, according to Bechen, are low or dysfunctional communication skills for a child’s age, repetitive or restricted behaviors, challenging behaviors or responses to changes in routine and a lack of eye contact.
Caravel offers a clinical diagnosis through teams of doctors and psychologists on staff. Parents can call for a consultation at 800-906-0598.
The Boulder Brook Court facility will add up to 32 new child care slots, doubling the capacity of Caravel’s Holliday Drive facility, which can teach 28 kids at once.
According to Bechen, Dubuque is considered underserved by autism resources such as Caravel. The Asbury, Iowa, location already has 20 kids on its waiting list, who will be given priority at the new facility. It takes approximately two years for a child to complete the program, meaning wait times can be significant.
Bechen said management hopes to start admitting students within three to six months of opening the new location.
