Part 4: Assessing your Child’s Needs

Last week, we explored the power of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, understanding its principles, benefits, and witnessing real-life examples of its transformative effects on children with autism.  As we embark on this week’s exploration, our spotlight shines on the vital task of evaluating and understanding your child’s unique needs.

How to assess your child’s needs for early intervention.

Assessing your child’s needs for early intervention is crucial for providing appropriate support and maximizing their developmental potential. Here are some steps to help you access your child’s needs effectively:

  • Observation: Observe your child’s behavior, interactions, and milestones. Look for any delays, difficulties, or atypical patterns in their development.
  • Developmental Milestones: Familiarize yourself with typical developmental milestones for their age. Compare your child’s progress against these milestones to identify any areas of concern.
  • Consult Professionals: Seek guidance from pediatricians, child psychologists, or BCBAs. They can conduct assessments, provide expert insights, and suggest appropriate interventions.
  • Screening Tools: Utilize standardized screening tools designed to evaluate various aspects of child development. These tools can identify potential delays or issues that may require further evaluation.
  • Collaborate with Educators: Engage with teachers or daycare providers to gain insights into your child’s behavior and progress in different settings. They may provide valuable observations and recommendations.
  • Seek Second Opinions: If you have concerns or receive conflicting assessments, don’t hesitate to seek second opinions from professionals to ensure comprehensive evaluation.

Remember, early intervention is key. The sooner you identify and address your child’s needs, the better their chances of progress and success in the long term. Trust your instincts as a parent and be an active advocate for your child’s well-being.

Assessment tools and techniques available

There are several autism assessment tools and techniques available to families, designed to aid in the identification and evaluation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. These assessments help gather information about the child’s behavior, communication, social interaction, and developmental patterns. Here are some commonly used tools, many of which we administer here at The Behavior Exchange:

  • Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS): ADOS is a standardized assessment involving structured interactions and observations to evaluate social communication skills, play, and restricted and repetitive behaviors.
  • Developmental Assessments: Pediatricians and developmental specialists may conduct developmental assessments, observing a child’s milestones, speech, and social skills.
  • Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Vineland): The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition (Vineland-3) is a comprehensive tool that assesses adaptive skills in individuals across various domains, such as communication, daily living skills, socialization, and motor skills.
  • Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2): The Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2) is a questionnaire-based tool that assesses social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation, and autistic mannerisms.
  • Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP): The VB-MAPP is an assessment tool used to evaluate and track the language and learning skills of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It assesses various areas, including manding (requesting), tacting (labeling), intraverbal (conversation), listener responding, and visual perceptual skills.
  • Pervasive Developmental Disorders Behavior Inventory (PDDBI): The Pervasive Developmental Disorders Behavior Inventory, Second Edition (PDDBI-2) is a questionnaire-based tool that assesses behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It examines various domains, such as social relating, communication, and restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.
  • Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge (PEAK): The PEAK Relational Training System is an assessment and curriculum tool designed to teach language and cognitive skills to individuals with autism. It focuses on developing language and cognition through the establishment of relational responding across multiple domains.

Families can consult healthcare professionals, psychologists, BCBAs or educational specialists to determine which assessment tools and techniques are most suitable for their child. Early identification and intervention based on comprehensive assessments can facilitate appropriate support and interventions for children with autism. 

At The Behavior Exchange, we administer a range of assessments including ADOS, Vineland, SRS-2, VB-MAPP, PDDBI, and PEAK. We understand that healthcare providers often have lengthy waitlists, which is why we offer these assessments to expedite the process for you. Our aim is to provide timely access to these evaluations at The Behavior Exchange.

It is important to seek professional help to assess your child’s needs for the following reasons:

  • Accurate Diagnosis: Professionals, such as physicians and our experts at The Behavior Exchange, have the expertise and experience to accurately diagnose developmental issues or conditions. They employ standardized assessment tools, observation, and evaluation techniques to gather comprehensive information about your child’s development. This ensures a reliable and accurate diagnosis, which is crucial for appropriate interventions.
  • Early Intervention: Early intervention is key to supporting a child’s development. Seeking professional help allows for early identification of potential challenges or delays. Early intervention services can then be initiated promptly, maximizing the child’s potential for progress, and minimizing the impact of developmental difficulties.
  • Specialized Knowledge and Guidance: Professionals possess specialized knowledge and training in child development and related fields. They can provide valuable insights, guidance, and evidence-based strategies to address specific needs. Their expertise ensures that interventions are tailored to your child’s unique requirements, increasing the chances of positive outcomes.
  • Collaboration and Support: Professionals can serve as valuable collaborators and advocates for your child. They can liaise with other healthcare providers, educators, and therapists to create a comprehensive support network. They can also provide emotional support and resources for families navigating the challenges associated with their child’s needs.
  • Access to Resources: Professionals have access to a wide range of resources, including therapy services, support groups, educational programs, and community resources. They can connect families with these resources, providing them with a holistic support system.

Seeking professional help ensures accurate assessment, early intervention, specialized knowledge, collaboration, and access to resources. It empowers families with the information and support needed to help their child reach their full potential.

Join us next week in Part 5 as we dive into the crucial process of assessing your child’s needs, equipping you with the knowledge and tools to identify their unique strengths and challenges. From there, we will guide you on designing a personalized ABA therapy program that caters to your child’s individual needs, ensuring optimal progress and growth.

