Skip to main content
  • Request an Appointment
  • MyChart
  • Pay a Bill or Get an Estimate
  • For Referring Providers
  • Explore UI Health Care
    • Adult Care
    • Pediatric Care
    • Cancer Center

Main Menu

  • Find a Provider
  • Pediatric Services
  • Locations
  • Your Child's Visit

More Menu

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • COVID-19
  • Donations
  • Educational Resources & Support Groups
  • Health Topics
  • News and Stories
  • Pediatric Clinical Trials
  • Share Your Child's Story
  • Find a Provider
  • Pediatric Services
  • Locations
  • Your Child's Visit
  • Request an Appointment
  • MyChart
  • Pay a Bill or Get an Estimate
  • For Referring Providers
  • Explore UI Health Care
    • Adult Care
    • Pediatric Care
    • Cancer Center
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • COVID-19
  • Donations
  • Educational Resources & Support Groups
  • Health Topics
  • News and Stories
  • Pediatric Clinical Trials
  • Share Your Child's Story

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Services
  3. ImPACT Therapy Program
Email ImPACT Therapy Program
Share ImPACT Therapy Program on Facebook
Share ImPACT Therapy Program on Twitter
Share ImPACT Therapy Program on LinkedIn
Print ImPACT Therapy Program

ImPACT Therapy Program

Request an Appointment
For all requests:
1-888-573-5437
  • Refer a Patient
  • Find a Provider

What Is ImPACT?

Improving Parents As Communication Teachers (ImPACT) is a therapy program for young children with autism and their caregivers. The ImPACT program teaches and coaches caregivers to support their child’s social engagement, communication, imitation, and play skills. ImPACT therapists use naturalistic, developmental, and behavioral techniques. Studies show these techniques work.  

ImPACT works best for children ages 1-6 who are not yet talking in sentences. The program welcomes all types of caregivers, such as mothers, fathers, grandparents, and foster parents.  

How Does the Program Work?

In a series of weekly sessions, caregivers will work with a therapist to set individualized therapy goals, learn and practice skills, and problem solve challenges.  

  • In most cases, caregivers first learn the strategies in a group that includes their therapist, other therapists and other caregivers. Children do not attend these sessions.  
  • Then, on opposite weeks, they meet individually with their therapist to practice the strategies and get feedback. Their child attends these meetings with them.  

Typically, the program takes about 3-4 months to complete. In some cases, caregivers may attend an accelerated program in the summer. This requires two appointments per week for approximately 2 months. At least one caregiver needs to regularly attend all the sessions. 

What Can Caregivers Expect?

ImPACT is not a parenting class.  

  • It does not focus directly on challenging behavior, such as hitting.
  • It does show caregivers how to interact in a different way with their child, since their child may be learning in a different way than some other children.  

Each participating family will need to purchase or borrow the ImPACT parent manual.  

How to Be Referred to ImPACT

Ask your child’s University of Iowa Health Care (UIHC) provider to refer your child to the ImPACT Therapy Program. They should use a Child Psychiatry psychotherapy order and specify ImPACT.  

The Autism Center providers, from three different departments, work together on ImPACT. Your child may or may not do ImPACT with someone from Child Psychiatry. Your child will be matched with an appropriate ImPACT therapist as availability permits.  

If you do not have a provider at UIHC, if you have more questions about the ImPACT Therapy Program, or to check on the status of a referral, please contact Dr. Kelly Pelzel by email or phone. 

For More Information:

Contact

Kelly Pelzel, PhD
kelly-pelzel@uiowa.edu
1-319-384-2845

Our Care Team

Linda Cooper-Brown, PhD portrait

Linda
Cooper-Brown
PhD

  • Department of Pediatrics
  • Center for Disabilities and Development
4.64 out of 5 (102 ratings)
Laura L. Fuller, PhD, ABPP portrait

Laura L.
Fuller
PhD, ABPP

  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology
Todd Kopelman, PhD portrait

Todd
Kopelman
PhD

  • Department of Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology
4.73 out of 5 (73 ratings)
Matthew O'Brien, PhD, BCBA-D portrait

Matthew
O'Brien
PhD, BCBA-D

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology
4.75 out of 5 (58 ratings)
Kelly Pelzel, PhD portrait

Kelly
Pelzel
PhD

  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology
4.56 out of 5 (31 ratings)
Meaghan Peters, PsyD, HSP portrait

Meaghan
Peters
PsyD, HSP

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology
4.56 out of 5 (48 ratings)
Jillian R. Reiher, PhD portrait

