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How often will my child need therapy?
Since ABA is most effective when it is intensive, the recommended hours for this type of therapy generally fall between 10 to 40 hours per week depending on the specific needs of your child. Very rarely is there a situation where under 10 hours is effective. The number of recommended hours for your child will be determined by our clinical team after your child’s assessment when the treatment plan is developed.
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How is Acorn Health different?
Acorn Health is the pioneering ABA therapy provider for families of children and adolescents with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) seeking behavioral therapy services. As a standard-setting quality provider of Applied Behavior Analysis services, Acorn Health has been recognized as a “Behavioral Health Center of Excellence,” a highly recognized industry accreditation that includes rigorous standards, such as how well the provider collaborates with other support therapies, quality of staff training, parent satisfaction surveys, success involving parents in therapy processes, and more. Acorn Health is also a member of the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP), a non-profit organization committed to evidence-based care in the treatment of Autism. Together, courageous families and ABA clinicians help children develop their strengths, so they may lead their most independent, meaningful lives. The provider’s teams have superior clinical & administrative leadership that instills a culture of caring for families and abides by a strict code of ethics to ensure the best care for all families.
Services include:
- Provides individualized, age-appropriate learning objectives
- Provides one–on–one therapy, initially in a clinical center or in-home, and then generalized to other settings, including school
- Provides continuous training and support to parents throughout services
- Provides support to the child, family, teachers, and administrators during the child’s transition to school
- Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) provide weekly supervision
- Provides service coordination with other specialists such as OT, SLP, etc.
- Family Training is a priority, ensuring families are actively involved in programming for their child
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Is family training available?
Acorn Health’s program includes a weekly family training component where the family meets with the BCBA to learn to implement interventions, summarize progress, and discuss any concerns about treatment or additional behavioral issues. We have found this collaborative approach with families to be one of the most effective steps in the therapy process.
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What qualifications do your therapists and clinicians have?
Each child’s therapy team is led by a board-certified, master’s or doctoral trained and credentialed BCBA. Our clinicians are always up to date on evidence-based practices and work as a team to provide the best treatment for the children in their care. They strive to think outside the box to provide your child with individualized programming that is meaningful to your family. In addition to their formal education, training, and credentials, our new employees undergo 40 to 60 hours of additional training at Acorn to prepare, which includes online learning, role play, shadowing, and didactic learning opportunities.
Our Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) are an important part of our treatment teams, providing direct therapy under the supervision of the BCBA. Before starting with clients, all technicians go through an approximately 40 – 65 hour training program as well as an intensive job shadowing process. When they are ready, they sit for the national exam to become RBTs.
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How do I know if my therapist is the right match for my child?
Acorn Health’s BCBAs undergo intensive training and continue to have bi-weekly clinical meetings. The organization’s approach is collaborative, which makes us a leader in the field of ABA services. When assigning therapists to clients, we do our best to match skill sets and personalities. If there are specific qualifications you are looking for in a therapist, please be sure to discuss that during the clinical consult and before starting services so we can keep that in mind as we onboard your family.
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Where does ABA therapy take place?
We offer center-based, home-based, and some in-school therapy services. We will work with you to recommend a setting that will aid in your child’s development and therapy. Center-based autism therapy has additional benefits that can be important, including access to peers, a more controlled environment, novel toys and items, and routines that could help with school integration in the future.
We typically offer home-based services if you live within 15 - 20 miles of one of our centers. In some communities this is extended, so please contact us to find out if we have home-based services in your area.
We do offer in-school services in select communities. The school policy must allow for outside services to be present, and your insurance company must also cover school-based services. Your BCBA may recommend starting with a home or center-based model first before determining if school is a clinically recommended setting for services.
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Can I take a tour of the center?
Absolutely, the Acorn Health team would be happy to schedule a tour for you at any of the center-based ABA therapy locations. We cannot accept walk-in tours due to the safety and privacy of our staff and clients, but please contact us to discuss a scheduled tour.
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What are your hours? Do you offer services on weekends?
Typically, services will be conducted between the hours of 8 AM to 7 PM on weekdays. Weekend hours are also available to accommodate family schedules at many locations.
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How do you handle therapists leaving? How much notice will I get?
The Acorn Health team does its best to minimize disruptions to services due to changes in staffing; however, disruptions occur at times. When this is true, it's an expectation that families receive clear and frequent communication from our staff about the next steps.
Acorn Health prioritizes telling parents of any changes to their child’s treatment well in advance (a minimum of two weeks when possible). In the event of this transition, the team ensures that newly assigned staff is quickly brought up to speed and has adequate training prior to assuming treatment responsibilities.
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Does Acorn Health provide translation services or accommodations for those with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)?
Acorn Health provides translation services to ensure that persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) have meaningful access and an equal opportunity to participate in our services, activities, programs and other benefits. The policy of Acorn Health is to ensure meaningful communication with LEP clients and their authorized representatives involving their medical conditions and treatment.
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Does Acorn Health foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for all?
At Acorn Health, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for all. From recruitment and retention efforts to our marketing and admissions processes and communications, we strive to reflect the communities we serve. We integrate diversity into our practices and strive to create a culture of inclusivity that listens to, values, and incorporates the unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds of all staff and clients. We work to ensure that all team members feel safe, respected, and valued in their work environments. We believe that by prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion throughout Acorn Health, we can build an environment that truly celebrates everyone who is employed by or receives care from our organization. We believe that a culture of inclusion and equity not only benefits our team but also increases the quality of services we provide to our clients. We are committed to providing culturally responsive applied behavior analysis (ABA) services that meet the needs of all clients regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, or ability. True to our core value of growth, we recognize that fostering an inclusive environment requires continuous learning and commitment. We regularly evaluate our policies, practices, and procedures to identify areas for improvement and take steps to address any shortcomings.