community behavioral therapy.

[agedsubaru]

Hi.

I am looking for suggestions for behavioral therapy in the community. We have done in office and now need in home/community. I only know of ABA and dd does not have an autism diagnosis. This is required for ABA insurance coverage. i have spoken to numerous providers and none have found an exception. 

Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[agedsubaru]

Also this is bubbalicious.

[freezorburn]

I don't have knowledge about different kinds of therapy, so I can only speak to our limited experience with ABA. We've done a mix of in-clinic and in-home sessions from the beginning. When our friends' schedules sync up, we are sometimes able to have 1-2 more children join us at home so that DS can practice some group skills.

DS started kindergarten this fall, and as it turned out I found a spot for him at our local Boys and Girls Club for after school care. We asked them if his BT and BCBA could work with him to help with the transition to a new environment, and they have been great about accommodating us. The BT and BCBA had to basically fill out the same paperwork and go through background checks, and so now one of his weekly sessions falls during one of his afternoons at the Club. It's been great -- there are lots of opportunities for him work on social skills with other kids.

As far as insurance coverage goes, I might have something interesting to say about this in another 6 months to a year. We are changing insurance companies next year, and our current ABA provider is out of network for the new insurance. I'm actually not all that impressed with our current coverage. DS only does 4 hours of therapy a week. We are self-insured. So, between the cost of our premium and the size of our deductible, we've spent quite a bit this year. Next year our premium will go down significantly because it is through my employer, and for 4 hours a week, we may just end up paying out of pocket. Chances are that even if we do that, we might end up spending less than we have over the past year under our current insurance.

[akafred]

I don't know if these resources are what you are looking for exactly, but something to look into:

1) RIP - Regional Intervention Program - this is offered in my area up to age 5 or 6 but this may vary. Parents help other parents as mentors and guides in a group setting, and it is free, and after you complete the program as parents you have to volunteer as a mentor/guide/teacher to pay it forward.

2) PCIT - parent-child interaction therapy - parent wears an ear bud while psychologist or whoever gives instructions of things to do and say as they observe parent and child through a 2-way mirror.

3) CPRT - child-parent relationship therapy - I'm not exactly sure what this is. I know it is group play therapy that focuses on the parent-child relationship to build trust.

These are all some kind of parent training, though, vs ABA which is more child training.

[chickypoo]

O's geneticist thought behavioral therapy would be beneficial, but anyone that I spoke to made it sound like ABA was the only behavioral therapy.

Now that he's on the Medicaid waiver they have an option for behavioral therapy. I'm probably not much help, but obviously it's a thing. Our waiver was through the bureau of developmental disabilities, maybe you can call whatever resource you have like that in your area and they can give you info on the therapy?

[waverly]

No experience with it. All I can think is to ask Early Intervention or the School district for recommendations or ask your doctors.

We just either do through the school or through private practice/ hospital setting.

I was referred more to a place with all day psych testing that also does PT, OT, ST- but I didn't follow through with that center because we didn't need the psych portion and ST is at the school, and due to location. They sounded like they might provide something besides ABA.

ETA- I know our former daycare had ST's come in.  If you are at a daycare center you might ask them as well.