Jillian R.
Reiher
PhD

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology
4.72 out of 5 (44 ratings)
Angela L. Smith, PsyD portrait

Angela L.
Smith
PsyD

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
4.50 out of 5 (106 ratings)

Marcio Leyser, MD, MSc, PhD portrait

Marcio
Leyser
MD, MSc, PhD

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
4.68 out of 5 (219 ratings)
Deborah C. Lin-Dyken, MD portrait

Deborah C.
Lin-Dyken
MD

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
4.44 out of 5 (266 ratings)
Dianne McBrien, MD portrait

Dianne
McBrien
MD

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
4.51 out of 5 (215 ratings)
Andrea L. Porter, MD portrait

Andrea L.
Porter
MD

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
4.63 out of 5 (167 ratings)
Lane Strathearn, MBBS, PhD, FRACP portrait

Lane
Strathearn
MBBS, PhD, FRACP

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
4.39 out of 5 (39 ratings)

Nancy Beyer, MD portrait

Nancy
Beyer
MD

  • Psychiatry
  • Department of Pediatrics
  • Psychology
4.87 out of 5 (74 ratings)
Samuel Kuperman, MD portrait

Samuel
Kuperman
MD

  • Department of Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
4.73 out of 5 (33 ratings)
Jodi Tate, MD portrait

Jodi
Tate
MD

4.72 out of 5 (206 ratings)

Thomas Wassink, MD portrait

Thomas
Wassink
MD

  • Department of Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry

Patricia Espe-Pfeifer, PhD portrait

Patricia
Espe-Pfeifer
PhD

  • Department of Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology
4.82 out of 5 (33 ratings)

Paige Burden, MA, CCC-SLP portrait

Paige
Burden
MA, CCC-SLP

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
Debora A. Downey, PhD, CCC-SLP portrait

Debora A.
Downey
PhD, CCC-SLP

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
Laura Fisher, MA, CCC-SLP portrait

Laura
Fisher
MA, CCC-SLP

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
Pena Lubrica, MA, CCC-SLP portrait

Pena
Lubrica
MA, CCC-SLP

  • Center for Disabilities and Development

Tiffany Reaves, MA, OTR/L portrait

Tiffany
Reaves
MA, OTR/L

  • Center for Disabilities and Development
  • Department of Pediatrics
Not sure which ImPACT Therapy Program provider is right for you?
When you call 1-888-573-5437 we'll help you find a provider who meets your needs.
Call 1-888-573-5437

Locations and Offices

Adult Psychiatry Clinic

1911 John Pappajohn Pavilion (JPP)
Level 1, Elevator I
1-319-353-6314
Clinic
In University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242

Autism Center and Pediatric Psychology (CDD)

1-855-842-8847
Clinic
In Center for Disabilities and Development
100 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242
Clinical Trials currently in progress
Browse all clinical trials in progress

Patient Stories

UI researchers use BabySteps smartphone app to assess children with autism, developmental delays in home setting
March 8, 2022

Related News


Iowa Neuroscience Institute awards $2.4 million to Research Programs of Excellence
May 5, 2022
The Iowa Neuroscience Institute has awarded a total of $2.4 million to four research teams to carry out Research Programs of Excellence over the next ...
UI analysis finds more children are diagnosed with autism than previously thought
January 2, 2018
The number of children in the United States diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder may be significantly higher than previously thought.

Educational Resources

Helpful resources before your child’s appointment
Frequently asked questions: Autism Center

200 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, IA 52242
United States

1-888-573-5437
  • Your child's appointment
  • Directions and parking
  • See all locations
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram

Patients & Visitors

  • Your child's visit
  • MyChart
  • Contact us
  • Find a provider
  • Browse medical services
  • Resources and support groups
  • News and patient stories
  • Share your child's story
  • Health topics

Employees & Community

  • Resources for referring providers
  • Refer a patient online
  • Request a consult
  • Clinical Trials
  • About us
  • Join our team
  • Employee updates
  • Nondiscrimination Notice
  • HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practice
  • Web Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • University of Iowa Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
  • Translation services
  • Financial services
  • Patient Experience Office
  • Guest and Concierge Services
  • Spiritual services
  • Volunteer Services
  • Sitemap
  • cancer.uiowa.edu
  • uihealthcare.org
  • medicine.uiowa.edu
  • medicineiowa.org
Copyright © 2023

The University of Iowa. All Rights Reserved.

University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital is part of University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.