Additional Information

Vancouver, Canada
Outreach Services

Northwest Behavioral Associates (NBA) is committed to providing quality educational and behavioral support for children with autism and related disorders and their families, creating a pool of well-trained home tutors and school personnel that serve children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and increasing community awareness about ASD and applied behavior analysis (ABA).

NBA implements intervention based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. Behavior analytic intervention for autism focuses on systematically breaking down and teaching small, measurable units of behavior one step at a time. Generally, socially significant behaviors are increased using positive reinforcement procedures while maladaptive behaviors are decreased via the procedures of extinction, punishment, or the replacement of the maladaptive behavior with a more desired behavior. Specific strategies include, but are not limited to, Discrete Trial Instruction, Incidental or Naturalistic Teaching, Fluency Based Instruction, Functional Communication Training, Analysis of Verbal Behavior, Errorless Teaching, Pivotal Response Training (PRT), and Positive Behavior Support (PBS).

Please carefully read the information below regarding the intake process. NBA cannot determine a child's eligibility for programming until all of the required steps are completed. For more information on intake and eligibility, please contact Executive Director Dr. Stacey Shook or Assistant Director Jane Shively.

Prior to starting treatment, participants must submit documents along with a short videotape for observation purposes. Please note that while this is a required step in the application process, it does not guarantee your child's placement in the program. All documents will be reviewed by the Executive Director and Assistant Director. If we are able to place your child in the Outreach Program, the documents will then be sent to your child's assigned Program Manager for further review. Please note that documents (including videotapes) will not be returned to the family.

Documents that are required for this process include:

• Any medical examination, report, diagnosis, or medication information. Applicable formal assessments such as cognitive, language, or social skills assessments Speech and OT/PT reports Previous treatment plans School records, school related evaluations and IEP Videotaped segments of your child. The tape should include 5-minute segments of each of the following:
• Time when your child is aloneTime when your child is interacting with you or with siblingsAny time your child receives some form of therapy
• Any specific behavior issues

The above information should be directed to:

Northwest Behavioral Associates
Vancouver Outreach Services
205 - 5631 No. 3 Road
Richmond BC V6X2C7
phone (604) 288-1021
fax (604) 233-6264

Once the above documents are submitted and reviewed and your child's eligibility is confirmed, a meeting with the family will be scheduled. The Program Supervisor and Program Manager will work with the family and the child to determine each individual child's specific needs. Recommendations will then be made pertaining to treatment hours and programming. Following this meeting, the child’s assessment (generally two or three sessions) will be scheduled with the Program Manager to identify the child's skills and deficits in order to establish a baseline, develop goals, and structure programs tailored to each child's unique needs.

It is the responsibility of the family to select and hire a team of tutors who will work one-on-one with the child. The Program Manager can assist you with this process by giving you suggestions as to how you might go about finding potential tutors and selecting them. NBA will be responsible for training the parents as well as the tutors. Tutors will be required to attend NBA’s 2-part Introductory Tutor Training, Phases I and II and all NBA Training Program protocols will apply for advancement through these workshops. Additional hands-on training will be conducted by the Program Manager. The families with whom the tutors-in-training work will be responsible for the billable hours accrued.

Following the training, the Program Manager will work with your child's intervention team once a week for 1.5 hours to ensure proper implementation of the programs as well as to monitor progress and update the programs. NBA requires that a 60 minute videotape of in-home sessions be submitted monthly for review by the Program Supervisor. In addition, a monthly team meeting will be conducted between the Program Supervisor, Program Manager, home tutors and parents. During this meeting, a detailed monthly progress report will be discussed (please note that these meetings will be scheduled in accordance with NBA’s three times yearly scheduling and that meetings may be held in Vancouver or at NBA's office in Bellevue).

Services provided:

• Intake & Assessment Team Meetings/Consultation Individualized Curriculum & Program DevelopmentOngoing Data Analysis Home Tutor Training & Supervision Parent Education & Training Home Meetings
• School Consultation

Program Supervisor (Either the Executive Director or the Assistant Director)

The Program Supervisor is responsible for overseeing all of the aspects of each child’s individualized educational and behavioral programs. Their duties include the development of all curriculum and training materials in collaboration with the Program Manager. In addition, the Program Supervisor will supervise the intervention, consultation, and program development of the Program Manager. The Program Supervisor will be responsible for coordinating all individualized program reviews as well as all intake and assessment data for children new to NBA. It is expected that the Program Supervisor will have a direct working relationship with the personnel in each child's education placement.

Program Manager

The Program Manager will work collaboratively with the Program Supervisor in the development of all individualized programs and training materials. The Program Manager is responsible for delivering direct intervention services to each of the children served in the outreach program. He/she will be responsible for observing each child's home program on a regular basis. He/she will also be responsible for training therapists working with the child as well as providing ongoing support and supervision. The Program Manager will also support and help with school observations and consultations (including IEP meetings), family routines and outings, and concerns such as toilet training, feeding and sleep disturbances.

Each month, families will receive two separate bills detailing all of the services provided by the Program Supervisor and the Program Manager:

• A monthly bill for all services provided by the Program Supervisor in accordance with NBA's Billing Policies A monthly bill for all services provided by the Program Manager
• Hourly rate for Executive Director: $86 US dollars per hourHourly rate for Assistant Director: $64 US dollars per hour
• Hourly rate for Program Manager: $60 Canadian dollars per hour

All travel expenses, including airfare and accommodations, if necessary, are the responsibility of the family. Time spent in flight, however, will not be billed. Travel expenses can be shared by group of families.