09/12/16
Santa Cruz, Calif. — Families in the Central Coast area who have children with autism spectrum disorder are now able to access critical behavioral services that will make a positive impact in the lives of their loved ones. May Institute, a national nonprofit provider of services for children, adolescents, and adults with autism and other special needs, has opened its May Center for ABA Services.
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a methodology that applies scientific interventions to address behavioral needs. May Institute has an international reputation for expertise in ABA and is one of the nation’s largest employers of behavior analysts. The Bay School in Santa Cruz is one of May Institute’s four schools for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.
“The May Center for ABA Services provides best practice intensive behavioral services in home and community settings to help families learn effective strategies to support their children’s development,” says Director Alison Finitzer, M.S.Ed., BCBA. “Under the supervision of a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA), our highly trained staff work closely with families to identify goals for treatment that improve communication as well as social, leisure, and self-help skills. We also work to reduce challenging behaviors that may impact a child’s ability to be successful at home and in the community.”
Services offered include: assessments; behavior support plans; collaboration with family; coordination with school and medical professionals; and parent training and consultation.
“We provide services at the point of need, so our direct instruction takes place in students’ natural environments – including home and community settings,” says Finitzer. “Each session includes data collection that will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions. Our behavior analysts also conduct assessments to monitor each child’s progress toward achieving his or her goals.”
A variety of payment options are available for families, including many commercial insurance plans and private pay options. An intake team will work with families and their insurance carriers to obtain an authorization for services. For more information, call 831.682.5853, email afinitzer@mayinstitute.org, or visit www.mayinstitute.org.
About May Institute
May Institute is an award-winning nonprofit organization with more than 60 years of experience in serving children and adults with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities, brain injury and neurobehavioral disorders, and behavioral health needs. The organization provides educational, rehabilitative, and behavioral healthcare services to individuals, as well as training and consultation services to professionals, organizations, and public school systems. At more than 140 service locations across the country, highly trained staff work to create new and more effective ways to meet the special needs of individuals and families across the lifespan. For more information, call 800.778.7601 or visit www.mayinstitute.org.
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