Dr. Tisa M Johnson

About the Doctor / Professional

Dr. Tisa Johnson-Hooper Pediatrician, Director of the CADD (Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities).

At the Henry Ford Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (CADD), we provide diagnostic appointments for children ages 1-18, where we assess each child and establish or rule out a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We also can diagnose a variety of other developmental disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), communication disorders, and anxiety disorders.

Each child is evaluated through a parent interview, direct observations, physical examinations, and diagnostic tools. The evaluation team reviews your child’s medical records and reports from your child’s school. Depending on your child’s age and symptoms, a specific team will be selected for your child’s diagnostic evaluation. Your team may include the following providers:

• Child Psychiatrist
• Neurologist
• Neuropsychologist
• Pediatrician
• Speech-Language Pathologist

Our diagnostic appointment is a one-day, multidisciplinary evaluation, followed by a feedback appointment soon after. A few weeks after the diagnostic appointment is completed, the family meets at a separate feedback appointment with one of the providers to:

• Share diagnosis and review results
• Offer treatment recommendations/resources
• Provide family with a copy of the diagnostic reports

Telehealth ABA therapy (treatment):

What is applied behavior analysis (ABA)?

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is treatment that is widely used for persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder. There is solid evidence from years of study that ABA therapy is effective. In ABA therapy at the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, many important life skills are taught by breaking them down into smaller parts until the child can do the entire skill or activity. In addition, our team works to decrease challenging behaviors by teaching communication, replacement behaviors, and by rewarding only appropriate behaviors.

Parents of patients ages 2-18 years can participate in weekly telehealth training sessions with our experienced board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA) from the comfort of their own home with an Internet connection. Parents work with the BCBA to determine what skills are most important in the home setting. The BCBA then creates goals and a plan that parents can follow in the home setting. Parents also can get real-time feedback from the BCBA.

Telehealth ABA training can help parents:

• Teach their child how to follow a schedule
• Decrease challenging behaviors in the home
• Teach skills like toilet training, daily living skills, playing and following directions