Building Effective Autism Treatment Plans: A Collaborative and Compassionate Approach

• By: Georgia Efthimiou, MA, BCBA-LBA Eve McCoog, LCSW Andrea Pagan, RBT Howard Savin, PhD First Children Services
• April 4th, 2025
• active listening, caregiver engagement, compassionate care, emotional wellness, family, patient-centered approach, Spring 2025 Issue, stress management, support, therapy, treatment
• 253    0

“Treatment plan,” it’s a word one hears over and over again in the field of ABA. Treatment plans are fantastic in helping us guide programming for the clients and families we serve. Although treatment plans can often be received defensively by a client, parents, and other caregivers....

Reducing Staff Turnover Among Autism Service Providers

• By: Georgia Efthimiou, MA, BCBA-LBA Lisa Radil, MA, BCBA Brandon Sierchio, MA, BCBA Howard Savin, PhD First Children Services
• July 12th, 2024
• burnout, professional development, service providers, Summer 2024 Issue
• 1360    0

Autism service providers have the unique challenge of helping the individuals they work with achieve meaningful and sometimes life-changing outcomes while managing their own mental and physical exhaustion. The burnout rate among Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) and Board Certified Behavior...

The Power and Potential of the IEP

• By: Ellen D’Amato, PhD Zakkiyyah Sally, MEd, MA Kathleen McCarthy Gorski, MEd. Adm, MAT Georgia Efthimiou, MA, BCBA-LBA Kristen Daneker, MS, BCBA, LBS-PA Howard Savin, PhD First Children Services
• July 5th, 2023
• accommodations, advocacy, children, classroom, IEP non-compliance, IEPs, legal issues, modifications, out of district placement, parental involvement, resolving disagreements, school, service eligibility, special education, students, Summer 2023 Issue
• 2365    1

To address the inequity of limiting special needs children from obtaining an appropriate public education, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) was implemented in 1975 across the United States school systems. The IEP is an educational road map for children with disabilities. It is required by...

Engaging and Supporting Parents of Children Recently Diagnosed with Autism

• By: Georgia Efthimiou, MA, BCBA-LBA Kristen Daneker, MS, BCBA, LBS-PA Brandon Sierchio, MA, BCBA Howard Savin, PhD First Children Services
• April 11th, 2023
• ABA, assessment, child diagnosis, children, diagnosis, early intervention, ending direct services, parent training, parenting, Spring 2023 Issue, supporting parents
• 2880    0

No parent wants to learn that their child is autistic. Hopes and dreams for a neurotypical child are mostly abandoned and replaced by fear, uncertainty and, often, despair. Thus, effective professional intervention must begin with active listening to grasp the parent perspective on their child’s...