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Ashvina attended University of Bombay and graduated with a Bachelors of Commerce. She got her Montessori Diploma in 1985 and taught ever since. Ashvina came to TBE in January of 2016 as Admin Assistant. During the years she got the opportunity to learn and work in different departments such as HR, Finance, Office Manager and Executive Assistant. Last summer TBE bought billing in house and her current focus area is Revenue Cycle Management. She is detail oriented and enjoys working with people. Ashvina volunteers to deliver meals to seniors and local shelters on the weekend. She loves to spend time with her family and grandkids. Ashvina loves her job because she enjoys hearing different points of view, and she feels her contributions help fuel the direction of our company.

Working with children comes naturally to Angela. Her mom was a special education teacher for 30 years and often had Angela join her for Take Your Child to Work Day. And in high school, Angela spent every summer as the nanny for a little boy with an autism spectrum disorder. It was this experience where her passion for working with children with autism started to blossom.

From there, she went on to graduate from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences. She learned about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in a non-normative development class and from that moment knew that ABA would be her life’s work.

Angela moved to the DFW area shortly after and began working at The Behavior Exchange as a therapist. She worked on her Master’s in Behavior Analysis at the same time. A year after graduating, she earned certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

Now, as a Clinical Director at The Behavior Exchange, she brings a life-long passion to her work, holding a special place in her heart for children with limited language skills and working closely with families to develop healthy sleep habits.

Danielle’s passion for working with families is deeply personal and from the heart. Her younger brother has an autism spectrum disorder, and through their journey as a family, she found her purpose in life as an advocate for individuals with special needs.

After graduating from the University of North Texas with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, Danielle began volunteering at The Behavior Exchange. She saw passionate therapists, meaningful change for clients, and families with hope for the future. After a summer of volunteering, she officially joined the team as Director of Admissions and found her home with The Behavior Exchange family.

With her extensive experience working as a client advocate with insurance providers, Danielle perseveres to help individuals of all ages and abilities receive the services they need to reach their full potential. She feels truly honored by each and every family who entrusts The Behavior Exchange to be part of their journey and is committed to the organization’s core values, mission, and goal of being a beacon of hope for the community.

Adam has always had a passion for helping individuals of all ages thrive and reach their full potential. He’s also an enthusiastic musician, songwriter, leader, and devoted family man, who has been helping children and team members grow with The Behavior Exchange since 2010.

Prior to joining the team at The Behavior Exchange, Adam was a mortgage loan consultant and grad student, pursuing his master’s degree in Education at the University of North Texas. He graduated in 2013 and also earned a graduate academic certificate in Autism Intervention. The following year, after years as a Behavior Therapist and seeing first-hand the power of ABA and the meaningful impact it can have on children and their families, Adam became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. He then commenced from the Stagen Leadership Academy after completing the Integral Leadership Program (ILP), a 52-week practice-based program designed to develop executives serious about transforming themselves, their teams, and their organizations.

Adam is truly grateful to be a part of a dynamic, inspiring and compassionate team, and he’s dedicated to bettering the lives of all children and their families through the delivery of the highest quality of ABA services, while supporting the amazing team at The Behavior Exchange.

Soraya is from South Africa and moved to Texas in 1996. She graduated from The University of Texas and pursued a career, at that time, in Education. Soraya taught at a Montessori school for a few years and then took on a leadership role.

During her time in the education system, Soraya realized her passion was to assist children with special needs. So she joined The Behavior Exchange as a therapist, transitioned into a supervisory role in 2017, and a year and a half later, was promoted to Clinical Operations Manager.

She quickly learned the ins and outs of ABA operations and scheduling and successfully collaborates across departments to ensure The Behavior Exchange continues to provide quality services to clients and their families. She’s thankful to be part of such an amazing organization and excited to see what the future holds.

You could say Walter’s career started when he spent hours as a young child drawing superheroes and coloring maps. This passion, along with extraordinary swimming skills, landed him a full swimming scholarship at Texas Christian University, where he graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Graphics.

During the next 13 years, his design and art direction skills, conceptual-thinking abilities, and marketing-savvy know-how were honed at a few prestigious advertising and marketing agencies around the Dallas area. In the mid 2000s, he helped his wife Tammy Cline-Soza (founder and CEO of The Behavior Exchange) create a unique and concise brand for her new business. From logos and websites to uniforms, brand voice and visuals, Walter has been the main creative force for all things The Behavior Exchange.

Aside from giving birth to The Behavior Exchange brand, Walter is helping Tammy raise two amazing, beautiful children, River and Sierra. In his spare time (the two minutes he’s got per week), you can find Walter illustrating iconic landmarks of Dallas and Texas or looking around for this next open-water swim. Once he gets back in shape.

After 20 years of building The Behavior Exchange, literally from the ground up,
Tammy couldn’t be more proud of the team, culture, and organization that it has become.

As a family helping families, The Behavior Exchanges looks for opportunities that will make the biggest impact and produce life-changing outcomes – for clients, families, and even for team members. Tammy believes that if a team, a family, a community takes care of each other, the possibilities are endless and the relationships built along the way can make life more enriching and challenges easier to navigate. You could say her goal has been to build a kind of utopia full of support, love, and expertise that brings the best services possible to the community and ensures more families have access to those services.

Tammy and her family have dedicated their lives to the mission of The Behavior Exchange and continue to grow, learn, cultivate, challenge, support, and create better models for success. To that end, she is committed to her own leadership development and actively participates in advanced training, mentoring, and deep self-exploration on how to live out her purpose to love and support her family and help others reach their full potential. She takes her position very seriously and tries to serve as a channel for what the universe wants to come to fruition.

She also loves travel, gardening, being creative, MUSIC!, tennis, yoga, meditation, journaling, reading, being in nature, adventures, and more than anything, spending time with her husband Walter and their two beautiful children, River and Sierra.