Where is treatment conducted?

Treatment is provided in the home, school and community. I go directly into the child's environment for observations and parent training/coaching sessions. Shadows work directly in the schools and home of the child.

How does the process work?

Typically I meet with parents for 1-2 hours for an initial meeting. This meeting is conducted so that I can gather the initial information on their child and explain my process in more detail. Following the initial meeting, approximately 3-4 observations for 2 hours each will be scheduled. These observations allow me to see their child in different settings and in different situations, and to gather information as to what is maintaining problem behaviors. Following the observations, a behavior plan/protocol is created to address the problem behaviors and outline what replacement behaviors need to be taught. This will include a reinforcement system, as well as a system for providing consequences for inappropriate behaviors. Once the behavior plan is complete and agreed upon by the parents, I begin coaching them on how to implement the procedures and work through behaviors with their child.  

What areas of the city do you see clients?

I see clients in Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, West LA, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Palisades, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Torrance. If you are needing services, but are not in the listed areas, feel free to contact me regardless. It is possible that I will be able to see you in an outside area, or refer you to someone else.

Do you charge for travel time?

I don't charge for the first 30 minutes of travel each way. After 30-minutes, there is a charge which is based on my hourly fee. It is prorated as needed. If the drive is 45 minutes, then there will be a driving fee prorated to 15-minutes.

Do you take insurance?

I don’t take insurance, but I can give you a Superbill which you can submit for out of network reimbursement. Many insurance companies will require pre-authorization, and most will not cover ABA without an Autism diagnosis.

How does payment work?

I charge hourly. There is one rate for my services, and another rate for my therapists who provide shadow services. Payment is due at the time of service. For shadow services, billing occurs weekly. Feel free to contact me for pricing.

How quickly should I expect to see changes in my child?

The million dollar question! The answer to that varies tremendously among families. It really depends on many factors, such as the severity of the challenging behaviors, skill deficits that need teaching and parents consistency in following the behavior plan.   Sometimes behaviors get worse before they get better. When everyone in the child's environment is responding to behaviors the same way, and a good system is in place for reinforcing appropriate behaviors and using consequences for inappropriate behaviors, behavior reduction will occur.

How many sessions of parent training will I need?

This also varies tremendously among families. Different families will require different levels of support. Some families will need 1 session per week for a couple of months, while others will need 2 sessions per week for several months. It will depend on the needs of the family and of the individual child.  

What ages of children do you see?

I work with families with a child aged 2-18.