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Behavioral Concepts Announces Open House & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at New Springfield Location on January 31st

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Behavioral Concepts Announces Open House & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at New Springfield Location on January 31st

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SPRINGFIELD, MA… Behavioral Concepts (BCI), a company of behavioral clinicians specializing in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout Central Massachusetts, will hold an Open House on Thursday, January 31, 2019 from 3pm to 6pm at their new Springfield, MA center at 90 Carando Drive. The open house will begin with a Ribbon Cutting ceremony at 3pm with Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. 

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Worcester, BCI has grown to become the go-to provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders throughout Massachusetts.  

BCI’s Open House will feature tours of their new Springfield center and will enable families and the business community to learn more about BCI’s clinical services. Attendees will have an opportunity to meet BCI’s founder and CEO Jeffrey Robinson, Ph. D., and Regional Director Britney Catron, M.A., BCBA, LABA, along with Marcy Schulz, M.A., BCBA, LABA, Assistant Director of Early Intervention ABA Services, and their team of Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs).   

Light refreshments will be served and the general public is welcome to attend. 

BCI relocated from a temporary office to a new 7,200 square foot center at Carando Drive in early January. BCI is currently providing Early Intervention services to 75 families throughout greater Springfield. Their Early Intervention services are designed to assist infants and toddlers (birth to age three) in making significant strides in their development. These services are targeted, evidence-based, tailored to their needs, and usually provided in the home. 

Expanded ABA Services for Ages 3+ 

The new Springfield center enables BCI to expand their services to provide center-based, insurance-funded ABA services for children over age three. Center-based services include an Intensive Day Program for preschool-age children, as well as an After-School Program and a Saturday Social Skills group for school-age children. BCI now has five classrooms, as well as a main area, gym and outdoor play yard, providing them with the capacity to serve 30 to 45 children per session in their new onsite program.                                                               

“We are very excited about our new space and the launch of our insurance funded, center-based ABA programs for children age three and older. It enables continuity of services for our families receiving Early Intervention and home-based services from BCI,” said Catron. 

BCI is a partner agency that receives Early Intervention referrals from the Department of Public Health for children under age three with a diagnosis Autism Spectrum Disorder.  

To learn more about BCI, visit https://bciaba.com or call 508-363-0200. 

About BCI 

Behavioral Concepts (BCI) provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with autism and their families in central Massachusetts. We identify and facilitate effective personalized instruction that allows children to discover more, learn more, and be more – increasing their independence and enhancing their quality of life at home, in school, and in the community. BCI is a Massachusetts Department of Public Health approved provider of specialty ABA services for early intervention. BCI also provides center, home-based, and after school services through private and public health insurance. The organization was founded in 2002 by Dr. Jeffrey R. Robinson. Further information on BCI is available at https://bciaba.com. 

BCI is part of the LEARN Behavioral family of companies, a national organization dedicated to helping all children succeed in school and life. Learn more at http://learnitsystems.com

Behavioral Concepts adds Springfield office

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BY GRANT WELKER

Worcester-based Behavioral Concepts, which provides care to patients with autism, is adding a Springfield office next month.

BCI, which also has an office in Fitchburg, is expanding to Western Massachusetts with early-intervention services for children up to age 3 and applied behavior analysis services for children over 3. The agency’s 7,200 square-foot space will have the capacity to serve 30 to 45 children.

Autism care has become a larger need in the medical and educational communities as the rates of diagnosed cases has soared in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism spectrum disorder is now believed to affect 1 in 59 children nationally age 8 or older.

Just this year, a $20-million school for autistic children was proposed for Worcester’s Lincoln Square, and Westborough Behavioral Healthcare Hospital expanded with a new autism inpatient care unit it said is the first of its kind in the state, with a capacity of up to 152 beds.

Acquisitions have also been more common, including Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, an operator of centers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, taking over the former Durham School in Fitchburg to serve as a day school for students with autism and other disabilities. Applied Behavioral Associates, a Marlborough clinical and home-based autism services provider, announced this month it has been acquired by Centria Healthcare, a national company based in Michigan.

