Children diagnosed with ASD may continue to receive critical ABA therapy remotely during COVID-19 pandemic.

FITCHBURG, WORCESTER AND SPRINGFIELD, MA… LEARN Behavioral, the leading network of providers serving children with autism and other special needs, announces the availability of telehealth Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and their families in Massachusetts through their regional provider Behavioral Concepts Innovation (BCI).

To continue providing critical ABA services to client families during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, BCI has innovated their service delivery model and capabilities to provide telehealth ABA services, or “teleABA” as coined by LEARN.

TeleABA provides another option for families who prefer virtual therapy services over in-person therapy, or who have household family members who are at higher risk for severe illness. It is ABA therapy overseen by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) that parallels in-person treatment.

“The COVID-19 response requiring nationwide social distancing and other safety guidelines

has left many parents of children on the autism spectrum wondering how to maintain the gains their children have made in ABA therapy,” explained Hanna Rue, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Vice President of Clinical Development for LEARN.  “BCI and LEARN are helping parents throughout Massachusetts by providing the option of teleABA therapy which helps ensure that their children are able to continue their forward momentum towards established treatment goals.”

TeleABA Services

Treatment for ASD is in accordance with state and federal emergency guidance regarding medically necessary telehealth services. It is imperative that children with ASD avoid any break in ABA therapy as this may cause distress, disruption and potential behavior regression. TeleABA is the delivery of evidence-based ABA therapy with master level clinicians via HIPAA-compliant videoconferencing, which is accessible by computer, tablet or smartphone.

BCI’s teleABA services include direct treatment and parent consultation. Direct treatment is one-on-one treatment sessions with a child geared towards maintaining and generalizing communication, play skills and behavioral progress. Parent consultation provides an opportunity to discuss daily routines and challenging behaviors, identify targets, and implement a plan.

TeleABA enables families to continue to build upon and reinforce skills including, but not limited to:

– Potty training

– Bedtime/sleep routine

– Screen time

– Personal hygiene routine, including hand-washing

Through teleABA, BCI helps children and families in a number of ways. For example: discussing strategies and progress on a desired goal; developing a routine that fits in to your family’s schedule; providing individual reinforcement strategies; setting and explaining clear expectations; and offering “in the moment” parent coaching along with references to help successfully reach your child’s goal.

Parent Webinars

One innovative program being launched through teleABA is Parent Webinars. With COVID-19 changing day-to-day lives, new challenges are presenting and old ones are resurfacing. Parent Webinars, offered on a weekly basis, enable families facing similar challenges to join in virtual presentations to share solutions and helpful info.

The Parent Webinars are led by Ashley Williams, Clinical Director for ABACS and Advances in the LEARN provider network in the Greater Boston area. Each webinar is guided by a BCBA and will include clinical tips, strategies, and suggestions to help parents in these challenging times.

Dr. Rue continued, “We have received a tremendous response from our families, who are experiencing new successes due to our virtual teleABA services. It is our hope that teleABA treatment will continue to be accepted by insurers beyond COVID-19, as this will enable us to serve a greater number of children and families on the autism spectrum who need services but have limited in-person access to ABA providers.”

Currently, BCI has more than 300 BCBAs providing teleABA throughout Massachusetts and in total, LEARN has served over 2,500 families through teleABA, with nearly 1,000 trained providers across the nation who have delivered sessions. LEARN is dedicated to supporting their staff and has developed a comprehensive resource library which enables them to access tools, resources, training and support online.

For more information about BCI’s teleABA services, visit https://bciaba.com

WORCESTER, MA… Behavioral Concepts (BCI), a company of behavioral clinicians specializing in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Massachusetts, has promoted Barbra Lynch, M.S., BCBA, LABA to Assistant Director of Professional Development & Research. She is a resident of Worcester, MA. 

In her new role at BCI, Lynch designs, develops, and oversees pre-service training and BCI’s regional trainers. She also holds the position of requirements coordinator for Registered Behavioral Technician candidates. She is based in the company’s Worcester office.

Lynch is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst (LABA) in the state of Massachusetts. Previous to her promotion, Lynch was a Behavior Analyst at BCI. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Criminology from Capital University in Ohio, as well as a Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University in Boston.

Lynch’s experience prior to BCI includes serving as Director of Training and Quality Assurance at a private after-school agency based in Worcester. Previous to that, Lynch served as Regional Director for an ABA service provider in Milford, MA for five years, and as a teacher and case manager at New England Center for Children in Southborough, MA for four years.                             

She is a member of the Berkshire Association of Behavior Analysis and Therapy (BABAT) and of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).

SPRINGFIELD AND WORCESTER, MA… Behavioral Concepts (BCI), a company of behavioral clinicians specializing in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Massachusetts, will celebrate the one-year anniversary of their Springfield Center at 90 Carando Drive with an Open House on Saturday, February 15, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Families and the business community will have an opportunity to meet the Director, tour the Springfield center and learn more about BCI’s clinical services.

