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About Us

The Place for Children with Autism specializes in providing the highest quality autism therapy (i.e., applied behavior analysis: ABA therapy) in a preschool-like setting for children with autism ages 2-6. Utilizing one-to-one therapy in a structured, center-based environment, our full day programs target a variety of skills across many key areas of development, including – communication, socialization, independent living, and school readiness. It is our mission to deliver best-in-class therapy based on the individual needs of our clients, and our goal to make significant and measurable improvements in the lives of the children, families, and communities that we serve.

The Place for Children with Autism first opened its doors with a single therapy center in January of 2017, and has quickly grown to become a leading provider of ABA services in the state of Illinois. As an accredited Behavioral Health Center of Excellence company, The Place for Children with Autism operates fifteen (15) therapy centers in the Chicagoland area and throughout Illinois to meet the growing need for best-in-class autism therapy services in our communities.

Our Core Values

The Place empowers our families, creates a sense of belonging and fosters independence to enrich the lives of children with autism across all communities.

Empowering Families

Building confidence through personalized training to continue supporting their child when they’re at home.

Building Community

Fostering relationships between families and clinicians, providers, and support staff.

Clinical Excellence

Our Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) and Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) are driven by the highest standards of quality.

Living a Full Life

Celebrating children, their uniqueness and successes.

Accessibility

Providing families with the education and assistance to seek insurance and financial support.

 

 

 

 

 

History

The Place for Children with Autism was founded to address inconsistencies in ABA treatment (e.g., isolated home therapies where children did not have the ability to socialize with other children, lack of opportunity to practice school readiness skills, minimal BCBA oversight, high therapist turnover, and inconsistent treatment hours). Not only were these inconsistencies causing frustrations for families, they were also detrimental to the outcomes and progress of the child.

The idea was to create a setting that would provide a more consistent environment where children could receive intensive ABA treatment while also being exposed to the nuances of being in a social environment. Hence, The Place for Children with Autism was born – a full-time ABA program provided in a pre-school like setting. Families can rely on a consistent schedule from day-to-day, children are able to engage in spontaneous social opportunities with peers where therapist quality and retention are paramount. It is a win-win for everybody! After deciding this was the model that would benefit children the most, The Place for Children with Autism took it a step further and extended resources to help families regardless of their financial ability, including support for families in underserved communities.

Working at The Place

Quality services are about more than just the technical work, it’s the people behind it. We take extra care in selecting each member of our staff – looking for qualities beyond just knowledge to determine the right fit for our organization. Qualities such as passion, dedication, understanding, and empathy add an extra level of care to each interaction with a child.

What is a BCBA?

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A BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, which is the gold standard to indicate that a professional is qualified to oversee a program in behavior analysis. A BCBA conducts thorough and on-going evaluations of each child in order to determine skill deficits which interfere with a child’s ability to learn and reach developmental milestones. The BCBA will then create a specified lesson plan based on the individual’s existing repertoire and motivators. At The Place for Children with Autism, BCBAs are the highest level of oversight at each location. They are responsible not only for a child’s clinical program, but oversight and development of the clinical staff (i.e., Registered Behavior Technicians), and of the center as a whole. The suite of services provided by a BCBA include parent training, skill acquisition and behavior reduction plans, analyzing data to drive clinical decisions, interdisciplinary consultation, and school transition services.

What is an RBT?

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An RBT is a Registered Behavior Technician that practices under close and ongoing supervision by a BCBA. Behavior Technicians can obtain their RBT after completing a background check, 40 hours of training, passing a competency assessment, and passing a proctored exam. Most providers do not currently require technicians to have an RBT. At The Place for Children with Autism, we require all behavior technicians to obtain their certification (RBT) within 90 days of employment. The RBT is responsible for working one-on-one with a child, implementing lesson plans, collecting data and reporting on a child’s progress directly to the BCBA.

We Change Lives Every Day

Interested in our services and inquiring about placement for your child?
We are now enrolling ages 2-6. Reach out today!

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