Assessments are used in Behavior therapy to determine what areas to prioritize for a treatment plan. Assessments are implemented to assist us Behaviorists in providing optimal treatment and support to your family. Types of assessments include:

• Initial Interview
• Direct Observations
• Functional Analysis
• Preference Assessments
• Reinforcer Assessments
• ABLLS-R, Vineland-III, VB-MAPP, STAT, and HELP

The assessments process is entirely individualized and based on the needs of the Client, the family, and initial observations.

The Functional Behavior Assessment process will inform interventions and match the needs of the family. Types of interventions might include:

• Functional Communication Training (FCT)
• Delay Tolerance Training (DTT)
• Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
• Token Economies
• Compliance Training 
• Visual Schedules
• Differential Reinforcement

The interventions listed are not exhaustive.  The interventions recommended are completely individualized and based on the needs of the Client, the family, and the FBA conducted.

Based on the FBA, the Sequoia team will work on different skill areas that can include:

• Language Skills
  • Receptive Language Skills: a child’s ability to understand language.
  • Expressive Language Skills: a child’s ability to express themselves.
• Self-Help Skills: a child’s ability to perform on practical, everyday tasks of living that are age appropriate (reference Independent Living Skills Tab for more information).
• Social Skills: a child’s ability to interact and communicate with others. This may include interpersonal relationships, play and leisure skills, and coping skills.

The skill areas listed are not exhaustive.  The areas of skill acquisition varies across Clients.

Preparing our Clients for independent living is the ultimate goal. Various exercises and therapies with the following aspects of everyday life include:

• Personal Living Skills: toilet training, eating, drinking, dressing, showering, hygiene, tying shoes, and health care.
• Domestic Living Skills: completing chores, preparing meals, cleaning up.
• Community Living Skills: safety skills, using and saving money, preparing for a job, traveling, understanding rights and responsibilities.

This list provides areas that might be targeted. The areas targeted will depend on the needs of the Client, the family, and the FBA conducted.

Generalizing and Maintaining skills learned during therapy when outside of therapy plays a major role in the development of every child. We make sure our team as well as our team of caregivers receive the tools they need through Behavioral Skills Training (BST), which includes:

• Instruction
• Model
• Rehearsal
• Feedback

Click here for a brief overview of Behavioral Skills Training.

Each client will have an individualized behavior reduction plan. The Behavior Reduction plan will target areas such as noncompliance, tantrums, physical aggression, property destruction, or self-injurious behavior. A behavior reduction plan will include:

• Operational definition of Challenging Behavior.
• The Function of Behavior (why the behavior occurs).
• Preventative Strategies (what to do before a behavior occurs).
• Reactive Strategies (what to do when a behavior occurs).
• Schedule of reinforcement (when to provide reinforcement).

The behavior reduction plan will be created based on the data and information collected from the Functional Behavior Assessment.