A Look Back: The Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center at CHOC

Choc Lobby

Hillary Simon

June 22, 2023

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It’s been three years since Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC) opened the Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center we designed in partnership with them, but truly, our work has only just begun. 

Now, years later, with the doors open, we are still focused on learning from the clients. What worked in this care space and what can we improve upon?

Dr. Tom Megerian, clinical director at Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center at CHOC, describes his center as a unique center that focuses on four pillars:

  1. Assessment, also known as the diagnosis stage. 
  2. Challenging behavior and working with kids who need more attention than what they are getting in the community and at school. 
  3. Offering a co-occurring program which is providing specialists for children with autism and another disorder, for example epilepsy or gastroenterology issues. 
  4. Research and introducing clinical trials. 

All of those pillars were important to understand for our design team led by Hilary Thomas and Don Lawrence.

"The key is the multidisciplinary approach," said Dr. Megerian. "So it's not what we say—it's not catch and release. A lot of centers are dedicated, rightfully so to diagnosing and assessing that they're not necessarily providing the ongoing care—lots of centers rely on other people to do that."

Testimonials

  • Ours is a more holistic model. When patients and their families come here, they can see neurology, GI, sleep and epilepsy specialists, psychiatry and psychology all in one place. That's the game changer we provide to families.”

    Dr. Tom Megerian Clinical Director at The Thompson Autism & Neurodevelopmental Center at CHOC
Choc Exterior

COVID-19 and Design Implications

CHOC opened its doors in early 2020, just weeks before the world was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That was a big roadblock that no one in the world saw coming, but Dr. Megerian credited the CannonDesign team for creating multi-purpose pediatric spaces that could easily convert to accommodate pandemic procedures. His future wish is to create more rooms designed for private telehealth calls—something the pandemic popularized.

Every floor and room in the Thompson Autism Center has a distinct purpose, and all the design elements were intentional—but the CannonDesign team realized that the wayfinding elements that were implemented are not clear to all staff members—especially the ones who joined CHOC after the new facility opened. That’s why the CannonDesign team plans to hold another transition and change management course for staff, to reeducate the team and show new staff members the intention behind the design: like the color coding, the wayfinding graphics, the toilet/ hand washing station, and the multipurpose rooms.

Choc Play Room
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Testimonials

  • It was a great learning experience. I learned so much about this type of patient and Don and I would love to work on another project tending to these families. There's a lot of patients out there who are not getting the type of comprehensive care. CHOC is very, very unique and it was an absolute pleasure working on this project.”

    Hilary Thomas Interior Designer

  • It’s a highlight of my career to be involved in this project. I’ve done a lot of cool healthcare projects but given I am a parent to an ASD person—this hits close to home.”

    Don Lawrence Blue Cottage of CannonDesign

Dr. Megerian said if he could go back, he would like more staff involvement in the process. At the time of the design phase, the CHOC team wanted to minimize office space, so the CannonDesign team made a touchdown space rather than a permanent workstation. Now they hear from staff that their privacy feels limited. Future projects with staff involvement could prevent that obstacle and help the design team understand the staff perspective. 

Thompson Autism Neurodevelopmental Center Choc 5

“It doesn’t feel like a clinic” is the phrase constantly heard around the space. To Dr. Megerian, that’s a reminder of how this project is changing the lives of his families and patients. Those who enter the space describe it as calming and soothing. For parents, they feel the freedom to relax and know their child is in good care. For staff, they feel safe and empowered to provide the best care to their families. 

All of that feedback alone proves spaces like The Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center are valued and needed in every community.