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Autism

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health supports children and adults with autism spectrum disorder in the development of communication, social and independence skills needed to realize fulfilling, productive and socially connected lives. Our programs and services utilize evidence-based strategies, including positive behavioral supports and applied behavior analysis.

We offer services throughout the lifespan including: initial assessments, residential treatment, community-based group homes, approved private schools, therapeutic foster care, wraparound services, respite, school and family consultation and training, transition services for young adults, and adult day programs.

Key principles of our autism programs: 

  • Person-centered: services are individualized and flexible to meet the unique needs of each student/individual.
  • Collaborative: all programs work closely with each individual/family/caregiver, and related community members to maximize each individual's potential.
  • Community-focused: services/supports are delivered in school, community, home and employment settings.
  • Emphasize skill building: skill building that will lead directly to greater independence and success.
  • Enhance self-determination: services and supports that promote each individual’s ability to participate in processes and make decisions that impact their lives.
  • Emphasize quality of life: quality of life indicators are identified to assist in determining program success, such as satisfaction with school and employment, community integration, social connectedness, and personal autonomy.
  • Accountable and effective: objective data and social validity measures are used to evaluate the effectiveness of evidence-based practices; data-based decision models are used to modify programs when needed.
 

Autism Services for Children and Adolescents

Residential and Day Schools

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health schools for children and adolescents are state-licensed, approved private schools, serving children with autism spectrum disorders and other intellectual/developmental disabilities or emotional/behavioral disorders.

What is an Approved Private School?
Approved Private Schools (APS) are state-licensed schools operated by private agencies and provide special education day and/or residential programs for students with disabilities.

In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), all children with disabilities are entitled to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The school district and the state will share in the cost to place a child in an approved private school if the child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team determines the educational needs of the child cannot be met in a general education environment. In addition, parents may choose to privately fund the tuition cost of an Approved Private School. While placements are typically within state, children may be placed in an out of state program if an in-state school is not available.

Devereux offers the following approved private day and residential programs for children and adolescents in Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania:

School Program Overview:
Educational focus is placed on communication, social and independence skills to enable each child to maximize his or her potential in the least restrictive environment. Skill development, reflecting the needs of each child, may include:

  • Receptive, expressive and written communication
  • Self-care, domestic and community daily living
  • Social, play/leisure and coping skills
  • Age-appropriate academics and functional academics
  • Fine and gross motor skills
  • Vocational skills

We offer instructional methods consistent with the science of applied behavior analysis and designed to reflect the needs of each child, including:

  • Individual and small group instruction
  • Skills taught in context during natural and preferred activities
  • Functional Communication Training (Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) or other augmentative communication systems)
  • A variety of lesson formats (chaining, incidental teaching, shaping, and discrete trial)
  • Visual mediation for schedules, reward systems, communication and social skills
  • Use of specialized prompting procedures
  • Data-based decision making
  • Positive Behavior Support Planning

Our transition programs for adolescents and young adults focus on achieving independence in self-care routines; domestic, employment, community-based and recreational skills; human sexuality; mobility training; and self-determination skills. We use person-centered futures planning and community-based instruction to support our students as they prepare for adulthood.

Families and caregivers play an integral role at Devereux. Collaboration is facilitated through frequent, informal communication among teachers and families, as well as scheduled meetings such as the IEP, Futures Planning, Parent-Teacher Organization and Quality Improvement meetings.

Assessment Services

We provide families with assessment services using the ADOS-2 – the gold standard of assessment – as well as guidance on appropriate services and interventions, if an autism diagnosis is confirmed.

Autism Intensive Residential Services - Neurobehavioral Unit

Our Autism Intensive Residential Services Neurobehavioral Unit that provides intensive, autism-specific treatment for children, ages 6 to 21, with severe behavioral challenges and skills deficits who have not responded to treatment in traditional community-based or residential settings.

The program employs evidence-based practices across a continuum of care. These practices include a foundation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) delivered in a treatment environment that is trauma sensitive and trauma informed. The continuum begins with a comprehensive, functional behavioral assessment in the family’s home, followed by intensive clinical services for a period of three to six months on our Devereux Pennsylvania Children's Services' West Chester, Pa. campus. The continuum of care concludes with discharge and after care service planning in partnership with Devereux CARES consultants and Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS). The Autism Intensive Residential Services team of professionals includes Board Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBA), a clinical psychologist, child psychiatrist, special education teacher, nurses, speech language therapist, residential unit supervisor, and direct care providers specially trained in Applied Behavior Analysis, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), and Individualized Positive Behavior Support. For more information, please contact Kelly McCool at (610) 431-8191 or Erin Thomas at (610) 431-8126.

Wraparound Services


Devereux Pennsylvania Wraparound Program
Strafford, PA (610) 688-1205
Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) are designed for children in Pennsylvania, ages 2 to 21, who meet the criteria for medical assistance. The goal of wraparound services is to support the child in his or her natural environment (e.g., home, school, community) with behavioral interventions overseen by a master's-level clinician.

