In-home behavioral support and emergency response exist to help children with autism and their families. Our 24-hour support equips children with autism to remain at home with their families. We can also teach individuals with autism to manage behaviors and emotions, learn to communicate, and avoid crises. The entire family benefits from our in-home behavioral support and emergency response.
It’s common for children with autism to experience a variety of concerning behavioral challenges because of autism or an associated developmental delay or intellectual disability. Such concerns can include:
These challenges can make living at home difficult for a child with autism and his/her family members. Behavioral support gives children with autism the tools they need to improve behavior, communication, coping strategies, and quality of life.
With behavioral support, a qualified mental health professional works in the home and provides beneficial therapies and training for every family member. We also coordinate other essential services that support children and the family.
The goal of our behavioral support is to provide the in-home tools a child with autism needs to succeed in all environments. We also equip family members to care for and interact with their child with confidence, skill, and hope.
Sometimes, a child with autism may display behaviors that are serious enough to warrant removal from the home. These behaviors could stem from a child’s behavioral, emotional, or mental health issues.
Designed to support families with youth ages 5-17, Intensive In-Home Services and Care Coordination help children avoid an out-of-home placement and keep families intact at home. Our clinicians are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Intensive In-Home Services help families develop an in-home behavioral management system that’s effective and positive. We give a child with autism the tools he/she can use to:
We also equip family members to understand and manage the child’s behaviors.
Intensive Care Coordination (ICC) is another unique tool for families with a child with autism who’s at risk for out-of-home placement. Our unique approach is highly individualized and family-focused.
Families lead the process and voice their needs, make treatment choices, build the child’s and family’s strengths, and choose a reliable support team. The team works with families to:
The ICC process is proven to provide positive outcomes that help families work together and remain intact in a safe, collaborative home environment.
A child with autism may exhibit challenging behaviors at any time of day and in any environment. Because families can’t always wait until normal business hours to get help, we offer an Emergency Response service, which includes a Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) and Mobile Crisis Stabilization. We offer assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including evenings and weekends, so that families are never alone.
The CSU is activated when a child with autism between the ages of five and 17 experiences a mental health crisis and is at risk of being removed from their family and the community. The child may enter our eight-bed residential CSU on campus, the first of its kind in Central Virginia. We offer short-term placement and non-residential day programs, too, that can prevent costly hospitalization and disruption to the child and family.
Mobile Crisis Stabilization is a community-based, short-term mental health service. It assists children and adults with autism during an acute psychiatric crisis. Our trauma-informed, strength-based, and person-centered treatment approach is evidence-based and led by trained, compassionate clinicians. It includes:
A combination of these approaches equips individuals with the skills and tools they need to avert future crises.
As you support your child with autism—and your entire family—it’s natural to need various avenues of care, assistance, and encouragement.
Our goal is to provide the necessary services to improve each child’s behavior, communication skills, and quality of life, and keep them in the home with their loving, supportive family.
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