Autism Spectrum Services 
Behavior Therapy Associates provides comprehensive services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders,
including Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), including
all ages and levels of functioning. Services include, but are not limited to: initial evaluation and diagnosis, functional
behavior assessments, educational treatment planning, development and supervision of a home program and/or school program,
home- and school-based consultation, determination of the appropriateness of the child's program via independent expert
evaluation, social skills interventions, supervision of ABA therapists, supervision of individuals seeking to become a Board
Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA), parent training, staff training,
etc. Services are provided by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and Licensed Psychologists.
All services are based upon principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which is the most widely researched
and scientifically-validated approach to treating individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Behavior Therapy Associates
provides continuous evaluation, monitoring and recommendations regarding each individual’s unique strengths and needs
to ensure that programming is maximally effective.
Our comprehensive services for
Autism Spectrum Disorders include:
Initial Evaluation and Re-Evaluations
We bring our many years of experience and training to each case to complete
comprehensive evaluations to understand and assess each individual’s unique strengths and needs. Specific recommendations
are provided based upon evidence-based practices. Diagnoses are provided or validated when appropriate. Families and School
Personnel are provided with feedback in a very sensitive and supportive manner to help them move forward with addressing the
child’s needs.
Educational Treatment Planning
We understand the challenges that exist across school districts due to
resources (budget limitations, staffing, training, materials, physical space, time) and incorporate this information when
evaluating and treating individuals and their respective programs. Our goal and focus are to always act in the best interests
of the individual student, recommend what is appropriate and necessary regardless of the referral source or who is the financially
responsible party. We recognize the importance of a student making meaningful educational progress, developing appropriate
goals and objectives within an Individualized Education Program (IEP), including attainable criteria for mastery, outlining
strategies and supports to address the student’s needs, maximizing meaningful and beneficial time with typical-developing
peers, and providing programming in the least restrictive environment.
Independent Expert Evaluations
Independent
Expert Evaluations are provided to determine if the child’s educational program (school- and or home-program) is appropriate,
if the child is making progress, and what modifications may be necessary. Such evaluations may be initiated following a referral
from parents, school district personnel, attorneys, advocates, and/or following legal proceedings. Our integrity, objectivity,
and professionalism are maintained regardless of the referral source. Issues of confidentiality, sharing the findings with
other parties, anticipated results, and specific procedures are discussed in each case. When necessary, we may be asked to
be included in mediation, due process or other legal-related proceedings. Our staff also has experience with facilitating
a problem-solving approach among the parties involved in an attempt to minimize or avoid any of these legal proceedings.
Development and Supervision of Home and School Programs
Behavior Therapy Associates will develop an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program for a child
within the school and/or home setting to improve skill areas within any and all developmental areas, as well as to address
challenging behaviors. We incorporate data collection procedures, develop operational definitions of target skills / behaviors,
and monitor progress via graphs. Any staff member working directly with a child (e.g., ABA therapist, school-based paraprofessional,
teacher, parent) can be trained to implement treatment procedures. ABA training will be provided on a 1:1 basis or, when
necessary, a workshop will be provided to all staff members who interact with the child. When developing a school and
home program, our primary goal is to help a child become as independent as possible within his or her own natural environment.
Consultation to Home and School Programs
We will provide on-going consultation to both the school and home ABA programs and
make appropriate treatment changes when necessary. There is open communication between our professionals and the school district
Child Study Team (i.e., personnel working on the child’s behalf) to promote consistency and treatment integrity. When
a child is receiving both school and home ABA programs, there is an emphasis placed on parent training and addressing any
areas of difficulty that the child may be experiencing during the school day.
Social Skills Interventions
Behavior
Therapy Associates provides weekly social skills groups at our office and can help schools develop and implement comprehensive
social skills programming in the school following best practices in the field. Our sister company, HI-STEP® also provides
intensive summer treatment programming for social skills, which has provided Extended School Year (ESY) services for hundreds
of children through the years. We also run an intensive weekend overnight program during the summer (Weekend for Improving
Social Effectiveness – WISE). Additional services include individual psychotherapy and behavioral parent training to
foster social skills. The goal of programming is to assist children to improve their social skills acquisition, performance,
generalization and fluency (accuracy and speed).
Supervision of ABA Therapists
Supervision is provided
on an on-going basis to ensure ABA best practice. Any ABA therapist working directly with a child can be supervised by
a qualified Behavior Therapy Associates BCBA. The BCBA will observe the ABA therapist interact with the child and provide
constructive feedback to the therapist at the conclusion of the visit. Oftentimes, our staff will model appropriate interactions
with the child to train the ABA therapist in various treatment procedures. Reliability data also are collected to promote
treatment integrity.
Supervision of Individuals Pursuing
BCBA and BCaBA
We can provide supervision of individuals pursuing
the requirement to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA).
We are familiar with the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) standards and regulations for supervision. Depending
upon individual needs, supervision may include in-person supervision and/or distance supervision may take place via the following:
candidate’s ABA sessions may be videotaped or observed on web-camera, and telephone and email supervision may be acceptable.
Candidates are encouraged to review the BACB website, specifically the
section on Supervised Experience for further information.
Training of Parents and Staff
Behavior
Therapy Associates conducts numerous workshops throughout the year on a variety of topics, including at least the following:
Understanding and Treating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Parents and School Personnel Working Collaboratively,
Best Practices for Social Skills Training, Functional Behavioral Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans, Behavioral Parent
Training, Anxiety Disorders, Developing Play Skills, etc. Click here to view our upcoming workshop events.
Trainings are provided in various ways: local, national, and international conferences; local and state wide support groups;
parent-teacher associations; to personnel at individual schools and throughout a school district; and in other forums depending
upon your individual needs.
Employment Opportunities
If you have already completed your BCBA (with at least a Master’s Degree) and
have a minimum of 5 years experience in the field, please feel free to email us at behaviortherapy@aol.com with a cover letter and your CV/Resume if you are interested in joining Behavior Therapy Associates.
