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Frequently Asked Questions

I would rather have my child attend your program on a full time basis rather then the public school program is that allowed?

Michigan has a policy that allows parents to make the decision to home school their child. Based on the laws within that, parents are able to make the decision to put their child in our program for a full day rather than their public school program.

 

Is it against your policies to have a child enrolled in any other educational program when he/she begins therapy?

No, that decision is completely up to the family. Many of our families have their child enrolled in private therapies such as speech or occupational therapy, in conjunction with the EIC. When the child is close to graduating our program we actually recommend that he/she be enrolled in a typical education program (if they aren’t already) so that the transition is gradual.

 

Do you provide speech, occupational, or physical therapy?

We do not provide any therapy besides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). This is because we are not licensed speech, occupational, or physical therapists. However, within ABA we are able to work on vocalizations as well as fine and gross motor skills.

 

My child isn’t toilet trained yet, can he/she still start the program?

Yes! We are also able to work on potty training at our center. We have been very successful in the past with our potty training program.

 

I have a really heard time getting my child to eat, can you help with that?

Yes. We have had a lot of students who were picky eaters in the past and we were able to have success with our food tolerance programs.

 

My child is on a special diet, will you be able to make sure he/she stays on it while at your center?

We do everything we possibly can to make sure that your child’s diet is followed exactly as you would like it to be. We do not provide the children with any food or drink (besides water) at the center. The only food or drink provided to the child is sent in from the home. The children are not allowed to share their food and are closely monitored when ever there are multiple children in the area eating or drinking. All special diets and/or allergies are noted in the child’s individual program book and all staff are made aware of it.

 

My child is non-verbal, can you make him/her talk?

We can not make any promises about the type of progress you child will make. However, we will make an effort to teach vocalizations. If we do not see optimal results, we will then work with the family to decide on a communication program on an individual basis. In the past we have been very successful in getting vocalizations out of most of our children. However, in a few cases we have used sign language, pictures, and computer devices to facilitate their speech development. We teach children that vocalizations can be used to communicate wants. This way a child can learn that vocalizations are functional for them and that there is a reason for speaking. They learn that communication is useful.

 

How do you handle a child who engages in challenging behavior?

We would first complete a functional assessment of the behavior. The results of this assessment would give us some information about the likely reason the child is engaging in the behavior in the first place. After that we would meet with the family to jointly develop an individual plan based on techniques that have been proven through applied behavior analysis. We never implement a behavior plan without first discussing the plan with the parents.

 

What testing do you require initially?

All we require before enrollment is a verification of the diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorders and a statement from either a physician or the parents that the child is healthy enough to participate in therapy. After the child is enrolled in our program we complete our own assessment. We use the Revised versions of the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS – R) that was developed by Dr. Jim Partington and Dr. Mark Sundberg. This is a very comprehensive assessment that addresses skills in a variety of different areas. Due to the unique coding system of the assessment, we are able to track progress every time the assessment is administered.

 

How long is your program?

As with every aspect of our program, the duration is individualized for each child. It will depend on a number of different factors, level of functioning at intake, how quick they learn, if they are in a ½ day or full day program, how much is worked on outside of the center, etc. There have been some children who stay at our center for 6 months and others who stay for a 3-4 years. The average duration for most children is around 1-2 years (in a part time program).

 

How is the child’s progress evaluated, and how often is it done?

Data is taken throughout the day and graphed and analyzed at the end of every day. Program books are reviewed by the clinical director on a regular basis. Daily Progress Reports are sent home every day so the parents will be informed of what the child did that day. Videotaping is completed on a monthly basis. Parents meet with the director on a monthly basis to discuss progress. The full ABLLS-R is completed on a yearly basis.

 

What are your criteria for the child exiting the program?

The family may withdraw their child from the program at any time. For “graduation” the child must master our curriculum, have the approval and support of the clinical director, and complete the transition program.

 

Under what circumstances can a child be dismissed from the program?

Lack of participation by the family is a cause for dismissal. Also, lack of clinical effectiveness (to date, this has never occurred), development of medical conditions that our staff are not trained to handle, and a child may be dismissed if their behavior puts other children and staff members at risk for injury.

 

What is the background of your staff?

The clinical director has her MA in Behavior Analysis and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The behavioral technicians are all required to have at least a 4 year degree in psychology or a related field. They are required to complete our onsite training weather they have prior training in ABA or not. The clinical director and room supervisors provide this training. Please click here to read more


 

Is there any training provided to the parents?

Parents meet with the clinical director on a regular basis to go over programs, techniques, principles and more. Specific hands on training is not provided at this time for parents, but the clinical director will give suggestions on how to handle behaviors at home and why types of programs parents can work on as well.

 

We have been told before that autism is a permanent disability and that there is little hope for progress; is that true?

We make no promises as to how much we will be able to teach your child and can understand the feeling of despair many parents experience when their child is diagnosed. However, we are confident that we will be able to help your child.  We have never had a child that did NOT make progress in our programs. Not all of our clients have attended kindergarten right on schedule without support, but several have. The children’s progress speaks for itself.

 

I have heard that ABA can teach academic skills or manage challenging behaviors but can you also teach socialization, toy play, and independent living skills

Absolutely!! All of our children have well rounded programs that address the needs listed above and more. The trick is to motivate children as much as possible so that they want to learn these skills. Many children make their first friends at EIC and even learn how to share toys and play games with their peers. As for independent living behaviors, when we ask families what their short-term goals are for their child, they almost always include toilet training.

 

Does insurance cover your therapy?

As of right now, MI insurance does not cover ABA therapy. However, there is a bill that is currently being sought after that would cover autism insurance. Please visit the following websites for more information:
http://autisminsurancemi.blogspot.com/
www.autismvotes.org
www.causes.com/autisminsurancemi