KEYSTONE CENTER FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
Visit us on the web at http://www.keystoneatlanta.org
Training
Training for staff includes workshops and regular one-on-one instruction with Board Certified Behavior Analysts. Staff training is ongoing, and includes data collection to evaluate therapist performance. Parents are also encouraged to participate in training.
Parent training/involvement
Parent training is a critical component for generalizing skills to all environments. Keystone staff, including Ph.D. and M.S. level board certified behavior analysts, provide ongoing parent training a portion of which is required to maintain a student´s enrollment and individual in-home training as needed. Parents are encouraged to observe in the classroom on a regular basis and to participate in decision making processes about the progress of treatment.
Intensity/ratio
The Keystone Center for Children with Autism is a year-round program, excluding holiday breaks and staff training dates. Children receive services from 8:30-2:30 each weekday. All intervention strategies utilize the research-based principles of ABA, including Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT), task analyses, and incidental teaching procedures in the natural environment. Children primarily receive services in a 1:1 teaching setting, with staff rotation to ensure generalization. Some short group activities, with ratios between 1:2 and 2:4 are also included.
Data collection
Each student´s progress in all areas of intervention (i.e., behavioral, academic, social, language, self-help, group capabilities, etc.) is evaluated daily using extensive data collection and management. Parents are also encouraged to understand and respond to these data.
Treatment integrity
The focus of ABA is to analyze, understand, and change meaningful behaviors in socially significant ways. An assessment of treatment integrity is necessary to determine whether intervention is implemented as intended. At Keystone, this includes frequent training opportunities for staff, videotaping and feedback, weekly team meetings to evaluate progress,and formal staff evaluation measures.
Supervision
The Program Director of the Keystone Center for Children with Autism is Ann Sullivan, M.Ed., a Board Certified Behavior Analyst™. Additionally, consultative services for students are provided by Drs. Coby and Janet Lund, also Board Certified Behavior Analysts™.
Mission, methodology, and assessment/curriculum are identical to that of parent company, Integrated Behavioral Solutions.
Social validity
Social validity, or the benefit of behavior change to the student and his/her family, is ultimately of primary importance when evaluating the effectiveness of treatment. This is measured specifically at Keystone through questionnaires and parent conferences, and results drive the implementation of treatment programs.
Racially Nondiscriminatory Policy
The Keystone Center for Children with Autism admits students of any race, color, national origin, religion, and/or ethnic origin, and affords them all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally made available to students at the center. Keystone does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, and/or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic, and/or other school-administered programs.