In-Home Services - Waypoint

ABA Therapy for Autism, ADHD, Behavioral and Developmental Delays

At Waypoint, we strive for excellence in the services we provide to your family and that is why we utilize Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) approach for behavioral therapy. ABA is an evidence-based science with three decades of research and development, which means that you can count on the techniques practiced by our therapists to be effective and reliable to minimize unwanted behaviors and increase desired behaviors. ABA is endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General and promoted by the Center for Disease Control as a highly effective form of treatment for developmental and behavioral delays.

Do I Need This Service?

You should consider ABA therapy if your child has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD), or another behavioral or developmental delay. You should also consider ABA for your family if your child:

Has behavior problems at home or at school that interfere with learning or normal family life.
Has frequent outbursts or uncontrollable tantrums.
Is aggressive to others or themselves.
Has a significant delay in language, toileting, or other self-help skills.
Has delays in social skills or peer interactions

Our Therapy Solutions

Waypoint offers comprehensive ABA therapy services that are delivered in your home, school, or daycare. Conducting therapy in the child’s natural environment allows us to tailor our services to your child’s individual interests and needs. Therapy in the home or other natural environment also benefits the entire family and increases skill acquisition, as the child is working on new behaviors in an environment where they will be using those behaviors most often.

A comprehensive assessment that includes interviews, diagnostic testing, and observation will be conducted for your child and family to allow us to build a program that meets your individual needs. Behavioral therapy supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) is the core of this program, but we also have qualified professionals available to provide speech therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, and social skills training.

After the initial assessment, we will make a recommendation for services based on your needs and goals. One of our Care Consultants will be assigned to your family, and will assist in choosing your care program and scheduling all professional therapists who will be working with your child.

Our Philosophy

Waypoint believes that all children can learn and find success. We believe that learning and growth happen best in the home with parents who feel confident and capable to teach and guide their children. You are your child’s best teacher and advocate! With our in-home therapy approach, our therapists will “come alongside” parents, siblings, grandparents, and caregivers to teach functional skills and assist with behavioral difficulties. We see ourselves and our in-home therapy as a bridge to help you and your child to meet your goals and achieve new goals and skills with confidence in the future.

Contact a Care Consultant

Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI)

Developmental research overwhelmingly favors the years from birth to age five as the most critical to determine future academic and social success. This is especially true for children who have been diagnosed with a developmental delay, like autism. The sooner a developmental delay is addressed, the more likely it is that the delay can be overcome. The Department of Education states that “Children with disabilities who receive early intervention services show significant developmental progress a year later, and families report increased confidence in their ability to deal with their child” (2003)

Do I Need This Service?

You should consider Early Intervention Services if your child has significant developmental delays or has not reached certain developmental cognitive, motor, and speech milestones. Your pediatrician or primary care physician should be consulted to determine if major delays exist or if certain diagnosis, such as autism, cerebral palsy, or Down syndrome include risks for developmental delays. You should also consider this service if your child:

Is between the age of 12 months-five years and has not reached certain developmental milestones
Does not respond to interaction with others and or exhibits rigid interactions and play skills
Has significant delays in receptive or expressive speech
Exhibits intense tantrums or behavioral disruptions that interfere with daily life
Has been identified by doctor, teacher, or care provider as delayed or lagging behind peers

Our Therapy Solutions

Our primary goal in early intervention is to identify any behavioral or developmental deficits and replace those with functional skills. We provide therapy in your home or daycare setting to allow your child to learn and grow in a natural environment where they are most comfortable. Regularly scheduled sessions will be suggested to meet the individual needs of your family. In addition to therapy sessions focused on skill acquisition, therapists will also provide training for parents, so that skills can be practiced throughout the day.

Our Philosophy

We believe that play is a child’s work and that an effective early intervention program will be fun and rewarding for the child. Our energetic therapists will conduct professional therapy programs in an environment that is structured to seem like play for the child. While children are singing, laughing and playing with their therapist, functional skills will be seamlessly integrated into the program so that the child is learning valuable lessons while having fun. We want your early intervention sessions to be the best part of your child’s day.

