Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Vista Provides Early Intervention Services to Toddlers in Dauphin County
Vista provides early intervention services to toddlers in Dauphin County.
Families receiving Early Intervention services through Dauphin County MH/ID can now choose The Vista Foundation as their provider of choice. Vista’s Early Intervention Services are specially designed to bring quality, evidence-based supports and services to children birth to three experiencing complex learning needs, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, or other behavioral challenges. Vista’s primary mission, through close collaboration with families and other caregivers, is to enhance the learning and development of each young child. Specifically, Vista will provide Special Instruction and Behavior Support services to families in Dauphin County currently enrolled in Early Intervention.
Addressing the Need:
Early intervention is a necessary component to addressing learning and behavioral challenges for life-long outcomes.
Early identification of ASD in children under the age of three years old is becoming increasingly common. This increase in early detection, along with the success of empirically supported early treatment methods, results in an increased emphasis on early intervention and effective treatment for individuals diagnosed with autism or exhibiting early signs. Subsequently, an extensive and growing body of literature exists and affirms that early, intensive, behaviorally-based treatment for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities produces significantly improved outcomes over eclectic or non-evidence based practices. Young children with these delays do not acquire effective behavioral repertoires under naturally occurring conditions and contingencies. Specialized instruction and/or therapy are required to improve lifelong outcomes. Research also shows that newly diagnosed young children rarely have available to them the evidence-based programming, delivered at recommended therapeutic levels, to address behavioral challenges that interfere with their ability to improve or even benefit from traditional models of care as they grow. Vista’s services will address the specific challenges faced by these children and families in order to prepare them for improved life-long outcomes.
The Program:
Since 2002, Vista has offered evidence-based treatment, through a variety of programs, to improve the lives of individuals with autism and complex learning needs in meaningful ways by providing state-of-the-art treatment, education, and therapeutic services. The addition of Early Intervention services further expands the positive impact Vista can have on families and children in central Pennsylvania.
Meaningful partnerships are developed with families by providing on-site guided practice, resources, and education to caregivers. Parents are guided to maximize opportunities to embed and apply therapeutic techniques to foster child growth and development. Family involvement is an essential treatment component.
Early Intervention services are embedded within the ongoing age-typical and natural routines found within treatment environments (i.e. home or community) and utilize basic practices found in the literature of applied behavior analysis and developmental sciences to effectively improve the functioning of each child. Vista Early Interventionists and Behavior Support Specialists arrange opportunities for children to encourage learning opportunities, arrange events allowing them to practice important skills, and help parents encourage positive behaviors. Procedures are responsive to child growth and progress as well as designed to match specific family dynamics.
Goals for each child, as appropriate, fall into the following areas:
• Develop cognitive skills
• Build core skills to improve learning
• Increase social and language development
• Develop and expand communication skills
• Develop and improve play skills
• Promote physical development and motor activity levels to address motor delays
• Reduce undesirable behaviors by conducting Functional Behavior Assessments and developing functional alternatives
Additional Services Available:
Functional Behavior Assessment
Even at the earliest ages, children with ASD can develop undesirable behavioral patterns. At all times, the focus of treatment will be to increase the number of functional and adaptive skills within each child’s repertoire. The use of functional behavior assessment procedures are used to identify both alternative and desirable repertoires that, when combined, will reduce the child’s motivation to engage in the undesirable repertoires. Vista staff members are trained to implement a comprehensive functional behavior assessment procedure to support ongoing treatment planning.
Competent Learner Model
Vista early intervention staff members are fully trained in implementing the Competent Learner Model (CLM). The CLM is a special education curriculum designed for complex learners and develops seven repertoires that all learners need in order to function successfully in daily life. For more information, visit http://www.tuccionline.com.
For more information, please see Vista’s EI brochure. Eligible children will be aged three or younger, reside in Dauphin County, and be currently enrolled in Dauphin County’s
