1. Question: How do I know my child is getting the services they need?
Answer: Services are based on needs. Is your child's needs identified? Is your child demonstrating progress across all environments?

2. Question: I'm new and overwhelmed in this world of Autism and don't know where to start?
Answer: I'm hoping you have contacted your local agency to register your child and start the evaluation process. You will always feel overwhelmed but if you chunk things down into 15 minute increments you can accomplish a lot over time! It's best to start with identifying your child's need. That information is crucial in the development of an appropriate IEP, which will then determine what kind and frequency of services are needed for your child’s educational placement!

3. Question: What services and programs are available and what should I ask for?
Answer: There are so many different programs/services available such as your "related services"; which are occupational therapy (OT), Sensory, physical therapy (PT), speech and language therapy (ST), social, Applied behavior analysis/Verbal Behavior (ABA/VB) home program, Greenspan, Relationship Development Instruction (RDI) , etc. and lots of choices in classroom placements! Until your child's needs have been identified you have no information or baselines in which to develop appropriate IEP goals which then determines the types and amount of  services your child needs!

4. Question: What are base lines?
Answer: Baselines are the start of your data collection and progress monitoring. Baselines are determined during the evaluation process and will provide data that measures what level the child is functioning at independently! There should not be any prompting during formal evaluations! A baseline could look like this: “baseline is at 75%” or “child is able to do 5/12 trials”, etc... Progress cannot be measured by a statement such as; “Joshua is doing better and has shown improvement.” How would you measure that statement? Yet, progress monitoring is full of those kinds of statements!

5. Question: My child is in an inappropriate classroom, what do I do?
Answer: How do you know? What data do you have or not have to support that statement? Have you already requested an IEP meeting immediately? You should request an IEP meeting in an email defining why the placement is not appropriate for your child. Could it be for example: not seeing progress, child has no role models in class, behaviors have increased, class is too restrictive or doesn't have enough supports, isn't language based, etc.

6. Question: What is a home program?
Answer: The majority of home programs have an ABA component to them, many are eclectic using compatible teaching methods based on the child's individual needs. A home program involves a BCBA (board certified behavior analyst) and trained supervised therapists to implement programming to the child. A home program occurs when it is determined necessary by the IEP team using skill levels and evaluation baselines. These hours occur outside of a school day. A home program would be appropriate for a child who needs pre-teaching, lots of repetition, generalization of skills, facilitated learning, has behaviors that impede their ability to access their education, and many other reasons! There are critical components to a home program which include some of the following: transfer of skills to caregiver, data collection, and coordination across all environments, and consults from all IEP team members, etc.

7. Question: I have a home program for my child, how do I run the program efficiently so my child makes progress?
Answer: It's critical to have consults between the home program's BCBA and all other providers because the BCBA incorporates all modalities and needs into the programming.  For example: A speech therapist should consult so that speech deficits are worked on daily.  A child with sensory processing may need a sensory diet implemented through home session in order to keep the child focused and engaged so they can profit from their session, etc. The skills need to be practiced all through the days and night and must be consistently taught. Then those skills that have been mastered in isolation can get generalized in different NET (natural environment teaching) settings! There is also "pairing" involved and setting up loads of reinforcers, motivational tools, program book, and data sheets. It is a lot and this answer just touches the surface! I could probably give you 5 reasons off the top of my head of why you don't want a home program (primarily because of a loss of privacy in your home), yet only one reason why to.....PROGRESS!

8. Question: I don't know who to trust?
Answer: There is so much involved with developing and having a working relationship with your child's providers that is open, collaborative, and child focused. I say, trust no one and you will never be disappointed! My rule is and forever will be; if it is not in writing, it does not exist! Every verbal communication must be followed up in writing! Keep good data because data drives services!  That is why it is good to hire a BCEA to help you get organized and walk you through this complicated process of special education!

9. Question: Why should I hire you for a consult?
Answer: First and foremost, I am child focused! It is my passion and calling to educate parents and guide them through their first steps into this new world of autism! I feel blessed each and every time; I obtain an appropriate intensive program from Early Intervention (EI) for a child! EI programming and intensity will set the foundation of skills on which your child will build and will affect your child's future outcomes. The window of opportunity for the most progress occurs in EI! Additionally, I have so much (too much) experience running home programs all kinds for both my sons and this is my 16th year of doing this unpaid and sometimes thankless job! I would hope that my consults allow you to walk the road of autism with knowledge going forward of what you should be looking at 5 years down the road because that is exactly the time span you should focus on! I would hope that together we could avoid some of the delays in starting services and obtain the appropriate programming for your child based on all of their unique individualized identified needs so they can access their educational programming and thus make measurable meaningful progress! Isn't it your ultimate goal for your child to live and work independently? EXACTLY!  Please see my Bio for additional information.