EAST TEXAS (KYTX) -- Families and former employees are reacting to Ellis Rehab center closing its doors in Tyler and Athens.
"I've lost sleep. I don't know what to do next," Kalea Simpson, a mother who brings her child to the center, said.
Her 8-year-old son Devon went to therapy twice a week for his autism. "By being there two years, he's improved in his speech levels. He's now talking full sentences," Simpson said.
She fears the progress will now come to a halt. "Without therapy, he can be severe. Possibly start biting, hitting his head again," Simpson said.
Her family got the sad news yesterday, and it has left her scrambling, much like Amanda Storer, who used to work there. "They said this is how it is, get your stuff. They had a form for us for insurance purposes. We were told we'd have insurance benefits until end of the month," Storer said.
She says owners cited financial reasons for the closure. "What it boiled down to and what we were told was reimbursement issues. There was no money coming in, so there was no money to go out," Storer said.
She's already visiting Workforce Solutions for unemployment options, but hopes it get back to work quickly. "I'm not going to have trouble finding a job. It's just finding a job that's meaningful that I love," Storer said.
CBS19 talked with similar practices, who are now opening up their doors to absorb some of the clients coming from Ellis.
