Programs and Services for Children and their Families

Children with special needs often have extraordinary problems that challenge community systems designed for typically developing youngsters. Having professional help from someone who is experienced in negotiating the network of services, and who is professionally trained in the medical, educational, psychological and social aspects of developmental disabilities can make all the difference for the family and the child. Help may be needed at only one, or perhaps at many, points.

• When developmental issues are first identified, as early as infancy
• When behavioral responses are excessive and threaten to disrupt health and home
• When entry to public education is the next challenge on the child’s agenda
• When, having successfully navigated through school, the young adult is ready to transition to the world of work and living in the community 
• The Institute is ready to provide services or support directly to a child and family, or to consult in helping to plan for and build a network that sustains them over the course of many years.

 

A new support The Institute has developed is the Parent-2-Child Program. The program was launched in September of 2008 in collaboration with Gateways Community Services in Nashua. Parent-2-Child helps children up to 3 years old who have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The program coaches parents and other caregivers to support their children effectively and to provide therapeutic intervention during the many hours they already spend with their children.

The Institute provides a statewide Clinical Outreach Department whose clinicians provide on-site School-Based Services to help students aged 3-21 experiencing behavioral challenges. Our Clinical Outreach department also offers comprehensive programs that remediate the fundamental problems of autism. Services include periodic or intensive and acute follow-through assistance as students graduate through their school systems. 

The Institute’s clinicians who provide Outreach Services to Children and their Families bring two essential ingredients to this partnership; a high level of skill in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and set of values that respects, empowers, and acknowledges the strengths, abilities and preferences of each child and each family we serve. We offer two outreach services that are helpful to children and their families; Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) and In-Home Supports. Often, but not always, these take place in the home setting.

When a child with disabilities needs a comfortable home she or he can share with a caring and competent individual, couple or family, The Institute can make that happen. Using a model often referred to as “foster care,” we carefully match children, based on needs, interests, preferences and goals, with Enhanced Family Care providers who wish to share their homes with individuals needing special kinds of support so they can live in the community.

When students with disabilities begin to “age out,” that is, when they have benefited as much as they can from what is contained within the curriculum and walls of the school, they still have much to learn in order to continue to grow. Poised to gain increased independence and autonomy, they need training in life skills to make a successful transition to adulthood. To meet this need, IPPI offers Community-Based Transition Programs for Teens and Young Adults. These are individualized programs for students aged 18 to 21.

Professionals often seek further knowledge to increase their effectiveness in helping individuals they serve. Parents want to become more skilled at assisting their children in learning new skills and reducing challenging behavior. In response to these needs, The Institute’s Clinical Outreach Department offers Behavioral Consultation and Training for Professionals and Parents sharing its expertise with both of these audiences, in New Hampshire and throughout the country.  

ABA Autism Initial Intake Line (603)224-8085 Ext. 328 
Please leave your name and telephone number, an IPPI staff member will return your call as soon as possible.