Newsletter
Volume 28 | 2005 | Number 1
Connecticut Center for Child Development, Inc.
Established in 1995, the Connecticut Center for Child Development, Inc. (CCCD) is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and other pervasive developmental disorders throughout their lifespan. Our goal is to help each of our students reach their maximum potential and become active, productive members of their families and communities. Our instructional methods are based on applied behavior analytic learning principles implemented in school, home, work, recreational, and community settings.
Ten years ago, CCCD was a very small entity that initially only provided periodic conferences, workshops, and family support. By its second year of operation, the agency expanded to include provision of behavior analytic consultation services. The following year, CCCD opened a pre-school and elementary school program for a small number of young children in a church basement. Today, CCCD is a multifaceted agency with 55 employees housed in its own dedicated facility. The organization is still continuing to evolve, expand, and improve as the needs of our students, their families, and surrounding communities change. CCCD currently operates seven programs:
- A private school for children with autism 3-21 years of age
- An Outreach Program for pre-school and school age children in home and public school settings
- A professional education initiative which provides both basic and advanced training in applied behavior analysis
- The Institute for Educational Planning, LLC, a diagnostic clinic serving children with known or suspected special needs
- On The Move, a recreation and community access program
- A Community Education Program, providing information and education to parents and professionals in Connecticut and throughout the tri-state area
- School start-up consultation providing administrative and clinical expertise for behaviorally based service organizations
CCCD has already outgrown the building that was purchased five years ago, and has had to move several of our programs to a rented space a short distance away from the school program. The organization is actively seeking a larger building, which will facilitate both increased enrollment and development of additional programs.
CCCD School Program
Opened in 1997, CCCD’s private school was the first applied behavior analytic special education program in the state of Connecticut. The school provides a full-day, year-round, center-based educational program for 32 students; as well as intensive in-home consultation and training for families and home support teams. A curriculum is customized to meet each child’s individual educational requirements. Depending on each student’s unique strengths and deficits, intensive instruction is provided to teach basic and advanced communication skills, social skills, daily living skills, play skills, pre-academic and academic skills, self-help skills, and leisure and recreational activities. Specific programs are developed to reduce or replace undesirable behaviors with more socially appropriate behaviors. Skills are taught and practiced in several environments – home, school, and in the community – in order to assure that newly acquired skills can be applied successfully across all of these environments. Older students also participate in a variety of occupational and recreational activities as their age, skills, and interests dictate.
Communication and collaboration between home and school, as well as family support, are critical components of the school program. Parents work as partners with school personnel to maximize each student’s learning potential.
A ratio of 1.4 clinical staff to each student is maintained. However, as children progress, teaching situations are expanded to include independent activities, peer interactions, and group instruction. When children have the prerequisite skills necessary for success, opportunities for interaction with typically developing peers, such as participation in typical classroom settings and local community activities, are incorporated into their educational programs.
For those students who are able to “graduate” into less restrictive settings, CCCD offers transition and follow-up educational and consultative services on a life-long basis to our former students and their families. However, not all students will make the kind of gains necessary to allow them to function within a regular classroom or other less restrictive educational settings. CCCD is expanding and modifying our programs and services to provide continuing support of our adolescent and young adult students throughout their lifetime to maximize their potential for a meaningful, independent life.
CCCD Outreach Program
Similar in content and design to the CCCD private school program, the CCCD Outreach Program was initially designed to address the needs of very young children through home-based, community-based and/or school-based instruction. Although the majority of new Outreach students are from one to four years of age, this program is now providing services to older students as well. In addition, the Outreach Program has recently begun to provide wrap around services after school hours.
Student assessment, individualized curriculum and data collection system development, direct instruction, transition services, and ongoing program supervision are provided. Training through workshops and hands-on instruction is provided to family members, educators, and relevant members of a child’s community. The program currently provides services to 15 children with autism and their families.
Professional Education Initiative
CCCD’s professional education initiative provides both basic and advanced training in applied behavior analysis. All new employees participate in a comprehensive basic training program. Advanced training opportunities include a unique Leadership Training program covering topics such as the application of behavioral research in the field of autism treatment; professional issues such as conflict management, classroom management, professional ethics, and special education law; and regularly scheduled individual mentorship opportunities. This on-going professional mentoring provides a mechanism for CCCD to develop behavior analysts and educators possessing both the educational background and experience necessary for promotion within the agency and advancement in the field of autism treatment.
CCCD also provides an on-site graduate training program providing a Master’s of Science degree in Behavior Analysis offered in collaboration with the University of North Texas, and internships for students from other universities. Institute for Educational Planning, LLC.
CCCD has established the Institute for Educational Planning (IEP), a subsidiary agency in collaboration with Ohio State University and Columbus Children’s Hospital. IEP is a diagnostic clinic serving children with known or suspected special needs, with a specialty in autism and related disorders. In addition to providing diagnostic services, IEP provides direct speech and language services, educational placement evaluations, and Planning and Placement Team Meeting and Due Process support, all within a behavior analytic framework.
Because IEP is a diagnostic service, they often see children that have not yet been classified with a particular diagnosis. However, approximately 60% of all referrals to IEP are for either a diagnosis or educational placement evaluation for children with autism spectrum disorders.
On The Move
The On The Move program has three components: an after-school recreation program, a Saturday recreation program, and two weeklong camp experiences. This program provides social and recreational opportunities to elementary and middle school age students, and will begin providing community-based volunteer work opportunities this spring.
Community Education
Each year, under the auspices of its Community Education program, CCCD conducts workshops and a lecture series that are free and open to the public, where a variety of topics related to applied behavior analysis and autism education and treatment are discussed. For the last three years, CCCD has collaborated with three other autism education agencies in the tri-state area to host the “Working Together Conference,” held at the New York Academy of Medicine in New York City each April. More recently, CCCD collaborated with the Alaska Autism Resource Center to host a two-day conference in Anchorage.
The organization also hosts a Visitor’s Day for parents once each month, and schedules individual visits for other professionals upon request.
School Start-up Consultation
CCCD offers consultative services to assist in the development, reorganization, and management of applied behavior analytic service agencies and programs for individuals with disabilities, and training in school start-up initiatives, organizational management, financial planning, and other related topics.
Professional Opportunities
Although the agency’s instructional methods are based on applied behavior analytic learning principles, the agency also employs professionals with other areas of expertise including certified special and regular education teachers, speech and language pathologists, clinical and school psychologists, and school administrators, in addition to certified behavior analysts.
Contact Information
Suzanne Letso, M.A., BCBA
Connecticut Center for Child Development, Inc.
925 Bridgeport Avenue
Milford, CT 06460
Phone: (203) 882-8810
Fax: (203) 878-9468
E-mail: info@cccdinc.org
Website: www.cccdinc.org
This section of the newsletter introduces ABA’s new organizational members. Each new member has prepared a description of its work and services so that it can introduce itself to the larger ABA community. The inclusion of this material is not an endorsement, authorization, sponsorship or affiliation by ABA of these members or their work and services or of the content of the material they present.