Fraud Blocker ABA Therapy in Scottsdale, AZ | Autism Treatment | BCBA

Extraordinary Care for Children with Autism

Skip the waitlist and speak with a specialist in days, not months.

Comprehensive Care for Autistic Children Ages 1.5 → 6 Years Old

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We Accept Insurance

Accepting Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, and Cigna Insurance Plans
Scottsdale Pediatric Behavior Services is in-network with Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, and Cigna. Our dedicated team will hold your hand every step of the way to get services approved for your child.

   
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD)
  • Speech & Language Skills
  • And More…

What We Treat

Empowering Children With Diverse Needs.

What We Do

Finding Solutions That Work for Your Family.

See Our Services
  • Assessment
  • Early Intervention
  • Parent Training
  • Language Skills
  • Problem Behavior Reduction
  • Play & Social Skills
  • Self-Care and Development

Experience the Difference at Scottsdale PBS

Autism Treatment Customized for Your Child That Yields Results

Many families who come to us have already tried other facilities and treatment approaches for curbing behavioral problems related to their child’s autism. We know how disheartening it can be when you don’t see results and problematic behaviors continue or accelerate. Our approach is different. Fusing robust clinical experience and personalized curriculum, we continually adapt our methodologies to suit your child’s challenges and goals.

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Get treatment in a beautiful, comfortable location where you and your child feel at home
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We boast more doctorates and clinical certifications than any other Phoenix-area facility
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Get all your treatment in one place, from speech therapy and school readiness to intensive ABA.

A Team Invested in Your Child’s Success.

Leading the Field of Pediatric ABA Therapy with Compassion and Expertise.


The Team

Jacob Boney, Psy.D., BCBA-D

Owner and Clinical Director

Paul Ettinger, M.A., LBA

Clinical Director

Daniel Wechsler, Psy.D.

Clinical Psychologist

Danielle Weston, Psy.D.

Clinical Psychologist

Louis Marull, M.A., LBA, BCBA

Director of Safety

Katherine Keenan, M.A., CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Shantel Berwick, M.A., BCBA, LBA

Clinical Supervisor

Jasmin Masri, M.A., BCBA, LBA

Clinical Supervisor

Stories of Hope and Change.

Hear From Our Amazing Patients and Their Families

We had a great assessment experience. From the moment we walked in until the assessment was done. The doctor even walked us out to the car when my son did not want to leave to help him transition. We felt like we were heard and the results of the assessment were throughly explained to my husband and I. Thank you for helping us get answers and resources.

Parent

Google

I felt my son was cared for by the first call. Dr. W’s compassion was extraordinary. Excellent follow through and recommendations. SPB has been a blessing to us. Thank you!

Parent

Google

Good experience, one of the few places in the valley that does autism screening past 5years of age. They were able to get us in as soon as they could. I couldn’t be happier with their services.

Parent

Google

We have gotten 3 of our children evaluated here and Scottsdale PBS went above and beyond. They provided my children with patience, kindness, and a very through evaluation where my children didn't feel rushed. Every one of my kiddos had a great experience, as did their respective parents.

Parent

Google

An Expert Assessment for a Strong Start

Why “Comprehensive” ASD Evaluations vs Simply a Checklist of Symptoms?

Clarity is key to aiding your child in their behavioral development. You may have a feeling that your child is somehow different from other typically developing same-aged peers, though you may not know exactly what those differences are. Our full spectrum assesments provides clarity to your concerns and will help answer the questions you have most. We believe that it is important to understand each child as a whole, rather than simply a checklist of symptoms.

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Full Spectrum Assessment

We offers various diagnostic assessments for children ages 2-17 including: Autism assessments, developmental preschool evaluations, giftedness testing, psychoeducational evaluations, and neuropsychological assessments.

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Open Minded Diagnostics

At Scottsdale PBS we attempt to avoid confirmation bias by keeping an open mind and considering various causes/explanations for your child’s strengths and areas of improvement.

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Comprehensive Evaluations

Each of our evaluations include the following: An initial intake interview with parents/caregivers, review of relevant/provided records, and detailed feedback from all parties to produce a comprehensive written report of evaluation and recommendations.

