• Serving individuals with behavioral challenges, Autism, PDD, and other disabilities
• 1:1 ABA therapy & small group sessions
• Early intensive behavior intervention
• Comprehensive services including clinic, in-home, school, and community sessions
• Parent training & professional workshops
• School consultation/IEP support
• Social groups & support groups

Three Important Things to Consider When Starting Intervention for a Child Diagnosed With Autism
by Bridget Taylor, Psy.D, BCBA-D & Julie Fisher, LCSW, BCBA

Several well-respected professionals within the field of Behavior Analysis were asked their perspective on what they felt were important things to consider when starting behavioral intervention for a child diagnosed with Autism. Here is one of those perspectives.

Consider the motivation of the Child, Family and Team: Identifying what motivates a child to participate is crucial to effective treatment. Treatment professionals should work closely with parents and caregivers to identify preferred items and activities. The motivation and involvement of the family is key in predicting outcomes of treatment efforts. The more direct involvement by the family members, the greater the child’s acquisition of valuable skills.

Consider the Family’s Resources and Parenting Style: Starting an intensive behavioral program can be very challenging for families due to the tremendous amount of time, effort and financial output required. Families will need different types of training and support depending on their knowledge, understanding and beliefs about behavioral intervention.

Consider the Child’s Profile: Having a good sense of a child’s skills, cooperativeness, and learning readiness is important in designing treatment plans and instructional strategies. A child’s age is also important in determining appropriate training approaches. If a child does not have the basic learning readiness skills in their repertoire then a plan to develop these skills will need to be implemented first.

Article published in Behavior Analysis in Practice, Volume 3 Number 2, Fall 2010