Autism comes in many different shapes and sizes, just like people. But there is one common thread connecting all children on the autism spectrum: the need to be treated as an individual. Using applied behavior analysis and applied behavior principles results in therapy for children with autism that gets amazing results. Mindful and Modern Therapies Indianapolis is an applied behavior therapy center that recognizes your child’s unique needs.
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What is an applied behavior center for autism Indianapolis?
An applied behavior center for autism is a facility that offers ABA therapy. This type of autism behavioral therapy is data-driven and customized for each child on a case-by-case basis. At Mindful and Modern Therapies Indianapolis, each child is paired with one technician so that they receive the personalized attention they need but are encouraged to explore their own independence in a natural environment.
What should I expect from an applied behavior center for autism Indianapolis, IN?
At Mindful and Modern ABA Therapies, you can expect extremely qualified professionals– Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs)– working with your child in a calm, consistent, and safe environment. Our applied behavior center features natural sunlight and Montessori-certified learning tools that use hands-on learning along with multisensory engagements. We develop treatment plans with purpose in an inclusive, natural environment. Each child receives constant one-on-one attention and therapy that shifts to accommodate their specific learning style.
What is a natural environment in an applied behavior center for autism Indianapolis?
Unlike a clinical or classroom environment, a Natural Environment Teaching (NET) takes place in a “real-life” setting and includes elements that are familiar to children– real dishes and utensils, for example. This type of environment helps autistic children develop generalization skills– skills that can be transferred from one environment to another. This transfer of skills from one setting to another is crucially important in helping a child learn to self-regulate at home, school, and any other environment.
By using familiar objects such as dishes and utensils that are scaled to child-size, we encourage behaviors that are helpful in day-to-day life, such as washing dishes and putting things back where they belong. Moreover, these small actions help autistic children to develop and hone fine motor skills. Having a garden area gives children an opportunity to learn about nature and, understand how they fit into the picture, and to see beyond their immediate surroundings.
Your child can learn with our Montessori Methods
How is MMAT an inclusive applied behavior center for autism in Indianapolis?
Our facility is unique in that it is two separate facilities under one roof: a Montessori center and an applied behavior center for autism. The two centers are separated by a door, and there is a great deal of interaction and crossover between the two– led by children and overseen by technicians, of course. The small group setting at MMAT allows for concentrated one-on-one therapy for each child while participating in activities with peers. We find this integrated approach extremely useful in helping children of all abilities develop social skills that will transfer into school later.
What makes MMAT different from other applied behavioral centers for autism in Indianapolis?
Our success in treating children with Autism Spectrum Disorder stems from a number of factors beginning with our integrated environment. Under our roof, children are able to thrive with social development– a critical skill for children with ASD. Beyond that, our Montessori-based approach embraces that all children learn differently, and our ABA therapies embrace this fact fully. We allow children to learn at their own pace in their own style, in an environment that is natural to them.
Mindful and Modern Therapies does not use external motivations as a means of motivating long-term behavioral changes. Instead, we inspire intrinsic motivation in our therapies– focusing on the whole child and letting them lead the process. This break from tradition makes therapy more enjoyable for children and encourages them to develop a strong sense of independence.
At what age can a child begin therapy at MMAT behavior center for autism?
We enroll children from birth to nine years old at Mindful and Modern ABA Therapies. Autism behavioral therapy at an early age may lead to significant improvements in language and other abilities later on. Our therapies are useful, however, for children of varying abilities at any age up to nine years old.
Get started with ABA therapy for Autism Indianapolis
The first step towards enrolling your child in a program is to take a tour of the Mindful and Modern ABA Therapies facility to see if it is a good fit for your family. If you believe that our staff and program is right for your child, then you must schedule an assessment with us to get a clinical diagnosis for your child. During the assessment, a BCBA will spend 60-120 minutes working with and observing your child in order to determine whether they have ASD. Once your child has been diagnosed, the process of being approved by your insurance company begins, and once you are approved, you may enroll your child in therapy. Once your child is enrolled, the BCBA will create a treatment plan specific to your child, and they will be paired with an RBT for their treatment.
Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy for special needs and Autism in Indianapolis, IN
ABA therapy works on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. That means that therapy is one-on-one, with a strong, ongoing emphasis on “pairing” the child with one dedicated therapist so that they develop a secure, long term relationship. ABA therapy methods are data-driven, meaning that they are highly individualized to fit with the needs of each child on a case-by-case basis.
Our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) perform assessments and create personalized therapy plans for each child that match their ability levels. On a day-to-day basis, each child is paired with their own Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), who is with them throughout the day. All of our therapy providers have years of experience and love what they do.
A Registered Behavior Technician (RBT®) is a paraprofessional certification in behavior analysis. All RBTs have undergone 40 hours of training, taken and passed an exam, and must renew their certification annually.
Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA®) possess an undergraduate-level certification in behavior analysis. BCaBAs are required to complete continuing education and apply for recertification every two years.
Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA®) possess a graduate-level certification in behavior analysis. BCBAs are also required to complete continuing education and apply for recertification every two years.
There is no prescribed duration of time for a child to receive ABA therapy. While our technicians love watching your kids learn and grow, they understand that the ultimate goal of therapy is to prepare children for moving on to school successfully. Most children spend 2-3 years with an ABA therapist on average.
MMAT is for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) whose families want them in a Montessori based learning environment that cultivates social skills, language development, and increased independence.
