Early childhood intensive behavioral intervention program - the sociedad DE educacion Y rehabilitacion (SER) DE puerto rico, INC

Will implement the early childhood intensive behavioral intervention program with the funding ($180,000) requested to samhsa. SER will offer applied behavioral analysis (ABA) intensive behavioral intervention services for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The goal is to positively impact the developmental trajectory of children with an ASD diagnosis by implementing an evidence-based early and intensive behavioral intervention program focused on developing foundational, social, and functional communication skills. Services will be provided to children 18 months or older that receive an ASD diagnostic. Services will continue until the child has reached the identified goals or reaches the age of 6, whichever comes first. The proposed program is based on the principles and strategies of ABA and on practices supported by scientific evidence, including discrete trials, incidental teaching, training in natural environments, generalization strategies, maintenance strategies, and other behavior-analytic procedures. Participants will be provided with multiple opportunities to develop essential skills for learning. IT has a focus on the acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of adaptive and functional skills in the areas of communication, play, learning prerequisites, social skills, and self-help and independence skills. Likewise, the skills developed in the structured context are generalized to other less structured contexts and to natural situations. The service is offered by professionals trained in ABA. Each child will be guided by a behavioral therapist who will be implementing the individualized plan that the board-certified behavior analyst has prepared for the child, according to the needs and strengths of each participant. The board-certified behavior analyst will directly supervise all interventions. To achieve the greatest benefit for the participants, an essential component of the program is parent training that includes information about patterns of behavior and how the environment impacts IT, knowledge about basic behavioral practices, strategies and tools to respond effectively, how to support learning by modifying the environment, among other information depending on the particular needs of each family. Tools, strategies, and knowledge are offered to caregivers so that they can offer adequate follow-up to the therapeutic goals of children in natural environments outside the clinical space. Caregivers will learn to support the learning of adaptive skills and promote beneficial behaviors for children. Likewise, this knowledge empowers caregivers, strengthening family relationships. The program includes interdisciplinary work to promote the integral development of the participant and to increase efficacy. The program will receive five (5) children from monday to thursday and alternate fridays from 8:30 A.M. To 11:30 A.M. And five (5) children from 1:30 P.M. To 4:30 P.M. From august to december and from january to june. The implementation will take place in a therapeutic room simulating a preschool environment in which each child will be guided by behavioral therapists in a 1:1 format.