Program Day

The BTTC Day Treatment Program provides an individualized treatment plan for each child.  Children have different needs and the intent is to teach each child the skills they need to be able to learn from a more typical learning environment in the public or private school domain.  For management, supervision, and accountability purposes the children are organized into “classrooms,” but all children do not participate in classroom activities. The daily routine includes one on one discrete trial training, natural environment training, independence training, and social interaction training. Each student has specific individualized training objectives. Fading the necessity for one on one instruction is a major focus. Children are separated by ages into appropriate classes.

Children in the part-time program are included in the classroom activities according to their individual needs. Generally when a child is only present 15 hours per week, the major emphasis is on 1:1 training and less on group activities.

It is a data based program. Data on skill performance is collected routinely and provided to the family.

Play Dates

As students are ready, typically developing children are scheduled to come to the BTTC for play dates. This gives the BTTC staff the opportunity to train social and behavioral skills in small group environments.

Sample Descriptions of Daily Activities

Calendar

The children participate in circle time activities to address individualized learning objectives. Children practice sitting next to other children and attending to one instructor while their one on one staff becomes a shadow who is systematically faded from the activity. Many skills are practiced in the circle setting at different times for different students, including calendar, social interactions, group instruction following, conditional instruction following. As with all treatment activities, data are collected on individual training objectives during circle time.

Recess- Recess is a time in which the children are taught to participate in various activities such as swinging, sliding, bike riding, skating, or other outdoor activities. Children have individual training objectives on which data are collected. The BTTC has two well-equipped outdoor playground areas for the children in a fenced area.

Motor Activity-

Classroom-

Classroom time is 1:1 teaching time, in which each child is learning via their individual programs which are derived primarily from the ABLLS assessment. In addition, more small group work may be addressed in classroom times if appropriate.

Art

Time slots for art are available within the common room on a daily basis as well as classroom projects. The activities are related to the theme to address various fine motor and direction-following skills, as well as different issues that may arise with textures of materials. The activities are all able to be modified to serve children’s individual needs.

Centers -

Some children participate in centers practice since centers are often an activity in day care settings and school settings. Delete:In one room various play centers are marked off and the children join one, play for a specified amount of time, clean up, and rotate to another center. Each child who participates not only gets natural environment toy play training, but also training to give up a favorite toy, to clean up after their center and to take turns in various centers. Again, this time of the day is modified to fit individual needs. Centers are used for 3 different types of training, conducted at different times. Sometimes the child is practicing staying in one area and playing alone; during these times staff will be observing from a short distance. Sometimes the child is receiving NET training during play; during these times the staff will be interacting with the child while following the child’s play activities. The third way centers are used are for teaching the child how to play with toys that he/she typically will not play with; during these times the staff are prompting and reinforcing specific play activities.

Meal Times

All time the students are at BTTC Day Treatment their individual treatment program is being implemented across all settings. Meal times are an excellent time to work on language training and social interactions. Many students have additional needs for training in accepting food variations. The BCBA’s and BCABA’s conduct intensive eating programs as necessary for individual children.

Grooming / Self Care

Depending on the child’s individual needs and parent priorities, many children receive repeated training trials throughout the day in grooming, self-care, and toileting.

Vocational Activites

The older students typically will have a scheduled time during the day to work on a variety of vocational skills.  The emphasis is not just on skill development but on identifying personal preferences and interests for each child which can be matched to an appropriate vocational activity as they age into young adulthood.