Behavior Supports that are provided by Dreams With Wings are based on the principals of Applied Behavior Analysis which is a science specializing in the study of challenging behaviors, duel diagnosis, and co-existing disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, pervasive developmental delays and mental retardation.
All behavior specialists have completed the required coursework necessary to receive a master’s degree and several behavior specialists have been board certified and maintain that certification with continuing education requirements.
Behavioral Supports is a collaborative and comprehensive service that incorporates the individuals’ entire team. The behavior specialist begins the process by conducting a functional analysis. This assessment is used to determine what environmental or internal factors may be contributing to the problematic behaviors. This assessment takes approximately 10 hours to complete and is divided into several visits with the individual, staff and family members. The behavior specialist will review the individuals file and any other previous assessments that were conducted, he or she will set a time to observe and interview staff and family members close to the individual and then a formally written assessment including recommendations will be developed. After the functional assessment is completed, the behavior specialist will begin developing the Behavior Support Plan (BSP). The BSP is a step-by-step plan for staff and family members to help with consistency and reducing problematic behaviors while also working on increasing appropriate behaviors such as self help skills, social skills or any other functional skills needed. The behavior specialist will train and role- play the details of the plan with all members of the team and introduce a data collection procedure to help track progress. Once this phase is complete, the behavior specialist will begin monitoring the individual on a monthly basis. Monitoring includes 1:1 visits with the individual, updates from the staff and family members, assistance with any crisis issues and data evaluation.
Summary of Behavior Supports:
- A referral is made by the individual’s case manager
- The behavior specialist begins the Functional Assessment, which is a 10-hour process
- The behavior specialist develops the Behavior Support Plan, which is a 6-hour process
- The behavior specialist trains and monitors the program on a monthly basis