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A Truly Complete Assesment

Comprehensive assessment requires several hours of testing, with breaks as needed. As a result, the entire evaluation process typically spans between one to four days depending on the type of evaluation and the diagnostic considerations of each individual child.

autism diagnostic exam

ABA Therapy Specialized for Kids

We have more than 10 years of experience helping kids with ASD achieve inspiring results. We carefully select and thoroughly train the best therapists to provide your child with a one-on-one learning experience that they find fun and motivational.

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Discrete Trial Training (DTT)

A type of teaching that breaks down lessons into their simplest parts, positively reinforcing correct answers and behaviors and ignoring incorrect answers or misbehaviors.

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Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI)

Intensive intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) used when the children are very young, typically under the age of 5, or even under the age of 3.

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Pivotal Response Training (PRT)

Designed to increase the child’s motivation to learn, to alter his or her own behavior, and to initiate communication with others.

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Verbal Behavior Intervention (ABA/VB)

Behavioral therapy that focuses on verbal skills.

FAQs from Parents of Autistic Children

Scottsdale PBS Answers Frequently Asked Questions

What is autism?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), often referred to simply as autism, includes a range of conditions that cause challenges with social skills, speech, and nonverbal communication.

Each patient with an autism disorder has a unique set of strengths and challenges that can interfere with their ability to learn, think, solve problems, and communicate with others. Additionally, patients with autism need varying levels of support to thrive.

Signs of autism usually emerge around the age of 2 or 3, and the average age of diagnosis is around 4 years old. If you suspect your child has autism, schedule an appointment for an assessment. Early diagnosis and treatment contribute to positive outcomes later in life.

What are the common signs of autism?

Autism causes two primary types of behaviors — restricted or repetitive actions and social, communication, and interaction behaviors. For example, some common signs of an autism disorder include:

  • Repeating certain behaviors
  • Demonstrating unusual behaviors
  • Having overly focused or restricted interests
  • Having a lasting and intense interest in a specific topic

Children with autism may also have increased sensitivity to light, noise, temperature, or the texture of clothing or other surfaces. Some children have digestive problems, sleep disruptions, and overall irritability.

When should I talk to a behavior specialist about my child’s behavior?

Pediatricians sometimes pick up on early warning signs of autism during routine checkups. However, if you think your child is showing signs of an autism disorder, make an appointment at Scottsdale Pediatric Behavioral Services right away.

The team of highly educated and experienced pediatric behavioral specialists provides comprehensive assessments to identify and diagnose the condition behind your child’s behavior.

Then they use applied behavior analysis (ABA) principles to create a customized treatment program to help your child.

How can a behavior specialist help my child?

The team at Scottsdale Pediatric Behavioral Services uses ABA therapy to create personalized treatment programs to help your child learn and practice behaviors and skills that help them reach their full potential.

ABA focuses on building a foundation of trust and positive reinforcement to encourage desired behaviors and capabilities while reducing less desirable behaviors.

The team works with you, your child’s educators, and other caregivers to ensure consistent positive reinforcement in all environments.

The team at Scottsdale Pediatric Behavioral Services is committed to delivering the best possible, evidence-based therapy to help your child thrive. Call the practice or schedule an appointment online today.

What is ABA therapy?

Applied behavior analysis is a field of science just like chemistry, physics, and biology. It is a natural science that focuses on optimizing a child’s environment to increase behaviors we want more of and decrease behaviors we want less of. ABA is the science that guides all behavioral interventions and is not just a type of therapy or intervention for children.

Everyone around us is using the science of ABA whether they know it or not. Anyone who is initiating or responding to others or interacting with familiar environments is utilizing the principles of applied behavior analysis. We are always connected to and influenced by our environment and the contingencies within it. Your immediate environment shapes and maintains the behaviors you consistently emit through environmental consequences. These consequences can increase, decrease, maintain, or eliminate the value of certain behaviors.

Utilizing the science of ABA through direct behavior intervention is an efficient and effective way to systematically change and improve the behaviors of your children in a safe, ethical, and scientifically supported manner.

How quickly will I see results?

It depends on the environment, behaviors, and resources available to support the child and consistently implement the prescribed interventions. Many children who present with somewhat typical problem behaviors exhibit measurable improvements within a few sessions. Children with significant problem behaviors or impairments will require more support and skill acquisition training to show consistent improvements. However, the goal will always be to implement treatment that results in consistent and measurable improvement in the child’s social, emotional, and adaptive functioning.

