Welcome to Bridges!

Bridges Behavioral Language Systems Inc. provides high quality, intensive, applied behavior analysis therapy (ABA) to young children with autistic spectrum disorders.

Children with autistic spectrum disorders include those diagnosed with autism, autistic disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). Bridges provides full time early intervention programs designed for preschoolers from the age of 15 months through the start of full time school (typically first grade) for those children who still need support at that point.

All of our clients are prescribed individualized programs designed to address their unique needs. The first priority for every child is that the program provided to him or her is effective. Effective programs are those that allow a child to reach his or her full potential. Some children may be able to learn and function in regular education classrooms with no extra help at the end of their program. Some of these children may no longer fit the criteria for a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder. Other children may need some support in a regular education setting, or be better served in a special education setting at the end of their programs. Bridges feels that all children should be provided the chance to maximize their independence.

Bridges programs address the unique deficits exhibited by each child across all skill areas. These may include language deficits, functional and social skills deficits, or other deficits such as tolerating certain environments or situations. Behavior problems are also analyzed and treated as needed for each child. Bridges incorporates a variety of behavior analytic procedures (as appropriate) into each child’s program. All prescribed strategies have been well documented to be effective in peer-reviewed research. Bridges emphasizes parental input and participation to provide programs that maximizes each child's independence both in and out of the therapy environment. Each child’s program is individually reviewed and updated at least one to two times per month by a Clinical Program Director holding at least a Master’s degree, under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Additional supervision for each child’s program is provided at least once per week by a Behavioral Consultant with at least a Bachelor’s degree and at least 2 year’s experience in ABA. Programming decisions are never left to “lead” therapists or other staff who have not yet completed the requisite education and experience to design individualized programs.

Because each program is individually designed, each program can only be measured on the basis of the progress made by each child. Everything we do must be (and is) evaluated based on the success of each child for each skill. Bridges recognizes that in the long run, a little boy or girl that is independent, happy, and as successful as he or she can be is the only thing that matters in any therapy program.

Site Updated 27 October 2008