Autism Hope Center

Model Pre-school Autism Program

Program Features:

• Integrated model of intervention which (a) meets the National Research Council for Autism Interventions recommendations, critical program features, and priorities and (b) is based on the latest autism research.
• Inclusive environment with typically developing children who are guided to facilitate social and communicative interactions within the context of play/activity.
• Individualized Education Plans (IEP) developed with family, teachers, and other professionals (e.g., Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist).
• Intervention strategies selected based on individual strengths, needs and learning styles and then tailored to maximize educational gains.
• Intervention strategies may include:
  • incidental and other naturalistic/developmental teaching strategies,
  • peer-mediated strategies,
  • visual strategies and supports,
  • Picture Exchange Communication System to support developing speech,
  • Social Stories,
  • TEACCH structured teaching strategies (e.g., practice/work station),
  • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) (e.g., discrete trial teaching),
  • Pivotal Response teaching and others as appropriate.
• Generalization and maintenance of skills considered as important as acquisition.
• Curriculum to address all areas of development (e.g., communication, social-emotional, adaptive, cognitive, and motor).
• Positive, pro-active strategies to address challenging behavior.
• Functional communication and pivotal skills (e.g., choice-making, increasing motivation) taught to replace challenging behavior.
• Data-driven monthly progress reports to families.