Intensive Behavioral, Social Skills and Parent Training Services

Who is eligible?

STE Consultants will work with RCEB clients up to age 10 if it has been determined by the Regional Center Interdisciplinary Team that intensive Applied Behavior Analysis services are required to address non-academic, social and behavioral objectives necessary to meet Individual Program Plan goals. STE Consultants pledges to work diligently with parents/guardians to empower and enable them to work with their child to achieve maximum results from all of our programs.

RCEB Case Managers can contact STE if they are interested in looking into the possibility of this service for a consumer. STE will accept referrals based on Clinical Team Review and staff availability.

How does this work?

First and foremost, STE will conduct an assessment to evaluate the skills deficits/needs of potential referrals. The tools used include, but is not limited to, a Functional Behavior Assessment (including parent interview, data collection, and a review of relevant records), VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior and Milestones Placement Program), social skills task analysis forms, and/or other assessment tools deemed appropriate by STE clinical staff. Goals will be generated based on assessment results.

The specific number of hours recommended for this service will be based on the results of the assessment completed by STE Consultants. Generally, 1:1 services will not exceed 10 hours per week.

The primary component of this program will be 1:1 services for our consumers. ABA principles are the primary methodology for our clients. The acronym ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis.  It is the study and analysis of behavior as it relates to things in the environment.   For the purposes of intensive 1:1 programs for our clients, the “ABA” part of the title refers to fact that the teaching methodology used in these programs is based in behavior analysis theory.  It does not refer to the student to staff ratio, the location for teaching or the content of the curriculum.

What will we work on?

1.            Behavioral issues like non-compliance, tantrums, aggression, and other behavioral excesses.

2.            Skill deficits in the areas of sleep, toileting, food selectivity, and social skills.

3.            Intensive Parent Training to help parents know how to more effectively work with their child.

What Social Skills are we going to target?

The term “social skills” carries a picture of being able to engage in conversation and interact with people in a small or large group setting.  Along with this notion is not just the idea that a person can answer and ask questions or comment appropriate but also act in a way that is deemed to be “socially appropriate.”  For kids “social skills” often creates an image of someone that engages in imaginative play, with comments and multi-exchange conversations.  In actuality social skills training begins with skills such as attending to people when they walk in the room and responding positively to people who are familiar to them. 

Teaching social skills is a delicate matter.  It is essential that our clients are set up for success at all times. In teaching social skills, as with other skills, one method of teaching is to practice the skills first with an adult without any peers present.  Once the child is able to exhibit the skill without prompting in the environment with the adult, it is advised to work on generalizing by systematically changing one component of the teaching.  This could be bringing in a familiar peer to the same environment with the adult or working on the skill with the adult in other settings.

Curricula that may be used include texts/interventions by Michelle Garcia-Winner, Carol Gray, Mel Levine, and Bridget Taylor.

Parent Training

STE Consultants has also developed a parent pre-intervention survey to help us better identify what our parents are interested in learning and working on, as well as to give us insight into the communication style of that parent(s) and expectations of the program our parents might have.

We have an outline of topics that we train our parents on as well as a data collection system that we use to ensure our parents master the concepts we are teaching to them. In addition, we also use a Parent Training/Request Log to document trainings and assignments we give to parents. 

We use the same methodologies with our parents as with our clients. These include, shaping, backward and forward chaining, task analysis, and positive reinforcement.

If you are interested in this service, please have your Regional Center
Case Manager contact our office at 510-665-9700.