A New Model of Care in Autism

Our developmental therapy model focuses on the whole child, tailoring their treatment plan to meet their individual sensory processing differences. Our multidisciplinary approach brings occupational, speech, and mental health therapies together in play-based therapy, while engaging parents and caregivers to engage in developmental therapy practices at home to reinforce learning and build stronger, more natural connections.

Let's Work TOgether
Do you have more resources on developmental therapy?
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Please visit Profectum and the International Council on Developmental Learning (ICDL) for more information on developmental therapy. 

Do you accept insurance?
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We are in-network with a number of different plans, which vary by market. Please visit the Insurance section on our FAQ page for more information

What results can a family expect?
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A family can expect to become more connected with their child. Parents and caregivers will be empowered with the tools to best support their child. They will learn to put themselves in their child’s shoes to truly understand their experience, and then receive personalized strategies and supports to make every interaction with their child as effective as possible. 

The more these strategies are implemented throughout the day (by families and the Positive Development care team), the more progress will happen. As a result, the child will strengthen all areas of development, including the ability to be calm and regulated, the ability to engage with others, communication, problem-solving, social skills, reflective thinking, and more.

Who is on each child’s care team?
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Each of our clients is served by a multidisciplinary care team that includes a mental health therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, and developmentally trained paraprofessionals, including a family coach and a developmental paraprofessional. Families are also supported by a care coordinator, who assists with insurance and scheduling. For more information, visit our Care Team page.

Do you evaluate children for autism?
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We currently only offer autism assessments at our Los Angeles location. All other Positive Development locations are not conducting autism assessments at this time. Autism assessments should be administered by a clinical psychologist or a developmental pediatrician. In most instances, insurance companies require a diagnosis prior to having an evaluation with Positive Development.

How is developmental therapy different from ABA?
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The short explanation is that ABA focuses on specific behaviors, while DRBI focuses on the whole person.

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), which has traditionally been the primary therapy offered for people on the autism spectrum, teaches skills to gain desired behaviors through reinforcement. ABA focuses on observable behaviors and aims to help patients meet predetermined developmental goals vs. individualistic goals.

DRBI looks beyond specific (and often stereotyped) behaviors like aggression, rigidity, and withdrawal to understand and address the neurodevelopmental challenges beneath the surface. These challenges may include motor planning, emotional self-regulation, sensory sensitivity, learning disabilities, and speech delays.

Why should I refer my patient to your practice?
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We use integrative, evidence-based therapeutic disciplines drawn from DIR, the PLAY Project, and Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) to help children with ASD make meaningful gains in their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Our services provide an alternative to ABA therapy.

Who are the best candidates for your therapeutic services?
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All children and adolescents with an autism diagnosis can benefit from individualized, developmental intervention. Parents and caregivers who believe in a respectful model who will meet their child where they are, the power of play, and the importance of their own availability to be part of the team will also help their child benefit from our services.

Let's Meet!

Contact us today for a free initial developmental screening evaluation to learn how we can help your family.

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