AUTISM INTERVENTION

What Experts and Parents Are Saying

Families are sometimes taken advantage of through "expensive, risky therapies that have no chance of helping children with autism. These activities divert time and energy away from proven, evidence-based interventions like Applied Behavior Analysis."

- Alison Singer, President of the Autism Science Foundation
 Chicago Tribune, October 14, 2011

PineCone Therapies is a practice guided by the scientific principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. Treatment goals are designed to help clients with socially valid behaviors that are of immediate importance. PineCone Therapies is committed to helping individuals with autism spectrum disorders acquire skills to increase learning and functional skill achievement.

A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) designs a unique program tailored to meet your child’s needs in the clinic, home, and/or school setting.

During your child's first 5 to 10 therapy sessions, a full evaluation of behavior and language is conducted by the therapist. At this time, your therapist may schedule a home or school visit to get a complete picture of your child's needs. The BCBA will use the assessment information to develop and tailor an individual treatment plan with specific goals and objectives for the year. PineCone Therapies uses the VB-MAPP by Dr. Mark Sundberg, which includes language assessment, barriers assessment, and transition assessment, and the ABLLS-R by Dr. Jim Partington to guide our teaching. Once the treatment plan is created, therapy will include one-on-one instruction conducted in 1 to 4 hour sessions 2 to 7 days a week.

The treatment package will include:

• Supervision by a BCBA

• Individualized lesson plans updated on a weekly basis

• Data collection to guide all academic and behavioral decisions

• Ongoing parent and/or staff/home therapist training

• Progress reports every quarter

• Academics instruction as designed and warranted

• ARD meeting attendance by PineCone Therapies staff as requested by family

What is ABA?

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the scientific approach recognized as the "gold standard" for the most effective intervention for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual and Developmental Delay and Disability. ABA is listed first on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's list of treatments. ABA is the most widely accepted treatment among health-care professionals and schools because it is a scientific approach to enhancing socially significant behaviors and reducing unwanted or inappropriate behaviors. For over 40 years, ABA therapy has proven an effective treatment for children and adults diagnosed with autism and related conditions.

Through frequent data analysis and environmental manipulations, PineCone Therapies Board Certified Behavior Analysts and staff therapists will work with you and your child to increase independence and academic success through programming that caters to your child’s needs.

What is Verbal Behavior?

Verbal behavior is a form of ABA that focuses on language development based on B. F. Skinner's seminal work Verbal Behavior. It promotes the practice of increasing language, learning, and social skills, reducing problem behaviors, increasing global learning skills. Our comprehensive program is designed to enhance language and communication, social, play, learning, behavioral, and independent living skills of children with autism and other developmental delays. According to the Surgeon General and the American Academy of Pediatrics, ABA is the leading proven treatment and methodology of choice in treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorders at any level.