Teach language.
Teach tolerating skills.
Teach skills that matter.
Work with the team.
Our Philosophy
Teach Language.
Individuals who are able to navigate their world with language (e.g. can ask for things they need/want, can appropriately express what they don’t want, etc.) have a higher quality of life and less challenging behavior.
It is a priority of ours that every client develops and utilizes an effective requesting repertoire. We work closely alongside Speech/Language Pathologists to achieve this goal. Some clients are able to communicate vocally, but others may need instruction in order to use their vocal language to request items/activities appropriately (i.e. as opposed to going/grabbing).
Other clients need to be taught an alternate method of speaking (e.g. picture exchange, voice-output communication device, modified sign language, etc.).
Our team has extensive experience assisting in assessing which alternate method of speaking and which teaching procedures will be the most effective to develop the communication that is most functional for the client and their family.
Teach Tolerating Skills.
Frequently we are asked to consult to assist in reducing an individual’s engagement in challenging behavior. Our team believes that challenges result from ineffective or deficient communication skills as well as difficulty in one or more of the following areas:
Waiting
Accepting “no'“/Accepting alternatives
Transitioning away from preferred activities
Directions to complete non-preferred activities
Taking turns/sharing
Completing daily living skills. (e.g. brushing teeth, toileting, etc)
Transtioning away from activities
Accepting change in routines/schedule
We create individualized programming based on why an individual may be less tolerant with the above areas and then systematically work on these key tolerating/acceptance skills.
Teach Skills that Matter.
Individuals with developmental disabilities often are missing vital pre-requisite skills and frequently require many teaching opportunities to in order to acquire new skills. It is imperative that we spend our instructional time on those skills that matter most to the individual and family. We do not follow any single curriculum, instead we individualize programming based on the individual needs of each individual and their family.
It is important that the programming we develop has an immediate impact on the client, or is a stepping stone to acquiring skills in the future which will result in more independence and/or the ability to more fully participate in the broader community.
Work with the Team.
We take pride in partnering with families, school teams, and other related service providers (e.g., Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists, etc.) to achieve the best, most cohesive outcomes for our clients. We recognize that any programming we suggest, needs to work within the settings our clients are accessing. We value making data-based decisions to ensure outcomes are being achieved and welcome the input from other team members when developing programming.