Contact a Care Consultant

Educational Advocacy and IEP Advocacy, Homeschool Support, and Academic Consultation

Advocating for your child’s academic success is one of the most important parental roles. It is also one of the most intimidating, particularly for those children who have exceptional educational needs. Waypoint will serve as a cooperative and professional liaison between the school and the family, working with each member of the educational team to meet the comprehensive educational needs of your child. With decades of special needs education and a commitment to understanding your families individual needs, we like to think of ourselves as the bridge between home and school. Utilizing our educational services ensures that there is consistency in your child’s treatment and the best possible outcome for your child academically.

Do I Need This Service?

You should choose this service if your child is school age and has been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or other developmental or behavioral disorder, particularly if you child is receiving services from a school district or has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). You should also consider this service if:

Your child is entering Kindergarten in the upcoming year and has a diagnosis or behavioral needs that could interfere with the typical classroom experience.
Your child has been given a diagnosis, but they are struggling academically or behaviorally in the classroom.
Your child is struggling academically or behaviorally in the classroom, but you have not been able to receive needed services from the school district.
Your child is eligible for services through an IEP or a Section 504 Accommodation Plan, but the needs are not adequately or effectively met by the school district.
You are considering or have chosen homeschooling, and need guidance and support with curriculum choices and meeting IEP goals at home.

Our Therapy Solutions

Educational Support Program

With years of classroom and special needs experience, Waypoint professionals can work seamlessly with your child’s school and classroom to create the best possible educational system. We offer a variety of services, including classroom consultation, shadowing, and inclusion support in a professional manner that is beneficial to all members of the team. Our goal is to never play an adversarial role in your child’s education, but help each teacher, principal, and school therapist to embrace their role as a part of the team.

IEP Advocacy and Support

Whether you are seeking a new IEP or Section 504 plan or working to get the most out of an existing plan, we can help. For current clients, we can provide documentation to support an IEP or Section 504 recommendation. Additionally, we can provide training for school professionals for specific interventions. If an IEP is already in place, we can work with families and schools to provide recommendations for effective interventions. Additionally, we can guide parents to understand federal regulations and state guidelines, as well as demystify educational jargon so you can best advocate for your child.

Homeschool Support and Services

At Waypoint, we understand that homeschooling is often the best educational choice for children, but that can be an intimidating choice. We want to take away the fear for families. Veteran homeschool parents will help to align your child’s therapy needs with their academic needs, while giving the parents confidence to direct their child’s education. In addition to yearly consultation, we provide services in:

Curriculum Planning
Identifying and choosing effective curriculum for your child’s learning style
Parental support in aligning educational goals with behavioral challenges
Homeschool transcript preparation
Year-end assessments and testing

Tutoring and Supplemental Academic Achievement

Many students find greater success with one-on-one tutoring and supplemental practice for academic skills at home. Our tutors use ABA techniques and evidence-based practices to help students master academic tasks and build educational confidence. Additionally, our tutors can address global skills, such as attention, executive functioning, and motivation through Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT). Growth in these skills can be applied across the entire academic spectrum, increasing the opportunity for success and confidence in the classroom.

Our Philosophy

At Waypoint, we believe that education should be built around the child, not the other way around. We believe that every child has a right to individualized, quality education that meets specific needs in an enriching environment. There is no standard educational model for children, especially children with exceptional needs. We are passionate about creating and expecting quality education for every child, and finding the environment in which each child can learn, thrive, and meet their fullest potential. Our drive to deliver excellence in education leads us to seek every opportunity for learning, including non-conventional options, like homeschooling, as well as using our expertise to bring all parties together for a common goal in a traditional school setting.

Contact a Care Consultant

Teen and Adult Job Training and Independence

The teenage and early adult years are some of the most vital to long term success for children diagnosed with autism or other developmental disability. Unfortunately, these are also the years when school or insurance provided services begin to decline. Waypoint is the solution to bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood to provide job training, self-help skills, and life management training for optimal adult success.

Do I Need This Service?

