FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Whom do you serve?
Typically we work with young children ages 2-8 (early intervention). We serve families of children with autism, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, speech and language disorders, problem behaviors, etc... The amount of time and services provided will vary, depending on your family's needs and the skills being addressed with your child.
What skills and behaviors do you target?
Our primary objective is for your child to function as independently as possible in their natural environments. Programming is based on your child's needs and includes goals across many areas, with an emphasis on consistency and generalization, communication, social skills and the reduction of problem behavior. Parent involvement and participation is a crucial component in order for the intervention to be as effective as possible. The goals are analyzed and modified based on an individual's data. A variety of assessments are also used to monitor skills including imitation, receptive and expressive language, play, academic, self-help and motor.
How many 1:1 hours do you provide?
Direct teaching sessions are usually 2 hours. Based on the number of hours your child is receiving from other team members as well as his/her individual needs, your consultant typically provides 1-2 sessions (2-4 hours) a week. The number of skills we can target will be correlated to the total number of therapy hours your child is receiving.
How do I find my child's potential team members?
To find your child's team members, we recommend posting flyers around college campuses (particularly in certain departments), checking with your church nursery/preschool classrooms, advertising in the local newspaper, and talking to university professors. We may be able to refer team members who currently work with some of our families, and who may have additional availability.
How do you address skill deficits in the community?
We will observe your child in the specific setting (ie. grocery store, restaurant, hair salon, dentist, church, Target, etc) and write a protocol, make recommendations for you to follow. Additional training and observations will be provided as needed. It can also be helpful to work on pre-requisite skills in the home that your child is expected to tolerate or perform in the target setting.
Why Applied Behavior Analysis?
Interventions are based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis and include a combination of discrete trial and incidental teaching techniques. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a discipline used to promote the understanding and improvement of socially significant behavior by utilizing methods based on scientific principles of behavior, such as positive reinforcement (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 1987).
Characteristics of ABA that make it so effective include individualized and measurable goals, continual assessment & data collection, intensity of hours and teaching opportunities, data based decisions, interventions based on empirically validated research, and skill acquisition maintained over time and under natural conditions (generalizations).
ABA has a research base starting in 1960, working on a wide range of skills (such as helping people with stuttering, stopping self-injurious behavior in children, increasing physical activity for overweight adults, teaching people to form healthy sleep habits, etc.). The principles of ABA have successfullly been applied to a vast majority of behavior with a vast majority of people.
Please contact us today so we can discover how we can best serve your family.