What behaviors does our team assess and treat?

The clinicians at Scottsdale PBS can assess and treat the following behaviors:

  • Physical and Verbal Aggression
  • Property Destruction
  • Disruptive Behaviors
  • Noncompliance/Defiance
  • Self-Injurious Behavior
  • Tantrums/Meltdowns
  • Elopement
  • Inappropriate Touching
  • Pica
  • Ritualistic/OCD Behaviors
  • Adaptive Skills
  • Language Skills
  • Play Skills
  • Potty Training/Toileting
  • Sleeping/Bedtime Routines
  • Picky/Restrictive Eating
  • Motor/Vocal Stereotypy
  • Self-Care Skills
  • Academic Skills
  • Kindergarten Readiness
Do you treat teens and young children?

We treat patients between the ages of 2 and 13 and will customize the assessment, treatment, and consultation process to fit the needs of the patient and family. The doctors have significant training and experience with a wide range of ages, behaviors, and clinical populations.

How do I know that I can trust the behavior technicians working with my child?

We understand how much trust it takes to leave your child in the care of another person, and to welcome a therapist into your own home to work with your child. You should never have to experience any hesitation or apprehension regarding the competency of your child’s therapist.

What does an ABA therapist do?

One of the first things an ABA therapist does is to “pair” with the child. “Pairing” is the process of pairing and relating oneself to the items and activities the child finds valuable and interesting. For example, if a child likes toy cars, the therapist may frequently pair themselves with the car and bring a large selection of cars to play and interact with during the child’s therapy. Pairing is critical because it builds a foundation of connection and trust between the child and the therapist and conditions the therapist as valuable, interesting, and reinforcing.

An experienced therapist also uses items and activities the child is naturally interested in and builds upon those in therapy. Using the child’s pre-existing interests is important because it builds trust and shared enjoyment quickly in the beginning of the therapeutic process. It conditions the therapist as being the “giver of good things” and teaches the child that things are more fun with the instructor than without them. Expanding a child’s interests in different items and activities is important because it increases the number of tools a parent or instructor has to shaped and reinforce new behaviors. In addition the more items and activities a child is interested in, the more likely they are to notice and join others engaging with those items and activities.

An ABA therapist is guided by a comprehensive and individualized treatment plan addressing the needs of the child and is overseen and supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. The treatment plan includes skills programs that address specific areas of need and a behavior intervention program that targets behaviors for decrease.

Detailed data is collected and analyzed by the therapist and BCBA. Decisions and adjustments to the child’s programming are made based upon patterns in the trend, level, and variability of the data. Decisions about the programming could include pausing the program, stopping the program to put a prerequisite program in, placing a tactic in the program to change the way it is run, or continuing to run the program as-is.

An effective therapist and BCBA will communicate any progress, changes, or necessary adjustments to a child’s programming with parents. In addition, parents will be included in their child’s treatment through parent training sessions. Parents are taught how to teach their children skills, how to shape and reinforce new behaviors, and how to decrease and eliminate problem behaviors.

How long does ABA therapy last?

The length of therapeutic intervention depends on several factors. The complexity and severity of the child’s problem behaviors in addition to the skill deficits the child presents with often need to be considered when providing an estimate on the length of therapy.

In addition, therapy interventions can be reduced in length if an environment is receptive and adaptable to the recommended changes. If the environment is slow to adapt or modify contingencies based upon the child’s needs, therapy time will be extended.

The length of time and the amount of learning history the child has with specific behaviors will also impact therapeutic intervention time. When children have less learning history, interventions are typically quicker. When children have extended learning histories with more severe behaviors, intervention times will be extended.

Insurance and billing

Currently, we only accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and Aetna insurance. At this time we are not able to offer services through other insurance companies due to a lack of adequate reimbursement for our staff. We are constantly working and negotiating with the major insurance companies to work out an acceptable rate for all parties so that we can offer affordable services to all families.

Our Treatment Plan Starts With You

Schedule A Consultation Today – An ASD Assessment Helps Us Evaluate Your Child’s Needs and Goals.

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