Behavior Program

All children will engage in challenging behaviors at one point or another. For children with autism, challenging behaviors can disrupt life and contribute to developmental delays. They can make school a challenge, or in worst cases, cause danger to your child or others.

Through the Behavior Program at the Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center, our specialists work one-on-one with children to reduce challenging behaviors through evaluations, research and care, using the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). During an initial assessment, we will interview caregivers and use questionnaires to understand your child’s challenging behavior and skills. We will also directly assess your child’s preferred items/activities and possible triggers and consequences that are influencing your child’s challenging behaviors.

We offer three clinics depending on your child’s unique needs.

Challenging Behavior Clinic

We will work to identify and assess challenging behavior such as aggression, self-injury, destructive behavior, pica, elopement and other severe behavior. Our team will then develop a treatment plan to decrease your child’s challenging behaviors and increase more appropriate, replacement behaviors.

• Children of all ages who engage in self-injury
• Children ages 10 and younger who are aggressive to others

Toileting Clinic

Children with ASD often have challenges with going to the bathroom independently. We will assess your child and develop a long-term treatment plan, including intensive training for parents and caregivers. The parent/caregiver coaching will typically be carried out within one to two days with follow up as necessary.

ABA Consultation Clinic

For children who are receiving behavior intervention services elsewhere but have reached a plateau or delay in progress, we offer an intensive 6-12 week consultation program to get your child’s behavior program back on track.

How are children referred to the Behavior Program?

The children who are part of the Behavior Program at the Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center will be referred by their CHOC physicians or primary ABA provider. This is an intensive short-term program, and because of the level of one-on-one care provided, it may have limited availability.