11 BRAND STORY cases, those kids were aging out of the facility and had nowhere else to go. “We realized that not a lot of clinics were working with middle schoolers and high schoolers with high behaviors,” Ownby says. “There just wasn’t anything like that in the area.” And so, in 2017, Aim High Impact was born. The insurance-based clinic now serves more than 40 youths and young adults with autism diagnoses. The clinic has a one-to-one staff ratio with licensed behavioral technicians who work with clients to help them with language, managing emotions, learning life skills and gaining independence. Robust internet service from Comcast Business helps ensure that Aim High’s behavioral technicians have the tools they need to provide the best treatment possible. “Our staff work one-on-one with our clients,” Ownby says. “Each of them has an iPad they use to take data on the treatment they are providing, so having reliable internet is essential.” Part of the therapy also includes desensitizing youngsters to situations that might be unsettling to them, such as going to a restaurant or a dentist appointment. “A lot of these kids are so impacted by autism that they have not been able to go on a vacation or to a restaurant,” Ownby says. “We hope to work with the kids so their parents can have those experiences with their kiddos.” The success of Aim High Impact allowed Aim High to later launch Aim High Ascent, which specializes in early intervention for kids age 2-7 who have been diagnosed with autism. Like Aim High Impact, Aim High Ascent works closely with kids through ABA therapy to help improve language and social skills and decrease behavioral challenges. The therapy also includes a sensory gym, which provides an important stimulating environment for kids. So how does Aim High’s original foundation – martial arts – tie into all of this? At the core For starters, the Aim High Academy of Martial Arts is one of the largest nonprofit martial arts schools in the Portland metro region. It offers a range of programs, from Warriors for younger students to Taekwondo, kickboxing and the Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do. Ownby says Aim High also has a special black belt program for youngsters who are on track to earn their black belts. The program is about martial arts, for sure, but it also focuses on life skills, bonding, the day-to-day struggles of adolescence, including bullying and anxiety, and other areas that help prepare them for their lives ahead. “It’s not all about punching and kicking,” Ownby says. “It is a very specialized program that we are very, very proud of.” And then there are Aim High’s core values of kindness, integrity and respect. Those permeate the martial arts training programs, but they also course through all of Aim High’s focus areas as well. So the youth involved in Aim High Ascent and Aim High Impact may not be learning the fighting moves that come with martial arts, but they are learning about the importance of Aim High’s core values. “There is a lot of crossover between Impact, Ascent and martial arts,” Ownby says. “We are about community, culture and our core values that spread kindness, integrity and respect. We encompass those in everything we do.” Find out more at aimhighpdx.org. “We are about community, culture and our core values that spread kindness, integrity and respect. We encompass those in everything we do.” DOUG OWNBY, AIM HIGH PDX
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