It is important to ensure your child is receiving high quality intervention. The following are best practices for implementing autism services and treatments:

• Development of an individualized plan of intervention based on a curriculum that emphasizes six basic skill domains:
  • academic;
  • communication;
  • social/play skills;
  • emotional/self regulation;
  • motor/sensory functioning;
  • independence/life skills
• Intensive, direct one-to-one intervention at home, in pre-school programs and in a variety of community settings on a year round basis;
• High levels of predictability and routine;
• Highly supportive, structured teaching methods, based on the principles of applied behaviour analysis (ABA), that incorporate a variety of strategies to facilitate efficient acquisition, generalization and maintenance of skills;
• Progression from more formal and structured to more natural settings;
• Use of functional assessment and positive behavioural support techniques to address problem behaviours;
• Use of multiple, integrated therapies such as speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and physical therapy;
• Integration with typical children in preschool/day care settings;
• Family involvement in training and in the development, implementation and review of intervention and service plans;
• Transition planning from preschool to kindergarten;
• Trained and adequately supervised staff; and,
• Regular, ongoing monitoring of the child’s progress by parents and professionals, and re-assessment and evaluation of the program at least once every six to twelve months.