Location

Chattanooga, TN


Hours

NOW OPEN 8am - 7pm, M-F Center-based and in-home services available.

6116 Shallowford Rd
Suite 119
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421

(423) 556-3714 New Clients

(844) 854-1116 Administration

Directions

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Our 10-Day Promise

Most parents are anxious to begin helping their child — now.

Here's the Acorn Health promise: For our early intervention program, you will have an opportunity to meet with one of our clinical team members for a free consultation within 10 days from calling admissions.

It's the first big step to starting treatment. Start now. (423) 556-3714

Welcome

A network of providers, one shared vision

Acorn Health is setting the standard of ABA therapy with best practices, pioneering next practices, and a Clinical Advisory Board of leaders in the field.

Laine Collins, BCBA
Clinical Director

From our Chattanooga Clinical Director

Laine began working in ABA in 2015 and obtained her BCBA certification in 2018. She has experience working in both school and community settings with individuals aged 5 to 21 years old. Laine believes in improving the lives of youth and their families by providing individualized ABA to meet their needs, and focusing on functional communication skills and reducing challenging behaviors. She is passionate about helping families in the community receive better access to ABA services. In her free time, Laine enjoys exploring Chattanooga with her husband and young children.

We are an officially recognized Behavioral Health Center of Excellence

Acorn Health has been named a Behavioral Center of Excellence, a distinction which reflects our commitment to setting new standards in ABA treatment.

Our Services

Everyone repeats behavior that produces a valued reward

This very simple, human inclination is central to ABA therapy. Your child’s Acorn Board-Certified therapist identifies a goal behavior for your child. When your child displays the behavior we want to see, he or she receives something personally meaningful (and you’ll help us identify ideas.

We’ll also learn what precedes your child’s challenging behaviors

We call them “antecedents.” They’re things that happen immediately before the behavior we’re trying to change. An antecedent can be a request, like “clean up your room”; a feeling or reaction; a specific object; bright lights or a noisy crowd. ABA therapy looks for these antecedents and finds alternatives that influence your child’s reaction.

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Assessment

Our Board Certified Behavior Analysts conducts skills assessments to understand your child’s specific needs: his or her language development, practical life skills, ability to generalize learning, and more. We also conduct functional behavior assessments and analyses for children with challenging behaviors.

Custom Therapy Plan

With all this data, we draft a custom therapy plan and share our clinical recommendations with parents and caregivers. Therapy plans are developed only after we understand your family’s goals and preferences. We also openly collaborate with your child’s school and other therapists (for example, speech language pathologists or occupational therapists). Consistency and a team approach lead to optimal outcomes.

Skill Building

Acorn Health focuses first on the child’s activities of daily living. We begin with improving communication and social skills. Then, we address activities like mealtime challenges, and intensive toilet training. Where appropriate, we also develop vocational skills.

Family education and training is an integral part of each therapy plan. Consistency helps children acquire skills, then maintain and generalize the learning for new situations.

Behavior Reduction

Children with challenging behaviors benefit from function-based behavior reduction plans. These plans often include eliminating triggers and providing opportunities for the child to demonstrate the replacement behavior.

We have protocols for managing these behaviors and functional alternatives (e.g., asking for a break rather than engaging in problem behavior to achieve that break). Here, too, collaboration matters. Consistency at home, school, and other environments creates lasting progress.

ABA therapy is typically covered by insurance

Insurance requires a doctor’s referral and a formal diagnosis of autism. We accept most health insurance plans for assessment and ongoing treatment.


Please contact us with any insurance related questions at
(423) 556-3714

    Tennessee state resources

    Tennessee state resources

    Tennessee state resources

    Tennessee state resources

    Tennessee state resources

  • Regional Intervention Program (RIP)

    The Regional Intervention Program (RIP) is a parent-implemented, professionally-supported program for young children and their families who are experiencing challenging behaviors. RIP has been serving families with young children since 1969. This unique, internationally-recognized program guides parents in learning the skills to work directly with their own children while they receive training and support from experienced RIP families.

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  • Structured Athletics for Challenged Children

    SACC is a non-profit organization, which represents Structured Athletics for Challenged Children of Putnam County. It is an athletic program developed for children with physical and/or mental disabilities to enjoy the many benefits of participating in an athletic environment structured to their abilities. The value of this program is found on the socialization and therapeutic benefits of participating in sports and the strengthening of the participant’s self-esteem.

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  • Autism Resources of the Mid-South

    Autism Resources of the Mid-South is a leading voice and resource of the autism community in education, advocacy, and support.  Autism Resources of the Mid-South is committed to meaningful participation and self-determination in all aspects of life for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families.  Autism Resources of the Mid-South accomplishes its ongoing mission through close collaboration with a successful network of chapters, members and supporters.

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  • Autism Tennessee

    Autism Tennessee exists to enrich the lives and experiences of individuals on the autism spectrum, their families, and their surrounding community through support, advocacy, and education. The vision of Autism Tennessee is to create a community where people on the autism spectrum and their families find respect, acceptance, and hope.

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  • Autism Society of East Tennessee

    The Autism Society of East Tennessee is a community-based organization that improves the lives of all persons impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorders and envisions a community that supports and shows compassion to those affected by autism by providing accessibility through collaboration, education and support services.

    Visit Site

    National resources

  • Autism Now

    The Arc is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The organization encompass all ages and all spectrums from autism, Down syndrome, Fragile X and various other developmental disabilities. With more than 140,000 members and approximately 700 state and local chapters nationwide, The Arc is on the front lines to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families have the support they need to be members of the community.

    Visit Site
  • National Standards Project

    The National Standards Project – Phase 1 and Phase 2 – answers one of the most pressing public health questions of our time — how do we effectively treat individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?

    Visit Site
  • The BHCOE

    We are an international accrediting body created to meet accreditation needs specific to the delivery of behavior analysis. We develop and measure voluntary consensus standards for autism and Applied Behavior Analysis service providers.

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  • The BACB

    The Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc.® (BACB®) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation established in 1998 to meet professional credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts, governments, and consumers of behavior analysis services.

    Visit Site
  • ABAI

    Since 1974, the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) has been the primary membership organization for those interested in the philosophy, science, application, and teaching of behavior analysis. ABAI provides many services to its members and the field

    Visit Site