For autistic children and their families, this UNLV honoree offers hope

By Brian Nordli

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014 | 2 a.m.

Gina Myers brought her twins to Dr. Nicole Cavenagh at Touro University’s Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities searching for an answer.

Myers' twin boys, Raistlin and Cameron, were 3 years old. They still weren’t talking, and they threw tantrums everywhere the family went. Nothing she or her husband did would placate them.

She had to know: Was something wrong with her boys, or was she a bad parent?

Cavenagh, the center’s director and psychologist, had the answer. She broke the news that the children had autism, and what she said next gave Myers hope.

“She told us that we’re going to work on this,” Myers recalled. “(She said), ‘I can’t promise any results, but not working on it is not going to help.'”

Cavenagh has helped hundreds of other families like the Myerses as they deal with their children's diagnoses. Her impact at Touro’s autism center earned her recognition as one of UNLV’s Alumni of the Year. The award will be presented to her Monday at the UNLV Foundations dinner.

“She is probably one of the best assets that Touro University has, and the success of our autism center is due in very large part to her dedication to duty,” said Shelley Berkley, CEO of Touro University, Nevada. “This is a labor of love for this woman.”

Cavenagh took over as the center’s clinical director in 2008, where she diagnoses children with behavioral disabilities and oversees the center. She has played a key role in the program’s expansion from 30 patient visits a month to more than 300.

Autism spectrum disorder is a group of developmental disabilities that can cause social, behavioral and communication challenges, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The center offers speech and language therapy, behavioral therapy, occupational therapy and social skills groups along with consultation and other resources for parents and the children.

In addition to her work at the center, Cavenagh advocates for autism needs both at the Nevada Legislature and in the media.

“She has done a wonderful job putting the word out there and helping other families,” Myers said. “If there are other people who are involved and care, it gives us hope.”

But most of her time is spent in scrubs, on the floor playing with the children. Most days the hallways and rooms outside her office turn into a playground, as children with autism learn how to play and behave around others.

She loves to see children's progress as they go from not talking to saying full sentences, or from isolating themselves to learning how to make friends. She keeps some of their pictures up on a corkboard in her office, and loves receiving emails from families updating them on their progress.

Myers’ twins are now 6 years old. During their visits, therapists conduct exercises like playing with the kids in the ballpit and gym room and then having them move into the work room to practice transitioning to new places. Other days, a speech therapist might have the boys practice saying words, and then rewarding them with gummy bears or M&Ms.

Cavenagh has followed the family through each step in the process. Being there to help the children grow is why she does her job.

“We were drawing yesterday and one of the boys told me my butterfly was beautiful,” Cavenagh said. “I can hear them tell their mom they love her. It’s so rewarding to see kids go from where they started to (achieving) so much potential.”