BCI’s Open House also kicks off a new Saturday Social Skills program in Springfield. The Social Skills program helps children diagnosed with autism develop the social skills they need to navigate relationships with their family, friends, and communities. BCI provides instruction, guidance, and support for each child’s unique social, behavioral, sensory and communication needs. The social skills groups provide a supportive and encouraging environment where children can learn how to relate to others and how to understand how emotions are communicated. All of BCI’s center-based services provide children one-to-one support in a group setting.

Open House attendees may experience a typical day of social skills by visiting the simulated skills areas during the Open House.

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

Early Intervention and ABA Services in Springfield

BCI provides insurance funded ABA services including center-based and home & community services, as well as Early Intervention services in partnership with the Department of Public Health. BCI currently serves more than 100 families throughout Greater Springfield. BCI’s insurance funded services are 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. 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.

BCI opened the doors of their new 7,200 square foot center at 90 Carando Drive in January 2019. For over a year prior, BCI had been providing home-based Early Intervention services to families in the Springfield area.

The center is led by Bianca Sims, M.S., BCBA, LABA, Regional Director of Greater Springfield. BCI’s Springfield location now has 12 Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and 47 Behavior Technicians on staff and they continue to expand their team.

About BCI

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 and their families throughout 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. 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 https://www.learnbehavioral.com/.

FALL RIVER AND WORCESTER, MA… Headquartered in Worcester, MA, Behavioral Concepts (BCI), a company of behavioral clinicians specializing in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Massachusetts, has expanded their services to Fall River, MA.

BCI now provides specialty Early Intervention Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services in Fall River to families with children. Early Intervention services are designed to assist infants and toddlers (birth to age three) in making significant strides in their development, and are evidence-based, tailored to their needs, and usually provided in the home or day care center. 

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 was approached by the Department of Public Health and has contracted with them to serve the Fall River area.                                                                     

Sally Burke, M.S. Ed., BCBA, Director of Early Intervention, oversees all Early services at BCI. The organization’s South Coast region, which encompasses 53 towns, now includes Fall River and New Bedford, and is led by Tracy Miele, M.A., BCBA, LABA.      

To learn more about BCI’s Early Intervention services, 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. 

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 https://www.learnbehavioral.com/.

WORCESTER, MA… Behavioral Concepts (BCI), a company of behavioral clinicians specializing in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Massachusetts, sponsored and presented at Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy (BABAT) 2019 Annual Conference & 40th Anniversary Celebration held at the DCU Center in Worcester in October.

BABAT is an affiliated chapter of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA). Their conference is the largest professional conference in the Northeast. As the largest provider of insurance-funded Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Early Intervention services in Massachusetts, BCI was proud to be the Presenting Sponsor.

In addition to sponsoring the event, the BCI team presented research titled “Treating Automatically Maintained Vocal Stereotypy: Benefits Beyond Decreases in Stereotypy” as part of a symposium on the assessment and treatment of stereotypical behavior. BCI’s Behavior Analyst Sheri Morse contributed to this collaborative research project between the New England Center for Children (NECC) and BCI. Meagan Cannon also contributed to and presented the research on behalf of BCI.

Dr. Candice Colón-Kwedor, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA, BCI’s Director of Professional Development and Research and BABAT board member, supervised this research and chaired the symposium.

“It is wonderful to work for a company that fosters applied research to ensure that we are contributing to and disseminating best practice methods for the children we serve. BCI is also heavily invested in strengthening the quality of our professional community as evidenced by sponsoring an esteemed professional organization like BABAT,” said Dr. Colón-Kwedor.

“As the largest provider of insurance-funded ABA and Early Intervention services in Massachusetts, BCI was pleased to present this important research and support BABAT as the Presenting Sponsor at this esteemed event,” said Brian Doyle, Ed. D., BCBA-D, Regional Vice President.

ABA – One of the Fastest Growing Fields

ABA is concentrated in Central Massachusetts and one of the fastest growing fields. To meet the demand for behavioral services for children with ASD and their families throughout Massachusetts, BCI addressed an industry-wide workforce shortage in board-certified clinicians by partnering with Bay Path University to provide an on-site graduate and continuing education program for BCI staff members at the company’s Worcester location. BCI has forged similar, successful education opportunities for their workforce through their partnerships with Assumption College and Quinsigamond Community College.

BCI is looking to partner with other colleges in Central and Western MA, to offer their staff additional continuing education opportunities.

About BABAT

BABAT is an affiliated chapter of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts. Formed in 1979, BABAT is perhaps best known for the annual conferences it has hosted at UMass (Amherst) every year for over 30 years. BABAT also serves as a resource for behavior analysts and those interested in behavior analysis in MA and the larger New England region. To learn more about BABAT, visit https://babat.org.

About BCI

Behavioral Concepts (BCI) provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with autism and their families in 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 https://www.learnbehavioral.com/.