1. My child was just diagnosed with autism and my doctor recommended ABA . Can Clarity help us and how fast can you start?
Clarity provides programs to families in similar situations and the startup process takes around 4 weeks from intake through implementation of the complete, fully staffed program. However, the first step for a family should be a phone call to their local early intervention, education, or behavioral health system. Evaluations and services are free to qualifying children and adolescents. It is critical to follow up on this process first to find out what services are available for your child. Please read questions #2 and #3 for additional information on our approach.
2. We are moving to the area and are waiting for an evaluation from a provider [an intermediate unit; behavioral health or early intervention agency]. We don't want to wait and are worried that our child will regress. Can Clarity help us with short term service?
We strongly encourage families to devote their energies wholeheartedly to moving the evaluation process ahead. Although it can be stressful to wait a few weeks, it is rarely beneficial to attempt a short term service and rarer still for clinical skill regression to occur during the wait time. There are many elements to a successful program - assessing your child, developing a program, making materials, scheduling staff, training staff, and building rapport with the learner. This process takes time, attention, and involves your child developing a relationship with people - people who might be gone in a few weeks when you change providers. Trying to do this quickly or for a short time may not be best, particularly when your child will go through it all again with the new team. Feel free to call us to discuss your specific situation, but this advice is often our best approach for worried families.
3. We are currently receiving services [early intervention; wrap-around; a school, or intermediate unit], but our child needs more ABA . Can we hire Clarity privately?
Absolutely. However, we strongly encourage you to identify the reasons behind your decision to seek private, additional services. Is this based on a recommendation for a number of hours? Are you worried that your current program is ineffective? Is your child moving too slowly toward their goals? In any of these cases, it makes sense to first go to the programmers currently working with your child and explore your concerns fully. Clearly identify what issues you want to fix, and then work hard to have your current team or funder of service help you . We think it is best for children to have one cohesive, thorough, and well-led team because leadership is clearer and the program more consistent. However, should you find that your child still needs additional services after talking with the current team, we will help you. Our teams are comfortable collaborating with others and will strive to make a strong partnership between your current team and our staff.
4. We are currently receiving services [early intervention; wrap-around; a school, or intermediate unit], but our team needs help. Can we hire Clarity privately to provide training or consultation to them?
Please read the answer above, as it applies in this case, too. We have, at times, provided supportive training or extensive program evaluations at parents' requests. This approach works best when the existing team invites our participation and is excited to work with us.
5. We need services during those times when our current service provider is unable to do so, [staff vacations; holidays; etc.). Does Clarity do that?
Yes, in some cases. Many therapists on staff desire to work with families during these breaks. Our goals for this time include behavioral support, engagement, and family support in the community. Please contact us for more information about this option so that we may discuss it with you.
6. Regularly, we get calls from local parents and those from all over the country seeking to move… somewhere. They ask: "What programs and schools are the “best” or have Verbal Behavior (or Floortime, or RDI, etc.)?”
We are often asked what districts offer particular kinds of programs or which offer the ‘best’ services. Clarity works with many excellent districts that have a variety of methods in place to serve children. However, our interactions are specific to particular classrooms or children and we are not in a position to evaluate program outcomes. We cannot recommend any particular educational programs to families because what is best for children varies according to their need. Educational placements are the responsibility of the IEP team based on educational evaluations, the child’s needs, and IEP goals & objectives. Importantly, we at Clarity do not recommend moving just to access a particular classroom, teacher, or program.
7. Families often ask us "What kinds of programs are in place in a particular district?"
We have been in classrooms that implement VB techniques, floor time, and other common strategies utilized for students with ASD. However, we do not work throughout the district in most cases, so we can not discuss or explain all interventions that may be utilized. If you have an interest in a particular program or have questions questions about an educational program, you may want to contact the district supervisor of special education directly.
8. Our child qualifies for wrap-around through medical assistance. If I have (or change to) Horizons Behavioral Health for our services, can Clarity provide the staff and Services?
Horizons Behavioral Health and Clarity Service Group have, indeed, partnered to provide specialized BHRS services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This partnership enables us to offer BHRS services within the wrap-around system with clinicians who are trained, supervised, and experienced. Due to our commitment to provide excellent service to these children and families, we are limited in the number of clients we can servce. For inquiries about the availability of specialized BHRS services, please contact the intake department at Horizons (215-355-9707 x26). Once a request is made, both agencies must assess the availability of staff before services can be approved.
9. How do people pay for services, and do you accept insurance or medical assistance?
Currently, in our local geographic area, ABA services are paid through a variety of sources. If your child is between the ages of 0-5 in Pennsylvania, Early Intervention services may be available for no charge. To learn more, visit this Department of Public Welfare site for Pennsylvania. New Jersey families can learn more at the Early Intervention Website. For school-aged children in all states, behavioral intervention may be funded by your home school district based on the IEP team process. If your child has behavioral health care needs which can not be met in either the school or early intervention systems, he or she may qualify for behavioral health care such as Wrap-Around in Pennsylvania or the Division of Developmental Disabilities in New Jersey. In local states, heatlh insurance typically does not cover ABA. However, in Pennsylvania, this will change next year. On July 9, 2008 Governor Rendell signed a bill into law that will require private health insureres to cover necessary treatments for autistic people up to age 21. That includes physical, pyschological and behavioral services among others. Insurers will be responsible for the cost of treatment up to $36,000 per year. For more information, contact your insurance company or visit www.HB1150.org. This brief list of funding sourcs is in no way complete, so please extend inquiries to all professionals on your team to identify other methods of funding.
For private pay clients, Clarity bills monthly and accepts payments by check. Payment by credit card may be available soon, so check with us if you need this option.
To learn more about the Autism Insurance Act (HB 1150), review this document prepared by www.PHLP.org:
Autism Bill Information