BCI has already been providing early-intervention services to Springfield-area families through a temporary office in Springfield.

The westward expansion is the latest new initiative for BCI, which said earlier this month it has begun offering continued education as a newly certified education provider in the industry. The agency partners on education programs with Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Bay Path University in Longmeadow and Assumption College in Worcester.

http://www.wbjournal.com/article/20181214/NEWS01/181219959/1002

Behavioral Concepts adds continuing education

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Susan Ainsleigh, EdD, BCBA-D, presenting “Giving Feedback” to attendees.

Behavioral Concepts, a Worcester agency for children with autism, is branching out with a new service: continuing education.

Behavioral Concepts said it has obtained approval from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board as an approved continuing education provider. It held its first continuing education event Nov. 29 on ethical issues in behavioral feeding.

Also known as BCI, the agency helps train future clinicians through undergraduate and graduate program affiliations including on-site degree support through partnerships with Quinsigamond Community College and Bay Path University, and an off-site program at Assumption College.

BCI holds day programs for autistic children from 3 to 6 years old, as well as after school programs and activities on Saturdays focused on developing social skills. It has a location in Fitchburg.

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http://www.wbjournal.com/article/20181205/NEWS01/181209972

 

 

Behavioral Concepts Appoints New Assistant Director in Tewksbury Office to Oversee Northeast Region

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DRACUT, FITCHBURG, LOWELL, SPRINGFIELD, TEWKSBURY AND WORCESTER, MA… Behavioral Concepts (BCI), a company of behavioral clinicians specializing in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout Central Massachusetts continues to branch out.

BCI is meeting the need for Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) providers in the area by providing specialty Early Intervention ABA services to families throughout the greater Lowell area, through their temporary office at 1501 Main Street, Units 29-30, in Tewksbury,
MA.

Katherine Law, BCBA, LABA, a resident of Dracut, MA, has been promoted to Assistant Director and leads the Early Intervention services for the greater Lowell area. Prior to her promotion, Law was a Behavior Analyst in BCI’s Fitchburg office, where she provided Early Intervention services to children under age three and insurance-funded ABA services to all school aged children.

Previous to BCI, Law was an ABA therapist and Behavior Analyst providing Early Intervention services at the May Institute in Western Massachusetts. Law received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a certificate in Developmental Disabilities and Human Services from University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a Master of Arts in ABA from Westfield State University. She is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), and a Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst (LABA) in the state of Massachusetts. She is a member of Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy (BABAT).

“Our focus is on growing BCI’s Early Intervention services and increasing the number of referrals from Early Intervention agencies in the area,” said Law. “Our goal is to expand our services to children age three and up.”

BCI’s Early Intervention services are designed to assist infants and toddlers (birth to age three) in making significant strides in their development. Early Intervention services include assessment, clinical design, consultation and transition to school. They are targeted, evidence-based, tailored to a child’s needs, and usually provided in the home. BCI is a partner agency and receives Early Intervention referrals from the Department of Public Health for children under age three with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

BCI is already providing Early Intervention services to 50 families in the greater Lowell area, and there is a wait list for ABA services for children over age three. BCI is looking to site an ABA center in 2019, which will enable them to expand their offerings to include center-based insurance-funded ABA services that families can elect to have for children age three to 22 years old.

“During intake, families often express they would like to remain with the same provider that they began with, to ensure a seamless transition from Early Intervention to ABA over age three,” noted Law.

BCI accepts most major insurance plans operating throughout Massachusetts as well as Mass Health.

To learn more about BCI’s Early Intervention services in the greater Lowell area, visit https://bciaba.com/how-we-can-help/specialty-early-intervention-services/

About BCI

Behavioral Concepts (BCI) provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with autism and their families in central Massachusetts. We identify and facilitate effective personalized instruction that allows children to discover more, learn more, and be more – increasing their independence and enhancing their quality of life at home, in school, and in the community. BCI is a Massachusetts Department of Public Health approved provider of specialty ABA services for early intervention. BCI also provides center, home-based, and afterschool services through private and public health insurance. The organization was founded in 2002 by Dr. Jeffrey R. Robinson. Further information on BCI is available at https://bciaba.com.

