Although the Lovaas Institute does not have a dedicated treatment center in the state, it is possible to find an ABA Lovaas Therapist in Illinois through an outreach program, or through a licensed school district. The official Lovaas website is an excellent starting point for finding the appropriate contact information.
History
The Lovaas therapy, which is also known as applied behavior analysis, or ABA, is an autistic behavioral preventative coaching method developed by Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas. Dr. Lovaas developed the therapy by performing decades of field research with autistic children.
The success of the therapy has been proved by comparing the academic results of Lovaas-coached children with so-called "normal," or non-autistic children. The academic performance of the autistic children who received the therapy was indistinguishable from the academic performance of non-autistic children.
Goals
The Lovaas therapy's goals include providing a one-on-one coaching/learning environment for autistic children in order to address each child's particular needs.
Although each child's autism manifests slightly differently, basic behaviors--such as the need for constant self-stimulation and obsessive behaviors such as counting or stacking--are addressed using coaching techniques that teach the child how to stop these behaviors.
By creating a flexible learning environment with sessions custom-tailored to each child, underlying autistic behaviors are eliminated naturally.
Consultants
The Lovaas Institute has numerous licensed consultants spread across the United States. Many of these consultants, including those based in Illinois, work in tandem with school districts to identify children who require help; behavioral therapy is then paid for by the school district.
Many parents of autistic children also seek out consultants for private tutoring. Usually, the fee for this private tutoring in Illinois must be paid by the parent. Parents or guardians who can't afford the fee are encouraged to work with their school districts.
Enrollment Policy
All Illinois children who wish to enroll to receive treatment by working directly with a licensed consultant must complete both a psychological examination and several aptitude tests, including the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Skills test.
For those children younger than 48 months, completion of the Bayley Skills of Infant Development: Second Edition is required. For those children older than 48 months of age, scores from the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale or Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R) are required. A half hour to hour video of the child is also required.
Referrals and Treatment Centers
Parents, guardians and other interested parties are encouraged to visit the official Lovaas website for contact information for finding a licensed Illinois ABA therapist.
These individuals are encouraged to contact the Lovaas Institute East Headquarters in New Jersey for referrals for Illinois-based consultants.
Individuals in Illinois might also ask their school district or autistic outreach programs for contact information. The Lovaas Institute has no dedicated treatment centers in Illinois. The geographically closest Lovaas treatment center to Illinois is in Indianapolis, Indiana.
References
- "Parents' Education as Autism Therapists: Applied Behaviour Analysis in Context"; Mickey Keenan, Ken P. Kerr, Karola Dillenburger; 2000
- The Official Lovaas Institute Website
