Program
Atlas’ comprehensive therapy program is uniquely designed for each child
Atlas' play-based program helps your child develop the fundamental skills to be successful in a school environment.
Atlas' play-based program helps your child develop the fundamental skills to be successful in a school environment.
We take a naturalistic approach to ABA, meeting the child where they are developmentally. Young children primarily learn through interacting with others. However, children with autism may show differences in social learning. To ensure preschool-aged children with autism do not miss out on their critical learning years, our early intervention program fosters social engagement through play and relationship-building.
STEP is our comprehensive program for preschool-aged children with autism to prepare them for mainstream classrooms. The STEP curriculum supports children as they build cognitive, social, emotional, language, and motor skills to succeed in early educational classrooms. Our curriculum helps your child develop the fundamental skills to be successful in a school environment.
Some of these skills include:
The STEP curriculum aims to support children with autism, ages 2 to 6, build skills across major developmental milestones necessary to succeed in early elementary classrooms. STEP will combine play-based group activities and individualized therapy programs to target the healthy development of your child.
We know parents and caregivers are the most important members of any child’s care team. While our clinicians may have expertise in the therapeutic process, parents have expertise in their child. As a result, the active involvement of parents and caregivers is a critical component of STEP.
We will engage in frequent parent coaching and collaboration meetings to ensure we are working together to support your child’s development inside and outside the center.
The STEP program, which emphasizes school-readiness, can be a stepping-stone to a traditional school setting. STEP will work with children to teach them the necessary skills to successfully transition to a school environment. Based on your child’s needs related to their autism diagnosis, STEP could be an effective alternative or preparation for preschool.
Preschool can be overwhelming for any child – adjusting to a new routine and adapting to a new physical and social environment. This transition can be particularly challenging for children with autism, who might need additional support to succeed in early learning classrooms. Unlike a traditional preschool, STEP at Atlas is customized to every child’s unique learning style and developmental goals. The personalization of the program will, both, help develop positive behaviors and mitigate any disruptive behaviors that may interfere with learning in a classroom environment.
Both a traditional school environment and STEP have their own benefits. Ultimately, deciding between traditional school and STEP for your child should be dictated by your child’s unique needs. STEP is particularly suited for families who would benefit from one-on-one support, individualized behavior plans, and weekly parent-coaching.