BCI is part of the LEARN Behavioral family of companies, a national organization dedicated to helping all children succeed in school and life. Learn more at http://learnitsystems.com

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BCI Announces New Springfield Location and New Regional Director

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FITCHBURG, SPRINGFIELD AND WORCESTER, MA… Behavioral Concepts (BCI), a company of behavioral clinicians specializing in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout Central Massachusetts, announces a new Springfield, MA center and new Regional Director. 

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Worcester, MA with a second location in Fitchburg, MA, BCI has grown to become the go-to provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders throughout Central Massachusetts.

BCI will officially open doors of their new ABA center located at 90 Carando Drive, in January 2019. BCI provides specialty Early Intervention ABA services to families throughout western Massachusetts, as there is a significant need for these specialty services ABA providers in the area. BCI’s Early Intervention Services are designed to assist infants and toddlers (birth to age three) in making significant strides in their development. These services are targeted, evidence-based, tailored to their needs, and usually provided in the home.

BCI is a partner agency that receives Early Intervention referrals from the Department of Public Health for children under age three with a diagnosis Autism Spectrum Disorder. BCI is currently providing Early Intervention services to 75 families throughout greater Springfield through their temporary office on Mill Street in Springfield.

The new location enables BCI to expand services. In addition to Early Intervention services, BCI will provide center-based insurance-funded ABA services for children over age three, beginning in January 2019. BCI’s new 7,200 square foot space consists of five classrooms, a main area, gym and outdoor play yard, with the capacity to serve 30 to 45 children in their onsite program.

Britney Catron, M.A., BCBA, LABA has been promoted to Regional Director of Greater Springfield to supervise, train and provide oversight of all onsite and offsite programs.

Catron holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and received her Master’s degree in Education in Applied Behavioral Analysis from Bay Path University in 2014. She is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), and a Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst (LABA) in the state of Massachusetts. She began her career at BCI in 2011 as an ABA therapist prior to becoming a BCBA for BCI’s Worcester location.

BCI has a team of five BCBAs in Springfield, including Marcy Schulz, M.A., BCBA, LABA who is the Assistant Director of Early Intervention ABA Services. Schulz has a lengthy career with BCI and has significantly contributed to establishing ABA services in Central Massachusetts and obtaining new Early Intervention contracts.

“There is significant demand in this area for BCI’s specialty Early Intervention services, which include assessment, clinical design, consultation and transition to school,” said Schulz. “Essentially, we work with families to identify goals and then assist their children with learning new skills to achieve important milestones in their social development.”

“Our ABA services for children age 3 and older will open in January of 2019. We are excited to provide insurance funded, center-based programs as well as Early Intervention and home-based services,” said Catron.

To learn more about BCI’s Early Intervention services in Springfield, call 508-363-0200 or visit  https://bciaba.com/how-we-can-help/specialty-early-intervention-services/.

About BCI

Behavioral Concepts (BCI) provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with autism and their families in central Massachusetts. We identify and facilitate effective personalized instruction that allows children to discover more, learn more, and be more – increasing their independence and enhancing their quality of life at home, in school, and in the community. BCI is a Massachusetts Department of Public Health approved provider of specialty ABA services for early intervention. BCI also provides center, home-based, and afterschool services through private and public health insurance. The organization was founded in 2002 by Dr. Jeffrey R. Robinson. Further information on BCI is available at https://bciaba.com.

BCI is part of the LEARN Behavioral family of companies, a national organization dedicated to helping all children succeed in school and life. Learn more at http://learnitsystems.com

BCI Director to Present at 39th Annual BABAT Conference

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FITCHBURG, UPTON AND WORCESTER, MA… Candice Colon-Kwedor, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA, Director of Professional Development and Research at Worcester, MA- based Behavioral Concepts (BCI), will present at the upcoming Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy (BABAT) 2018 Annual Conference.

