The Adventure Begins: Starting your Journey with Services

Issue 4: Discovering the Reasons Behind Behaviors

Sometimes, kids communicate through actions that can be a little tricky. If this is something your family is experiencing, we might use a process called a Functional Behavior Assessment, or FBA for short. Think of it as becoming behavior detectives – it's like solving a mystery together! We want to understand why a certain behavior is happening so we can find the best ways to help your child thrive.

Here's how we team up to understand your child's behaviors:

Unlocking the "Why": Every action has a reason! Sometimes, kids are trying to get our attention (hey, we've all been there!) Sometimes they're trying to avoid something tricky or uncomfortable (like facing a fear!), and sometimes it's something else entirely. The FBA helps us figure out exactly what your child is trying to communicate through their behavior.

Putting the Clues Together: We gather information from a few different sources, like:

• Watching and Learning: We might observe your child in different situations to see what happens before, during, and after the behavior. This helps us spot any patterns or things that might be triggering the behavior.

• Your Insights Matter Most: You know your child best! We'll talk with you about the behavior, when it happens, and what you've already tried. 

Creating a Helpful Plan: Once we understand the "why" behind the behavior, we can create a personalized plan to teach your child new skills and find positive ways for them to get their needs met. This might involve teaching new ways to communicate, making changes to their environment, or offering different kinds of support.

The FBA is a team-up mission, and we'll be your trusty sidekicks every step of the way! Our goal is to help your child learn, grow, and develop awesome new coping strategies – like learning new powers!

The Adventure Begins: Starting your Journey with Services

Issue 3: Meeting and Learning Together

Let's connect! This step is all about partnership: a conversation with you, the most important person in your child's life, and a chance for us to get to know them better. We believe parents are the true experts on their children, and your insights are essential to our mission. TEAMWORK makes the dream work!

Parent Interview: Sharing Your Expertise: You'll meet with our team of caring

clinicians for a conversation about your child. This is your opportunity to share your expertise – tell us everything you know about:

• Their strengths, their favorite things (everyone has a weakness for something!), and any areas where they could use a little boost.

• Your goals for ABA therapy – such as improved communication, reduced challenging behaviors, or increased independence.

• A day in the life of your child – their daily routine, what might trigger certain behaviors (good and bad!), and any strategies you've already tried. 

This important conversation allows our Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) – a highly trained expert in behavior analysis – to fully understand your child's individual needs and develop a tailored therapy plan. Your perspective is invaluable to this process!

Getting to Know Your Child: Let's observe and learn! Our clinician will also spend time interacting with your child to gain a deeper understanding of their strengths and needs. This might involve:

• Exploring their world! Observing your child in their natural environment (your home!) to see how they interact with everything around them. It's like a mini-adventure!

• Assessing their skills! Engaging your child in age-appropriate activities to evaluate their communication, social skills, and problem-solving abilities. We may utilize standardized assessment tools such as the PEAK Relational Training System or VB-MAPP, but the priority is always creating a comfortable and engaging experience for your child.

These careful observations allow us to identify your child's individual strengths and areas for growth. It's all about understanding their unique skills so we can create a therapy program that's a perfect fit for maximum success!

The Adventure Begins: Starting your Journey with Services

Issue 2: Sharing Important Information: Documentation

Next up: some quick intel gathering! After our initial phone call, we'll ask you to share some information with us so we can start creating a personalized therapy plan for your child. We know paperwork isn't everyone's favorite, so we've made the process as simple as possible. Here's what we'll need:

All About Your Child's Health: Your child's well-being is our top priority! We'll ask about their developmental milestones, any allergies they might have (because safety first!), and any medications they're currently taking. This information helps our therapists provide the best possible care. It's all about TEAMWORK!

Diagnosis or Referral (if applicable): Ready to activate ABA therapy? A formal autism diagnosis is usually the key! If your child has a diagnosis, please share a copy with us so we can begin planning. Referrals from your pediatrician or case manager are also valuable tools in our toolbox.

Insurance Details: Insurance details needed! Please provide a copy of your insurance card and policy information. Our team will then decode your benefits and answer any questions you have about ABA therapy coverage. We'll make it as smooth as possible!

We're your trusty sidekicks on this adventure! We're here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions about these forms or need help gathering these documents, please don't hesitate to shout for help – we're always happy to assist you! Consider us your personal support team!

The Adventure Begins: Starting your Journey with Services

Issue 1: Introductions: A Phone Call

The adventure begins! Your child's ABA therapy journey starts with a friendly phone call. We understand that taking this first step can feel like a big decision, and don't worry, we're here to guide you through the unknown. This initial call with a member from the Sonder Center for Neurodevelopment Intake team is a chance for us to connect, gather some initial information, and answer all your questions about our program.

Here's what you can expect during this call:

Sharing Information About Your Child: Time for a mini-mission briefing! We'll ask about your child's age, any diagnoses they may have, and the specific skills you're hoping therapy will help them level up. Having this data on hand, like their date of birth and any existing reports, is VITAL to our mission!

Getting to Know Sonder Center: We'll give you the lowdown on our ABA therapy approach – it's a training program for learning! We'll explain the services we offer and introduce you to our league of extraordinary therapists. We'll also discuss our current availability for assessments and therapy sessions to see what works best for your family's schedule.

Understanding Insurance: We know that navigating insurance can be tricky, so we'll walk you through our process and answer any questions you have about coverage. We can also provide resources and support to help you understand your insurance benefits. Consider us your insurance sidekicks!

Your Questions are Welcome! Let's connect! This call is all about building a strong team. We encourage you to ask any and all questions – about our dedicated therapists, the therapy process, or anything else that's important to you. We want you to feel totally comfortable and confident choosing Sonder Center for Neurodevelopment. After the call, we'll set up the next adventure: a parent meeting and your child's initial assessment. We'll give you all the details, so you know exactly what to expect and how to prepare. No surprises, just SMOOTH SAILING!