Crazy Schedule? We Can Help!

As the school year begins, schedules tend to fill up quickly. There’s no doubt that the appointments associated with caring for a child seem to only grow with each passing year. It can become stressful to even imagine adding another commitment to the calendar. But, a packed schedule doesn’t have to keep you from enrolling your child in Judson Center’s Autism Connections for the crucial services they need to succeed. If your child needs services and you can’t imagine where to schedule them, our daytime ABA Services are a perfect solution for your schedule.

To help put you at ease and encourage you to enroll your child or teenager in daytime services at Judson Center, we’re answering the most-asked questions about our daytime services in Autism Connections.

1. Do you have current openings?
   

   Yes! Judson Center Autism Connections has immediate daytime openings for children in need of Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, across our five locations in Michigan. We offer daytime ABA in Warren, Royal Oak, Farmington Hills, Flint, and Ann Arbor. When choosing daytime services there is rarely a waitlist and your child can begin treatment sooner than if they were scheduled in the evenings.

2. What if my child is in school? Can they still come during the day?
   

   Absolutely! Many of our clients prefer to attend during the day to better suit their child’s needs. Our sites are open during normal business hours. Our team will work with the school and your family to determine the best schedule for their services.

3. How long are daytime visits to Judson Center Autism Connections?
   

   The amount of time spent during each daytime ABA session depends on your child’s individualized treatment plan. The hours required are flexible and are determined together in order to best support the schedule of your family and your child’s specific goals. For example, our daytime services are held between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Children can attend for a couple of hours, for a half-day, or for a full day. Some children attend daytime ABA services after going to school in the morning, while others complete ABA and then head to school for the remainder of the day. Your Autism Connections team will partner with you to find the best schedule for your child.

4. Does Judson Center provide transportation?
   

   The stress of transporting a child to appointments during the day can be a lot for any parent to manage. To help your child make progress through ABA, we help coordinate safe transportation to and from school and home. We are committed to helping you overcome transportation barriers so your child can receive the best care.

5. Why not wait until weekends or summer vacation for ABA?
   

   Early intervention after a child is diagnosed with Autism is key. Clinicians recommend that children begin ABA therapy and other supports as soon as possible. A little ABA is better than no ABA. However, waiting to have your child in services until the weekends or until summer break will delay their progress. Children who regularly attend their daytime ABA services at Autism Connections have a greater chance of mastering their treatment goals, and the opportunity to generalize their new skills with other people and environments.

6. Does it affect my child’s progress when they leave school to attend Autism Connections?
   

   While it may seem like missing school would lead to falling behind, when children and teens prioritize their ABA treatment during the school day, we tend to see an improvement in academic performance and progress on their treatment plan. In fact, many of the goals targeted in ABA therapy are prerequisite classroom skills, meaning skills they need in order to learn. Clients who attend ABA therapy demonstrate benefits that help them learn better in the classroom. These benefits include increased attention and decreased negative behaviors as a direct result of their regular participation in ABA.

7. How does Judson Center help coordinate care for my child?
   

   Our expert team will coordinate details with you and your child’s school to help the arrangement serve everyone. When educators, caregivers, and families are on the same page, a child has a greater chance of growing and thriving. This collaborative approach includes IEP participation, sharing treatment plans, setting goals that will empower a student to succeed in the classroom and at home, and coordinating schedules for daytime services to keep their education a priority. To take this support a step further, we also collaborate with counselors, therapists (speech, OT, behavioral health, etc.), primary care providers, and other professionals to coordinate the best care for your child.

8. What other supports can you offer?
   

   Children and youth who come during the day for ABA therapy have access to the same program opportunities as a child attending at any other time of day. Daytime activities support the treatment plan developed by each child’s BCBA. During the day children have opportunities to play, learn, and build social skills with peers. This could include circle time, time in the Sensory Pod, or even a trip to our Life Skills Lab.

9. How do I get started?
   

   We have immediate daytime openings and would love to help your child grow this year! To learn more or to enroll in daytime ABA services, fill out our online form or email [email protected]. We accept most private and commercial insurance. We are also contracted with Oakland, Macomb, Genesee, and Washtenaw counties to provide ABA for children with Medicaid at our Royal Oak, Warren, Ann Arbor, and Flint locations.

When you enroll your child in daytime Autism Services with Judson Center, you can rest easy knowing that our team is working behind the scenes to help your experience be as stress-free and beneficial as possible. Day or night, when your child’s here, they are in good hands.