Candice Colón-Kwedor
Dr. Candice Colón-Kwedor

Dr. Colon-Kwedor oversees the training curriculum and professional development of ABA Therapists and Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) in her role at BCI, a company specializing in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout Massachusetts. She will chair and speak at BABAT’s 39th annual Behavior Analysis Conference, October 10-12, 2018 hosted at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

BABAT is one of the oldest and largest behavior analytic organizations in the country and Dr. Colon-Kwedor serves on the Board of BABAT as Member at Large.

On Thursday, October 11th, Dr. Colon-Kwedor will chair the Panel Discussion “Developing Cultural Competence: Translating Tradition to Supportive Training Programs and Socially Valid Treatment”. The presentation is 1.5 CEUs: BACB, and panelists are Hanna Rue of Autism Spectrum Therapies, Sara Litvak of The Behavior Health Center of Excellence, and Jorge Reyes of Westfield State University.

Julie Bazinet
Julie Bazinet

On Friday, October 12th, Dr. Colon-Kwedor will chair the Panel Discussion “Behavioral Skills Training: A Comparison of Four Pre-service Training Models”. The presentation is 1.5 CEUs: BACB, and panelists include Julie Bazinet, who is also from BCI, Jill Harper of MELMARK NEW England, and Hanna Rue of Autism Spectrum Therapies, and Jessica Wenig of Advances Learning Center.

Also, on October 12th, Dr. Colon-Kwedor will present “Treatment Integrity Considerations when Treating Automatically Maintained Behavior” following the Symposium entitled “THE Automatic Reinforcement Symposium (Bing, bing, boom, boom)”, which is 1.5 CEUs: BACB, with William H. Ahearn of New England Center for Children as Chair and Discussant.

Dr. Colón-Kwedor specializes in the assessment and treatment of severe challenging behavior in children and adolescents and has 13 years of experience providing consultative services and clinical services in the private school and residential setting. She joined BCI in 2017. In addition to serving as BCI’s Director of Professional Development and Research, Dr. Colón-Kwedor serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and previously held a similar position at Endicott College.

Dr. Colón-Kwedor received a Doctoral degree in Behavior Analysis from Western New England University and a Master of Science degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D) and Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst (LABA) in the state of Massachusetts. In addition to BABAT, she is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA). Dr. Colón-Kwedor’s research has been published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. She is also a contributing author to a BCBA supervision reference manual and has served as a guest reviewer for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior and Behavioral Interventions. She is a resident of Upton, MA.

Conference registration options include one or two-day, with CEU’s or without, and live stream of select talks. For more information about the conference, visit

https://babat.org/event/2018-annual-conference/

About BCI

Behavioral Concepts (BCI) provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with autism and their families in central Massachusetts. We identify and facilitate effective personalized instruction that allows children to discover more, learn more, and be more – increasing their independence and enhancing their quality of life at home, in school, and in the community. BCI is a Massachusetts Department of Public Health approved provider of specialty ABA services for early intervention. BCI also provides center, home-based, and afterschool services through private and public health insurance. The organization was founded in 2002 by Dr. Jeffrey R. Robinson. Further information on BCI is available at http://bciaba.com.

BCI is part of the LEARN Behavioral family of companies, a national organization dedicated to helping all children succeed in school and life. Learn more at http://learnitsystems.com.

BCI Announces “Halloween Full of Pieces” Autism Friendly Event October 28th

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LEICESTER AND WORCESTER, MA… Behavioral Concepts (BCI), a company of behavioral clinicians specializing in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout Central Massachusetts, is proud to sponsor the second annual “Halloween Full of Pieces” autism-friendly Halloween party which will be held on October 28, 2018 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Knights of Columbus, 91 Manville Street, Leicester, MA. This event is open to the public. 