You should consider this service if you have a teen or young adult who has been diagnosed with autism or other developmental or behavioral disorder and you are beginning to make decisions about life into adulthood. You should also consider this service if:

Your teenager or young adult has the ability to be employed and/or live on their own, but needs some support to fill in the skills to make that possible.
Your teenager needs job training and employment opportunities where their diagnosis is understood and embraced.
Your teenager’s school is meeting their academic needs, but they are falling behind in self-help and independence skills needed in adulthood.
You need help creating a plan for your child in adulthood.

Our Therapy Solutions

We provide comprehensive plans based your individual needs to guide your child into adulthood. We can assist with creating a realistic step by step plan for the future for your child.

Our assisted job program is the core of our adult independence program. Teenagers and young adults will be assigned to a job within the community that fits their skill level and interests. A support partner from Waypoint will be assigned to each client to walk them through the steps of interviewing, training, and job performance. The support partner will serve as a liaison between the employee and the employer, ensuring that the client employee can learn and perform their job with success. Support partners will use this success to teach other life skills, including public transportation, grocery shopping, meal planning, and other self-help skills. Each client will be assessed to determine the independence needs and capabilities, and a comprehensive plan for success in the least restrictive adult environment will be created.

Our Philosophy

We believe that effective services provided during the years from 13 to adulthood are just as vital as effective early intervention services. Job training and self-help skills provided during the formative teenage years can be the difference between living alone and the need for assisted living. We are passionate about creating an environment where teenagers and young adults can achieve as much independence as possible.

Contact a Care Consultant

Parent Training and Support, Child and Teenage Social Skills Groups

Family Support and Social Skills Training are two of the most crucial, yet often overlooked, areas of intervention. Waypoint offers support for families in parent training and support group meetings. We are also able to offer sibling training and grandparent training.

To encourage early and continued social skills, we offer a combination of social skills training, and informal social skills practice for younger kids and teenagers, giving them a safe and guided place to practice needed social interaction.

Do I Need This Service?

Your child is entering Kindergarten in the upcoming year and has a diagnosis or behavioral needs that could interfere with the typical classroom experience.
Your child has been given a diagnosis, but they are struggling academically or behaviorally in the classroom.
Your child is struggling academically or behaviorally in the classroom, but you have not been able to receive needed services from the school district.
Your child is eligible for services through an IEP or a Section 504 Accommodation Plan, but the needs are not adequately or effectively met by the school district.
You are considering or have chosen homeschooling, and need guidance and support with curriculum choices and meeting IEP goals at home.

Our Therapy Solutions

Parent Training and Support

Regular parent training sessions will be built into any comprehensive behavioral program, but additional parent training sessions or sessions for non-clients are also available. In each parent training session, a Waypoint professional will guide parents to identify areas that can be improved and work to develop a plan that can be incorporated easily into the home. Parents should expect to be given concrete, actionable skills that they can use to improve behavior.

Additionally, we offer monthly support groups for any parents who are living with autism, ADHD, or other behavioral or developmental diagnosis. These informal meetings allow parents to get to know each other and build a support network, as well as offer a place to share challenges and triumphs. Meetings offer a combination of casual conversation, and advice and training from experts in a wide variety of disciplines.

Child and Teenage Social Skills Groups

Our social skills groups are divided by age and ability and allow children to interact with peers in a guided training and practice session to learn social skills. Each 12 week session allows for both learning and practice of social skills. During learning, a Waypoint professional will guide small groups of children to learn age appropriate social skills, and practice those skills with confidence. As children acquire social skills, they will have the opportunity to apply these skills on a field trip to a typical social setting. For younger children, a trip to a playground, library, or restaurant will serve as advanced practice and a reward for their hard work. For teenagers, bowling, mini-golf, or a restaurant will be a setting for practice and reward. Siblings can also be incorporated into social skills groups.

Our Philosophy

We believe that parents are the most influential and important teacher in a child’s life. For that reason, we consider parent training to be a vital part of any behavioral intervention program, and we strive to empower parents to feel confident and capable in parenting and leading their children.

We also believe that all children have social capabilities and desires to interact positively with other people. Some children need more guidance and training than others, but all deserve to have the ability to interact nurtured for lifelong success.

Contact a Care Consultant