Eureka
Learning Centre
Autism Behavioural
Therapy Specialists
Our Centre-based and Family-focussed approach can make a meaningful difference for your child and your whole family. We tailor behavioural programs to individual needs and treats challenging behaviours that inhibit development by imparting the child new, more appropriate skills to serve the same function.
The overall aim is to give the child the ability to develop skills by themselves and moderate their own behaviour.
What is autism? and how is their learning different?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or Autism is a developmental disorder marked by impaired social interaction, limited communication, behavioural challenges, and a limited range of activities and interests.
The exact cause of Autism is unknown. However research suggests it’s a combination of developmental, genetic and environmental factors.
The Autism diagnosis age and intensity of Autism’s early signs vary widely. Parents often notice signs during the first three years of their child’s life.
There is no current cure for Autism, however, early and intensive intervention can help children develop skills necessary to progress to typical school settings.
There is strong evidence that many children with Autism are actually able to learn as much as typically developing children, given the right environment.
Does my child have autism?
If you are concerned about your child, below is a free, validated screening tool that assesses your child’s risk for ASD.The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R) is a screener that will ask a series of 20 questions about your child’s behavior. It’s intended for toddlers between 16 and 30 months of age. The results will let you know if a further evaluation may be needed.
How is autism managed ?
Finding out that your child has been diagnosed with a developmental disability is among the most frightening experiences a parent will ever go through. Many parents blame themselves and still worse, feel alone and helpless.
First, there is no reason to blame yourself.
Second, you are not alone. Autism affects 1 in 68 children.
Third, there is help for you and your child.
There is currently no cure for Autism, however research shows that early intervention treatment can significantly reduce symptoms and improve functional skills in children with ASD. Acceptance of diagnosis leads to therapy which in turn opens up the child’s world to new learning.
For any Autism intervention to be effective, it needs to be:
Started Early
Delivered at high Intensity
Evidence based
Data driven
01
started early:
Early intervention, preferably during toddler years utilises neuroplasticity of growing brain to maximise the learning ability of the child. The brain is most easily shaped within an individual’s first 7 years of life, making the power of learning incredibly greater in those first several years. It is especially important to take advantage of this time period for language development, as well as to build other critical skills that allow them to gain independence and improve overall quality of life. In addition, early intervention is key to catching impeding behaviours before they become habit.
02
Delivered at high Intensity
Children with Autism learn at slower rate than normal kids but they do learn. They just need more practice to learn new skills. Hence current research recommends a minimum 20 hours per week of early intervention.
When learning a new skill, the more a child practices, the more hard-wired it becomes in the brain, until it is working so smoothly and automatically that pre-existing deficits in those areas are minimized or eliminated.
03
Evidence based
The Early intervention should be an integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values which when applied by practitioners will ultimately lead to improved patient outcome. There are three fundamental components of evidence based practice.
- Best evidence which is usually found in clinically relevant research that has been conducted using sound methodology.
- Clinical expertise refers to the clinician’s cumulated education, experience and clinical skills.
- Patient values which are the unique preferences, concerns and expectations each patient brings to a clinical encounter.
04
Data Driven
Data should be crucial part of any effective therapy. Data can show us if your child:
1. Is improving or regressing with a skill.
2. Needs a new intervention.
3. Is ready to move on to more advanced skills.
4. Needs to focus on different skills to become more successful.
When evaluating providers of Early interventions, inquire whether they collect data and how often.
What is Applied Behavioural Analysis or ABA Therapy?
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a method of teaching that involves breaking down new behaviors or skills into incremental steps, and rewarding children’s success every step of the way through plenty of rewards and encouragement.
When delivered at requisite intensity, it is the single most effective intervention for Autism.
ABA is backed by more than 60 years of robust research and endorsed by leading health organisations such as American Academy of Paediatrics, American Academy of Neurology, Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Autism Society of America, National Institute of Mental Health, Society for Developmental and Behavioural Paediatrics, American Speech-Language Hearing Association and Cleveland Clinic.
Our difference- centre based advantages
Our process
At Eureka, we recognize that every child with Autism is different. This is why our step-by-step approach to treatment is so critical to the effective implementation of ABA therapy. At initial contact, a member of our client services team shall determine whether your child would be a good fit for our ABA therapy services and discuss your family’s scheduling needs and availability.
Initial Consultation
Prior to beginning therapy, your Program Supervisor will want to know specific information about the behaviour and goals you want to work on. This Initial Consultation takes up to 2 hours and will include asking questions to you regarding your child’s current skills within the context of daily routines and any challenging behaviours.
Offer of services
Based on Initial Consultation, the Program Supervisor will write up the findings along with a list of goals for your child. Our team will email this report to you along with the Service Agreement and Fee Schedule for review and authorisation. All signatures are collected electronically for your convenience.
Program Set up
The Program Supervisor will develop a treatment plan that addresses the needs of the child and priorities for the family. These programs may deliver improvements in all areas of development including: communication, cognition, social interaction, play, motor skills and independent living skills.
Team Set Up
Our administrative team then sets up your child’s Therapy Team. Typically, each team comprises of a Program Supervisor, a Senior Therapist and 2-3 Junior Therapists.
VBMAPP Assessment
This standardised tool supplies your Therapy team with “baseline” data. By establishing baseline levels, your clinician/therapist will be able to compare treatment to baseline to determine how effective their treatment is on the behaviours and goals targeted. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) requires evidence of progress with ABA and the baseline information provided by VB-MAPP is crucial in ensuring continuity of funding.
Therapy with data collection
Your Therapist will present “trials”, or repeated practice opportunities, to help your child learn a new skill. This is done in the most natural way possible so that learning does not become robotic, monotonous, and boring. Your therapist will collect data regularly on the programs he/she are working on. This will enable the Therapy Team to understand how the child learns, how quickly he/she learns, and if a particular procedure is effective or not.
Supervision Sessions
In order to make sure your child’s treatment is doing what it needs to do and that your therapists are implementing the treatment plan appropriately, your therapy must be supervised by the Program Supervisor (see treatment plan for more information) on a regular basis. This must be at a minimum of 1 hour per month.
Clinical Meetings
Your Program Supervisor and Therapy Team will meet with you once month to discuss about goals, progress, and the implementation of the treatment plan on a 24/7 basis.
Goal Adjustments
Your child’s goals are always open to discussion and review, particularly at the time of reassessment. The most important goals are those that are most meaningful to the family and address the child’s areas of deficit. As your child acquires new skills and meets goals, new ones will be added to continually further their independence.
Meet Our Team
Karen Kariippanon (BSc, M.Ed, BCBA)
Clinical Director and Program Supervisor, Bella Vista
Maureen Watkins (MA, BCBA)
Clinical Director and Program Supervisor, Liverpool
Kamini Kumar (MA, CBA, BCaBA)
Program Supervisor, Bella Vista
Get Started at Eureka
Want to find out more about starting ABA therapy with Eureka? Click on the button below or give us a call. One of our friendly reception staff will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Call Us:
Funding
Early Intervention is expensive but luckily there is help available. National Disability Insurance Scheme or NDIS is the mainstay for funding of Autism therapies. In addition, various other entities such as Medicare, Chronic Disease Management and Mental Health Care schemes provide financial support for eligible services. Click below to learn more about the options available to you.
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