Hosted by the Knights of Columbus Council 4528, this special event is a sensory-friendly and safe trick or treating experience for children with ASD. BCI’s Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapists will assist in the event alongside the Knights and staff volunteers. 

The event will feature a haunted house, sensory-friendly activities, face painting and more. 

There is no cost to attend “Halloween Full of Pieces” party and children may wear costumes if they wish.  

“From all the scary decorations, lights and sounds to sensory issues with costume clothing fabric and accessories, Halloween can be an especially tricky time for children and families with autism,” explained Sally Burke, a Licensed Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) at BCI.  

Below, Burke offers five tips to help families with autism celebrate Halloween: 

  1. If you think your child would like to (and can tolerate) wearing a costume, have him/her practice wearing it for short intervalswhile playing in the days/weeks prior to Halloween. 
  1. A visual social story or a book that discusses the topic of Halloween and what to expect prior to the event can be extremely helpful. Review it often in the days leading up to Halloween.
  1. Practice trick or treating with a family member or neighbor you know well. Whetheryou and your child gets to one house or quite a few on Halloween, be sure to praise them for a job well done. 
  1. Plan your trick or treating route. Consider skipping homes with lots of lights, sounds and scary decorations.
  1. Remember, staying home and passing out treats may be just as much fun for your child as going out, so don’t rule outthe option. 

About BCI 

Behavioral Concepts (BCI) provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with autism and their families in central Massachusetts. We identify and facilitate effective personalized instruction that allows children to discover more, learn more, and be more – increasing their independence and enhancing their quality of life at home, in school, and in the community. BCI is a Massachusetts Department of Public Health approved provider of specialty ABA services for early intervention. BCI also provides center, home-based, and afterschool services through private and public health insurance. The organization was founded in 2002 by Dr. Jeffrey R. Robinson. Further information on BCI is available at http://bciaba.com.  

BCI is part of the LEARN Behavioral family of companies, a national organization dedicated to helping all children succeed in school and life. Learn more at http://learnitsystems.com.

Family Fun Day at Great Wolf Lodge a Great Success – Autism Friendly Event

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FITCHBURG AND WORCESTER, MA… More than 200 Central Massachusetts families made tracks to Great Wolf Lodge New England in Fitchburg for HMEA’s Autism Resource Central’s Family Fun Day held on Sunday, September 23, 2018.

The autism-friendly event, which was exclusively sponsored by Behavioral Concepts (BCI), a company of behavioral clinicians specializing in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout Central Massachusetts, presented an afternoon of fun at the Great Wolf Lodge indoor waterpark followed by a pizza party.

In addition to sponsorship, BCI was on-site hosting a number of Sensory Fun Activities, such as water beads, Play Doh, kinetic sand, and other activity stations, throughout the afternoon.

The popular event was sold out within a day.

“We’re pleased to have an opportunity to partner with our friends at Autism Resource Central and provide a day of fun in a supportive environment to families and children with ASD,” said Jeff Robinson, Ph. D., BCI’s President and CEO.

About Autism Resource Central

Located in Worcester, MA, HMEA’s Autism Resource Central of Central Massachusetts is a non-profit organization that serves as an information and referral service for children and families affected by disorders within the Autism Spectrum; Autism, PDD NOS and Asperger’s. Autism Resource Central supports the needs of more than 3,000 families in Central Massachusetts. For more information, visit autismresourcecentral.org.

About BCI

Behavioral Concepts (BCI) provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with autism and their families in central Massachusetts. We identify and facilitate effective personalized instruction that allows children to discover more, learn more, and be more – increasing their independence and enhancing their quality of life at home, in school, and in the community. BCI is a Massachusetts Department of Public Health approved provider of specialty ABA services for early intervention. BCI also provides center, home-based, and afterschool services through private and public health insurance. The organization was founded in 2002 by Dr. Jeffrey R. Robinson. Further information on BCI is available at http://bciaba.com.

BCI is part of the LEARN Behavioral family of companies, a national organization dedicated to helping all children succeed in school and life. Learn more at http://learnitsystems.com.