What can BRIDGES offer to your family?

The goal of the program is to help families BRIDGE the gaps between what their child is currently doing and what he or she has the possibility of achieving with support from family members.

Following an ABA Incidental Teaching approach, families are given a broad array of options for preparation to help their family member reach his or her potential. Areas addressed revolve around the teaching of language and communication, social skills, self-care skills, and leisure/play skills. Other topics include behavior management and advocacy issues.
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What formats are available?

• Intensive 1-Week Family Training

  The Emory Autism Center is providing intensive, training programs for families across the state of Georgia.  During this training, ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) Incidental Teaching Techniques are utilized.  A variety of skill areas can be addressed, including development of communication, social skills, and adaptive skills (including toilet training) for individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.   The goal is to provide you with the necessary skills to support your family member at home and in the community.

• Intensive 1-Day Training Program

  This 4 to 5-hour session at the Center focuses on teaching family members how to support their child/adolescent with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and can include several different goals. An individual training agenda will be developed for each family.

   

• Social Skills Play Dates (ages 3-6 only)

  This 4-week training consists of 1 in-clinic planning meeting and 3 at-home play dates.  These play sessions focus on teaching families how to set up successful play dates with  their child and typical neighborhood friends.  Social skills such as communicating with peers, taking turns, and playing interactive games are addressed.

   

• Intensive ABA In-Clinic Family Training

  Weekly sessions focused on teaching families  how to design and implement an ABA program that is tailored to meet their own child’s/family’s needs.

   

• ABA Home/Community Based Training

  Provided on an as-needed basis, these visits target behaviors that tend to only happen in specific places (such as the barber shop, grocery store, doctor’s office, etc.) or those behaviors that are unique to the home environment.

   

• Individualized Goal Planning Meeting

An individual 1-2 hour informational meeting. Professional recommendations and input regarding treatment options are reviewed.

 

• Family Education Workshops

  These workshops are designed to help families develop a solid understanding of autism spectrum disorders and ways to improve the quality of their child’s life. Guest speakers are invited to provide special expertise on various topics that have been identified by family members. Workshops may include such topics as Designing Effective Behavior Support Plans, Understanding the Function of Behavior, Teaching Language and Communication Skills, and Developing Schedules of Engagement.

   

  “Toilet Training” is offered bi-annually and is a 3-hour workshop focusing on understanding key steps in teaching this basic independence skill.