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QUESTIONS FOR IN-HOME AUTISM TREATMENT PROVIDERS
Responses are in italics. Spelling and typographical errors are the sole fault of the webmaster. Where indicated [sic], it was not clear what the word was. Word is in parentheses with a question mark when handwritten word was not clear.
Fox Valley Autism Treatment Program
Dr. Steven Klein
5733 W. Grande Market Drive
Appleton, WI 54913
920-749-1005
A. Therapy:
1. How would you characterize your therapeutic approach? Our therapeutic approach is based on identifying the most effective learning style for each individual child and tailoring the programming to that style and the unique needs of the child.
2. How do you work with children who are nonverbal? Non-verbal children are approached the same way as verbal children in that their learning style and unique needs are identified. Sign language, written words, and PECS are sometimes used to teach non-verbal children an effective means of communication.
3. How do you accommodate the child's sensory defensiveness? Senory defensiveness is typically accommodated through a "sensory diet," gentle acquainting with the stimulus, and rewarding utilizing a behavioral approach.
4. How do you deal with a child's aggressive behavior? Systematic behavioral assessment to identify the environmental factors triggering the behavior, whenever possible. Re-direction and reinforcement for appropriate, non-aggressive behaviors are utilized as well.
5. What services are offered in addition to the in-home therapy (i.e., social skills groups, speech therapy, etc.)? Are these services also covered by Medicaid? We specialize in intensive, in-home behavioral treatment, and refer to other community resources for other services.
B. Entering and Exiting the program:
1. Do you accept all children under the current Medicaid age limit who apply? If not, what are your entrance requirements, such as age or IQ? All children who meet the Medicaid guidelines are accepted into our program
2. What testing do you require initially? Initially, all we require is a diagnosis. The amount of assessment and evaluation is determined by the child's individual needs and what types of evaluations have already been performed.
3. Under what circumstances will you accept testing by other agencies, such as schools or private therapists? We do not see any value in repeating testing that has already been performed elsewhere. We request that parents give us a complete set of medical and school records when we first meet with them.
4. What are the current out-of pocket expenses that a parent must pay for the entrance testing? If the child has Medicaid, there is no out-of-pocket cost to the parents.
5. Can parents arrange to have these expenses spread out over a longer time period? If the child has Medicaid, there is no out-of-pocket cost to the parents..
6. How is the number of therapy hours determined? Parents' preference, life-style, individual needs of the child, and whether or not the child is in school full days are all considered. We do require a minimum of 20 hours of line therapy per week..
7. Do you require that the child may not be in any other educational program when he begins therapy? If so, for how long? We believe that children benefit from other educational programs as well as therapies such as speech and O.T. and encourage parents to involve their children in these programs when appropriate.
8. How is a child's progress evaluated, and how often is this done? Progress is discussed with parents at weekly team meetings. Formal progress reports are written up every six months when the Medicaid prior authorization is re-submitted.
9. What are your criteria for a child exiting the program? Children are discharged from the program after their long-term goals have been met.
10. Under what circumstances can a child be dismissed from your program? If no progress is seen for long periods of time, we are required by the State Medicaid guidelines to terminate treatment.
Therapists:
1. What are the minimum educational requirements for line therapists? We follow the guidelines set forth by Wisconsin Medicaid.
2. What kind of training are the line therapists given? Who provides the training and what are their qualifications? Line therapists are taught via books, articles, and videotapes. They are instructed on the child's specific needs and how to implement programs, and then "shadow" more experienced line therapists. Training and supervision is performed by senior therapists.
3. What should parents do if they have a complaint about a line or senior therapist? Parents who have complaints about staff should first speak with their senior therapist. If the problem is not resolved, they should then speak with Dr. Klein.
Parents:
1. What kind of training is given to parents and other family members? How much training is provided? The amount of training is determined by the parents' knowledge base prior to entering the program. We begin with a workshop and then have weekly team meetings. Books, articles, and websites are recommended to parents when appropriate.
2. Must one parent be in the home during therapy sessions? What alternate arrangements are acceptable? This is entirely up to the parents. If they are not at home, we request that they be available by cell phone.
3. What, if any, support services, such as respite or counseling, are offered to families by your organization? How are these services paid for? We specialize in intensive, in-home behavioral treatment. Referrals are made to other agencies or organizations when other types of services are needed.
4. Do you provide prospective families a list of families who have used your services and have agreed to be contacted? We maintain a list of names and phone numbers of parents currently in the program who have volunteered to talk with new families about the program. This list is available on request.
Other Agencies 1. How do you coordinate with area school districts that the children you are supporting attend? Senior therapists are available to attend IEP meetings and parent-teacher conferences if requested to do so by the parents. Written progress reports can be sent to school personnel.
2. How do you coordinate with private therapists that the family employs who are not a part of your organization? We believe that it is important to work as a team with all other professionals working with the child. We communicate by telephone with other professional, invite them to our team meetings, and exchange written progress reports.