Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Massachusetts & Rhode Island
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Devereux National

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Programs for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Devereux offers programs for youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that incorporate various living arrangements, including on-campus units and group homes in Massachusetts. The goal of our programs is to help youth improve in the following areas:

  • Increase ability to initiate and maintain positive social relationships
  • Enhance functional living abilities to support greater self-sufficiency
  • Replace challenging behaviors with effective prosocial strategies
  • Decrease chronic feelings of anxiety and improve sensory processing
  • Enhance academic performance and develop vocational competencies

Population Served

Males, ages 5 to 21, who face challenges in the areas of social communication, social cognition and self-regulation.

These youth typically exhibit primary difficulties consistent with:

  • Asperger’s syndrome
  • High-functioning autism
  • Pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified
  • Nonverbal learning disability

In addition, these youth often carry secondary diagnoses including:

  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
  • Oppositional defiant disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Major depressive disorder

Treatment Philosophy

The foundation of our treatment is Positive Behavior Support. Multi-disciplinary teams conduct a thorough assessment of each child’s abilities to create individualized behavior support plans based on the child’s strengths and needs. These plans are designed to improve self-efficacy with a systematic focus on social pragmatic skills.

By integrating applied behavior analytic methods with a relational approach, Devereux offers youth and their families a cohesive, supportive and evidence-based model of treatment. In addition to core approaches, a full range of services are provided for optimum care:

  • Functional assessment of behavior
  • 24/7 focus on social skills development
  • Functional living skills development
  • Speech and language therapy
  • Family support group and aftercare planning
  • Occupational therapy (fine/gross motor skills)
  • Creation of a “sensory profile” of each youth
  • Regular therapeutic recreation
  • Expressive arts
  • Animal care therapy
  • Adventure-based counseling
  • Vocational training