WHAT WE DO
Consultation
Optimum provides behavioral consultation to parents, guardians, caretakers, and school personnel. Consultation involves identifying and defining behaviors targeted for decrease or increase. Additionally, related objectives and feasible data collections systems are developed to monitor the progress of the behavior change. This service is delivered collaboratively to ensure that optimum outcomes are achieved. Duration of services can be brief or ongoing. Consultation can be provided individually or within groups, depending on the unique needs of the client. Consultation services are provided by Board Certified Behavior Analysts. Contact us for more information on our consultation services.
Comprehensive ABA
Optimum provides comprehensive ABA treatment to infants, toddlers, preschoolers, children, and adolescents. Services are available in a one-to-one format and are available across a variety of settings (home, school, and community) depending on the needs of the individual. Upon referral to the program, a comprehensive skill assessment is conducted across developmental domains. Based on the results of the assessment, a comprehensive and individualized treatment plan addressing each specific area of need. Written reports documenting progress within the program are provided semiannually. Services are implemented by certified direct support personnel and overseen by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Parent training and generalization sessions are conducted at least weekly for the duration of services. Consultation with a Speech and Language Pathologist is also provided as needed. Topical monthly parent training courses are also available to families participating in the program.
Focused ABA
Focused ABA involves providing services within a one-to-one format while targeting one or two specific behaviors. These targets can involve acquiring or reducing specific behaviors. Maintaining conversation, independent living, organization, compliance, safety, stereotypy, and self-injury are just some examples of behaviors that can be targeted through this model. Optimum provides focused ABA to toddlers, children, and adolescents. Services are available across a variety of settings (home, school, and community) depending on the needs of the individual. Focused services include an assessment of targets to be treated, an individualized treatment plan and subsequent progress reports addressing one or two targets, implementation of treatment with trained staff, monitoring and management by an assistant behavior analyst and supervision by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Parent training and generalization sessions are conducted at least weekly for the duration of services. Consultation with a Speech and Language Pathologist is also provided as needed. Topical monthly parent training courses are also available to families participating in the program.
Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs)
Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) are research-based modalities rooted in the integration of Applied Behavior Analysis methodologies and developmentally based approaches. These types of interventions are facilitated within the child’s natural environment and routine with a focus on addressing deficits within interaction, language, cognitive, imitation, play, motor, and adaptive skills. The merging of these two disciplines within empirically valid methods has led to socially significant gains for many children with developmental disabilities. Optimum staff members employ techniques based on the interventions of Pivotal Response Training (PRT), Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), Enhanced Milleau Teaching (EMT), Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT), Project ImPACT (Improving Parents As Communication Teachers), Joint Attention Symbolic Play Engagement and Regulation (JASPER) and Social Communication Emotional Regulation Transactional Support (SCERTS). Optimum is committed to employing a variety of empirically validated methods in order to meet the unique needs and learning styles of our clients.
Parent Training Generalization
Optimum believes that parents and caregivers play a crucial role in their child’s programming and treatment. Generalizing previously acquired skills across people and settings is the ultimate goal of Optimum. In order to facilitate this objective, there are numerous opportunities for parents and caregivers to be involved in their child’s progression throughout the program. It is critical that parents participate on some level in treatment so that previously acquired skills can generalize and be maintained over time. Typically, the parent or caregiver is required to meet weekly to review their child’s progress and to participate in the Third Tier of our program in which the current skills being taught are generalized with parents and caregivers. Target skills are systematically generalized so that the child can utilize these skills, regardless of the instruction or stimuli presented (Second Tier) or the environment, or who presents it (Third Tier).
Monthly Topical Parent Training
To further educate and empower parents and caregivers monthly parent training opportunities are provided by Optimum. Relevant parent training topics include understanding Autism, toilet training, compliance training, sleep training, picky eating, functions of behavior, schedules and routines, visuals within the home, increasing communication, adapted PEERS®, Pivotal Response Training and improving social skills.
Monthly Comprehensive Parent Training Workshop
Our “Hands on Behavioral Parent Training Workshop” is a six-hour course offered on a Saturday or across three weeknight sessions. This workshop demonstrates basic behavior analytic strategies and how to apply those strategies at home and in the community. This class is user-friendly in which real life examples across behaviors and ages are shown through videos and vignettes. Parents and caregivers actively participate within the course content through active student responding in which parents are asked to problem solve and demonstrate their understanding of the information throughout the class.
PEERS® for Young Adults Program
The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) for Young Adults is an evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated adults who are interested in making and keeping friends and/or developing romantic relationships. Young adults and social coaches (including parents or other caregivers) attend 16-weekly group sessions for 90-minutes per week. Young adults are taught social skills through didactic lessons and role-play demonstrations and practice these skills during group socialization activities. Social coaches attend separate sessions simultaneously and are taught how to assist young adults in making and keeping friends and/or dating. Enrollment is limited. Group instruction is provided in English. Regular attendance is imperative. Social coach participation is required. Contact us for more information on our PEERS® programs.
PEERS® for Adolescents Program
The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) for Adolescents is an evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated teens in middle and high school who are interested in making and keeping friends and/or handling conflict and rejection. Teens and parents attend 16-weekly group sessions for 90-minutes per week. Teens are taught social skills through didactic lessons and role-play demonstrations and practice these skills during group socialization activities. Parents attend separate sessions simultaneously and are taught how to assist their teens in making and keeping friends. Enrollment is limited. Group instruction is provided in English. Regular attendance is imperative. Parent participation is required. Contact us for more information on our PEERS® programs.