Because we are a sister institution to the Maria Montessori International school, we are able to provide regular one-on-one therapy sessions for our autistic children alongside their typical developing peers in the Montessori classrooms. This allows children to interact socially in a typical setting, make friends, and build a solid foundation for success when they transition to school at some point in the future.
Many people know Maria Montessori as a pioneer in the education field, but her revolutionary education style began after working with children who had various disabilities. The Montessori focus on personalization in education coupled with natural approaches lends itself to teaching children of all abilities. Mindful and Modern Therapies was inspired by seeing many of our students with ASD flourishing in Montessori education. By bridging the gap we saw in connecting traditional therapy to learning, we found an effective way to treat students with ASD in a natural environment.
For us, we see Montessori as bringing purpose to therapy.
A natural environment includes objects such as real dishes that children learn how to use, clean, and put away. These small details prepare them for functioning in the world. A garden area allows children to learn about nature and how they fit into the picture, as well as helping a child to see beyond their immediate surroundings. A natural environment for your child helps them to learn the skills they need to become life-long learners. This follows the principles of Montessori education, and encourages your child to develop their whole self – physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
Yes! We believe children of all abilities can learn together and from one another. We create an environment where everyone can learn at their own pace, and benefit from their peers, regardless of ability.
The Mindful and Modern therapies and educational programs we use are suitable for children from as young as birth to as old as 12 years old.
While the number of children in ABA therapy sessions varies from day to day and session to session, each child is always paired with their therapist. The therapy facility is separate from the Maria Montessori by a door. On the Montessori side, there may be as many as 25 children at a time, but children receiving ABA therapy will be accompanied when they visit and join the Montessori students.
We have three options for sessions for therapy work: a Full-Day and two (2) Half-Day programs.
Our Full Day program is from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, while our half-day programs are either 8:30 am – 12:30 pm or 1:30 am-5:30 pm.
Our lunch is from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to ABA therapy, as each child is different. We approach every child on a case-by-case basis and make recommendations accordingly. Some of our children attend a half-day session in combination with a half-day at school.
To ensure lasting benefits for the whole family unit, we encourage family participation in therapy. By continuing therapeutic practices in the home, children can adopt new habits and behaviors more easily. Our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) work with parents to guide them through how to mirror therapy methods at home. Additionally, we host interactive events that are open to both parents and children.
If you believe your child may be autistic, we may be able to help by providing ADOS testing– the first step in obtaining an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis.
In 60-120 minutes, we can observe your child in a series of social interactions to determine whether they may have ASD. This test may be covered by your insurance, please check with us beforehand.
- The first step we suggest is a visit to one of our centers to see for yourself whether it is a good fit for you and your child.
- After an on site tour, our Director of Enrollment will walk you through scheduling an assessment and diagnosis and begin the process of getting approval from your insurer and/or discussing any additional fees or tuition.
- Once your paperwork is processed and approved by your insurer, we will contact you to set a date your child can begin therapy with us!
We will help you move through the process as quickly as possible, but due to the process required for insurers to approve billing and claims for diagnostic assessments and to approve MMAT services, it can take up to 90 days from the first visit to begin therapy.
Because we are completely unique and the only center of it’s kind in the state of Indiana, we routinely have a number of smart families wanting to enroll their children with us, so the time to enroll could also be affected by how many children we may have on our waitlist for services.
If there will be any additional time added to the enrollment process due to the length of our waitlist we will let you know right up front so you can decide to move forward based on full transparency from us.
Yes, all of our therapeutic services are covered by certain insurers, and we process all of our claims in-house. From the initial intake to patient statements and claims submissions, our knowledgeable staff takes care of all insurance matters. If your insurance company is not listed on our provider list, you may still inquire with them to see if it is possible to get into our network.
Our therapy is currently covered by the following insurers:
- Indiana Medicaid
- Medicaid Managed Care
- Anthem Medicaid
- CareSource Medicaid
- MDWise
- Cenpatico/MHS
- Aetna
- Cigna
- Optum/UBH
- Tricare
If you are low-income and have a child with ASD, we encourage you to look into the various Medicaid options you may qualify for. These programs are designed to help low-income families gain access to medical care and therapy, and there is a good chance that you will qualify.
We are also an approved provider for the Indiana ESA Scholarship! If your child has an autism or special needs diagnosis and is age 5 or older they automatically qualify and you can use the scholarship funds towards any of our fees or tuition costs like most of our families do.
As a courtesy, our ESA experts will help walk you through each step of the process of getting your child approved for the Indiana ESA Scholarship so take advantage of us!
Yes, we do offer speech therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder! Our speech therapist addresses speech, language, social, play, and cognitive skills as well as help children who have feeding and swallowing challenges.
Our speech therapy will begin with an assessment to identify the type of communication disorder and the best way to treat it.
Speech therapy might include:
- interacting through talking and playing, and using books, pictures other objects as part of language intervention to help stimulate language development
- modeling correct sounds and syllables for a child during age-appropriate play to teach the child how to make certain sounds
- providing strategies and homework for the child and parent on how to do speech therapy at home
We do offer occupational therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Our occupational therapist work with you and your child to provide individualized treatment plans that best meet your child’s evolving needs. The treatment plan might include skills like Self-Care, Feeding, Visual Motor, Fine Motor, Social, and Interacting with Peers. The plan is designed for the child to become school ready and to succeed in life.
The main difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy is that OT focuses on improving the child’s ability to perform activities of daily living and PT focuses on improving a child’s ability to perform movement of their body.
While we currently do not offer physical therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, we are looking into adding it as a service in the near future, so stay tuned and do not hesitate to inquire with us about it.