Devereux Poconos Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services
Newfoundland, PA (570) 676-3237    
Wraparound Services assist children and adolescents up to age 21 who meet medical necessity requirements resulting from a mental health diagnosis. Services are available to children who present with social, emotional or behavioral issues, providing opportunities to receive treatment within their natural families, schools and community settings. This program includes a behavioral specialist consultant, mobile therapy and therapeutic staff support.

Devereux Massachusetts Consultants
Rutland, MA (508) 886-4746
Home-based services are provided through the Autism Waiver Program of the Department of Developmental Services, for children under the age of 9. Services focus on skill building in the following areas: community, home, social, communication, coping and activities of daily living, while managing interfering or stigmatizing behavior. Parent training is also offered.

School and Family Consultation

     
Devereux CARES Consultants
Downingtown, PA (610) 873-4930

Since 2004, CARES Consultants have partnered with school districts, intermediate units and families across the region by providing workshop trainings, conferences, ongoing consultation, and program development. Workshops include:

  • Applied Behavior Analysis instructional techniques
  • Assessment of skills
  • IEP development
  • Setting up classrooms
  • Developing functional classroom schedules
  • Functional communication training
  • Social skills training
  • Visual enhancement strategies
  • Evaluating student progress

CARES consultants have extensive experience training school districts with students who have traditionally been placed in Approved Private Schools. We have a well developed model, which uses implementation effectiveness measures such as performance checklists and team supervision meetings to ensure a more consistent application of instructional techniques and long-term positive staff and student performance.

Devereux Millwood Consultation
Millwood, NY (914) 941-1991

Staff of Devereux Millwood provide a variety of consultation and other services to families and agencies with adolescents and adults with ASD. These include:

  • Part-time instruction for high school students; covers daily living skills and community-based pre-vocational activities
  • Job coaching or pre-vocational training and services through local school districts, or through approved ACCES-VR/OPWDD contracts
  • Consultation to school districts and/or families in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

Autism Services for Transition-Age Young Adults

Devereux offers innovative, stand-alone transition programs that provide instruction and support across work, community and home environments for students ages 18 and older to assist them with the transition to adulthood.

School-Age Programs


Devereux ASCENT program
Downingtown, PA and Strafford, PA (610) 710-4026

This program assists school districts in meeting the unique needs of transition-aged students who do not benefit from spending a full school day in the classroom. The transition model emphasizes independence, employment readiness, community-based instruction and positive behavior support planning. With the support of highly qualified Devereux specialists who work with the school’s IEP team, students develop appropriate and effective skills that will facilitate independence throughout their adult lives.

Devereux Pocono School to Work Transition
Newfoundland, PA (570) 839-6147

The School to Work Transition program serves older students, ages 18 to 21, who attend a local school district, and need additional skill development and training to gain competitive employment. Devereux, in partnership with the student’s school, develops a transition plan as part of the IEP process. These plans include skill development, and hands on training/prevocational experience.

Post-Secondary Programs  

Devereux Glen Ridge, College and Employment Coaching Program 
New Preston, CT (860) 868-7377

Glen Ridge is a college and post-secondary program directed toward young adults with learning disabilities and Asperger's Syndrome. The Glen Ridge program focuses on developing the skills needed to succeed in college, work environments and social settings. The program encourages and coaches autonomy in a safe, challenging and supportive setting. Glen Ridge is located near a variety of community colleges, universities and businesses in beautiful Western Connecticut.

Autism Services for Adults

Adult Day Programs

  • Devereux Millwood Adult Program
    Millwood, NY (914) 941-1991
    Devereux Millwood offers a variety of day services for adults with autism spectrum disorders, including a day habilitation program, enhanced supported employment, and supported employment through OPWDD and ACCES-VR.
  • The Devereux Pennsylvania Adult Services Community Adult Autism Partnership Program (CAAPP)
    Downingtown, PA and Strafford, PA (610) 710-4026
    CAAPP provides innovative services including community-based support and skill development in the following areas: communications, social skills, self-care, work-readiness, vocational training, community-based employment experiences and instruction, service learning and volunteer activities.

Community Group Homes and Campus Living  

Devereux offers group homes and campus based living for adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. We provide a comprehensive life enrichment program that promotes self-improvement, decision-making, task completion, community involvement, recreation and family collaboration. Our programs emphasize skill development in self-care, functional communication, social skills, anger management, problem-solving, independent living, self-esteem, recreation, and community safety using intensive, highly-structured positive behavioral support techniques that focus on developing and teaching age-appropriate behaviors.

Lifesharing

Through Lifesharing, individuals live with "host" families who provide homes for individuals with disabilities. Lifesharing enriches the quality of life of individuals with autism and other disabilities, as they become part of a family and the community, and offers opportunities for people to have:

  • Individualized, flexible programming
  • Stable, long-term relationships
  • Integration into the community
  • Increased access to social events
  • Support to reach their goals and dreams

Devereux Pocono Life Sharing Program: Newfoundland, PA (570) 839-6147