©2019 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Rachel Phillips
Accelerate ABA, a clinic that provides services for children who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, located, is now open at 7 Corporate Drive in Clifton Park’
At the center, patients aged 2-12 are treated by board-certified and licensed behavior analysts Haley McDougall and Carolyn Volpe, co-owners of Accelerate ABA.
According to McDougall, part of the reason they chose to open a center in Clifton Park was due to the lack of such services in the area.
“Halfmoon is in the center of Albany and Saratoga and is convenient for most people in the Capital Region. A center allows for consistent treatment, where we can easily modify the environment for child-specific needs, while teaching communication, social skills, language, play skills, daily living skills, and pre-academic skills,” said McDougall.
Accelerate ABA offers services to children ages 2-5 five days a week, from 8:30-11:30 a.m., or from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Children work on communication and social skills. The sessions can act as an intensive daycare or preschool alternative. Students ages 5-12 may attend groups during after-school hours, with the option to choose services on Monday-Wednesday or Tuesday-Thursday, as well as one Saturday a month.
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder affecting communication and behavior. The condition is considered a “spectrum” disorder due to the wide variation in symptoms that diagnosed individuals have, including difficulty interacting with others and people experience that can help individuals interact and function independently. Though it is a lifelong disorder, there are many interventions and treatments available, many of which are often covered by insurance providers.
The primary method of treatment at Accelerate ABA is applied behavior analysis (ABA), which is a data-focused method that studies how a particular patient learns, allowing practitioners to teach things such as communication and daily living skills to patients in a way that will be receptive to patients and their individual learning needs.
McDougall said she was initially drawn to ABA due to the impact she saw it having on children and their families.
“Data is collected on each skill that we teach in order to show that we are making a meaningful impact on the child’s life, making sure that the child is successful and applying the skills we teach not only in our center, but at home, in the grocery store, in school, etc., is crucial to the child’s success,” said McDougall.
“Our goal at Accelerate ABA is to help each child meet their specific needs in order to live a happy and independent life. Starting ABA therapy at an early age is crucial for language and communication development, development of appropriate play skills and shared interests, and social skills. Each child’s trajectory is different, but with ongoing assessment and progress analysis, as well as family involvement every child can make progress.”
For more information visit accelerateaba.com, or call 518-212-7559.