Autism in Mind is Markham’s leading service provider for children with autism. We have helped children learn helpful behaviours at a critical time in their lives. Through our values of acceptance, community, compassion, dedication, and opportunity, we have assisted myriad families in the Greater Toronto Area with receiving funding for Intensive Behavioural Intervention Therapy.
Children with autism need professional, individualized support to meet their potential and live without barriers. Our ABA/IBI programs help kids improve communication and develop learning skills that help them overcome everyday challenges.
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is a scientifically validated approach to understanding the relationship between behaviour and the environment. This approach is not specific to students with autism, but rather all types of behaviours. Behavioural Therapists use ABA to design treatments or “interventions” for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. They use scientific methods of description, quantification, and analysis to understand behaviour and improve skills. The focus is on improving quality of life, especially in a social context. ABA principles are used to enhance communication, self-help and independence, play and leisure, social skills, and more. Using the ABA approach has proven to help people living with autism to unleash their potential and have enriching, fulfilling experiences. Teenagers and adults with autism have shown improvements in social skills and communication, and have even acquired the skills to live independently.
Some of the principles of ABA include:
Consequences determine a person’s behaviour
Data-based decision making in programming decisions
Preventing consequences rather than punishing for them
Reinforcement maintains a person’s behaviour
As it relates to children with autism, positive reinforcement is used
Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) is a therapeutic treatment that uses the principles, methods, and techniques of ABA. It is a scientifically proven method for treating children with autism.
As the name suggests, IBI is an intensive approach to treatment, ranging from 20 to 40 hours per week. It is specifically designed for children with moderate to severe autism who would benefit from a more dedicated approach to behavioural therapy. This immersive approach, together with a high-quality program design, increases the rate at which children with autism learn. Initially developed to prepare children with autism to be integrated in a school environment, IBI focuses on teaching children learning behaviours such as imitation, cooperation, and attention. The younger the child, the more likely they will benefit from IBI’s intensive therapy.
IBI programs teach complex skills and behaviours by breaking these down into small, incremental steps. Treatment plans and programs are designed according to the strengths and needs of the individual. These programs are then implemented by highly trained IBI therapists, using one-on-one instruction. These one-on-one sessions allow the IBI therapist to tailor a program to the child’s needs at a suitable pace. The use of reinforcement and gentle prompting promotes increased success, acquisition of new skills, and the retention of previously acquired knowledge. Therapists continuously record, closely monitor, and analyze progress to adapt the treatment as needed.
At AIM, we’re proud to be clinically supervised by Dr. Amanda Morgan, a provincially-renowned child psychologist in the autism field.
The success of IBI programs are well-documented that families living with autism can apply for government funding for this form of therapy. Once your child is diagnosed with autism, you are eligible to apply for funding directly from a regional program. The Ontario Ministry of Child and Youth Services (MCYS) determines a child’s eligibility for this highly effective treatment program by assessment. Wait lists can be long, which is why families often decide on private funding or self-funding while they wait. For more information on IBI funding options and the reasonable rates AIM offers, click here.
For ABA & IBI therapy services in Markham, Toronto and the GTA, contact Autism in Mind.
