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Partners In Excellence provides early intervention therapy for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and related conditions.
ABA / AVB is provided at all Partners locations.
Our Approach to Therapy
At Partners In Excellence, we provide individualized therapy designed to support each child’s unique learning journey. Therapy begins with building rapport and assessing a child’s skills to create personalized goals. While we follow a structured approach, we recognize that every child learns differently and adjust therapy to fit their progress.A strong therapist-child connection is key to success. We create a fun, engaging environment where learning is motivating and rewarding. By using reinforcement based on a child’s interests and sensory preferences, we ensure therapy is both effective and enjoyable.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) & Applied Verbal Behavior (AVB)
At Partners, our therapy is rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a research-based approach that helps children build new skills by understanding the relationship between behavior and the environment. ABA uses evidence-based strategies, such as positive reinforcement, prompting, and shaping, to increase desired behaviors and decrease those that may interfere with learning and daily life.
Within ABA, we incorporate Applied Verbal Behavior (AVB), a specialized approach to language development. AVB focuses on the functionality of communication—teaching children not just words, but how to use them meaningfully in different situations. By breaking language down into specific categories (such as requesting, labeling, and conversational exchanges), AVB helps children develop communication skills that support their independence and social interactions.
Why Choose Partners?
Research-Based Methodology (ABA/VB): We use scientifically supported techniques to guide learning and behavior development.
Individualized Assessment & Goals: Each child receives a customized therapy plan based on their unique strengths and needs.
Focus on Rapport & Engagement: Building strong, trusting relationships is at the heart of what we do.
Reinforcement-Based Approach: We use each child's interests and preferences to motivate meaningful progress.
Adaptable Teaching Styles: Therapy is tailored to accommodate different learning styles and sensory needs.
Errorless Learning Techniques: We provide structured support to promote success and build confidence.
At Partners, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. By combining individualized therapy with the power of ABA and AVB, we create meaningful learning experiences that foster growth, confidence, and independence.
Each child’s progress is unique to that child. Therefore, progress is monitored closely by a clinical team of therapists and formally reviewed on a monthly basis. Partners works closely with parents regarding their child’s progress and is always available, per our open door policy, to answer any questions.
Several sections of the ABLLS-R (tacts, receptive language, intraverbals, echoics, motor and vocal imitation, etc.) are most appropriately taught at a child-sized table. This type of learning is called Intensive Table Teaching or ITT. During an ITT session, mastered and acquisition tasks, across several verbal operant categories, are targeted.
There are a variety of effective teaching procedures that are performed when conducting an ITT session. When these techniques are balanced and consistently applied, the child is a willing participant in the learning process and may exhibit few, if any, challenging behaviors.
Natural Environment Teaching (NET) builds upon skills learned in Intensive Teaching Trials (ITT) by teaching new skills and appropriate play within a child's natural environment and preferred activities. Unlike the structured ITT, NET is informal and focuses on the child's current interests, providing reinforcements directly related to the activity. This approach helps generalize learned skills and encourages appropriate toy manipulation, addressing common issues like stereotyped play.
NET provides a valuable setting for teaching a wide range of verbal skills, rather than focusing on just one at a time. Therapists using NET work to create or leverage the child's motivation for activities that align with goals from programs like the ABLLS-R. This integrated approach helps children with autism learn language in a variety of natural and engaging contexts.
Being part of a center-based program allows opportunities for small group therapy sessions. In a small group, therapy focuses on peer interaction and the ability to attend to one primary instructor. Small group gives children an opportunity to practice their social interaction skills in a new environment.
The goal of small group is to have the children actively participate in the activities with their peers and to learn how to follow the rules and routines of the group. During small group sessions, the therapists start to fade their level of support to allow the children to learn from each other. Therapists are available to redirect each child’s behavior if a child struggles within the group. Small group therapy offers an opportunity to improve a child’s social interaction skills, and to enable the child to develop peer friendships.
Partners In Excellence employs The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills- Revised (ABLLS-R) as its primary programming tool. James W. Partington, Ph.D. developed the revised version of this tool in 2006. The ABLLS-R is an assessment tool, curriculum guide, and a skills tracking system for children with language delays. The ABLLS-R contains a task analysis of many skills necessary to communicate successfully.
The ABLLS-R protocol provides both parents and professionals with criterion-referenced information regarding a child’s current skill level that can serve as a basis for the selection of educational objectives. The ABLLS-R protocol includes a set of grids (graph) that comprise a skills tracking system for documentation of a child’s progress in the acquisition of critical skills.
The ABLLS-R guide serves two purposes. First, it provides instructions for scoring and completing the skills tracking grids for an individual client. Second, it provides strategies to assist parents, educators and other professionals to use the information for a child.
Although the ABLLS-R protocol provides an extensive list of skills, it does not include a method to determine the priorities for an individual child and does not include specific steps necessary to teach those skills. The ABLLS-R guide provides strategies for analyzing the ABLLS-R scores to determine educational priorities, and to help with the selection of educational objectives for an individual child.
Partners uses the ABLLS-R as a tool to help identify language and other critical skills that are in need of intervention so that a child may become more capable of learning from everyday experiences (basic learner skills and other skills). It also provides a curriculum guide for a child with language delays. It provides a method for visually displaying the acquisition of new skills on the tracking system. This visual display helps Partners when communicating about client’s programming and progress with parents, schools, doctors, insurance companies, and other providers. It also facilitates reviews and updates of a child’s progress. This updating process provides a great source of reinforcement for parents and therapists as they see that critical skills are being acquired.
The ABLLS-R graph provides a resource for communicating about each client’s progress, for the client’s therapy team, parents and other professionals.
The ABLLS-R consists of 544 programs that break down every skill into its smallest basic components. There are 25 skill areas within each section, it begins with the simplest task and ends with the most complex. Partners use innovative teaching techniques targeting multiple developmental areas in a single integrated setting.
Partners has an extensive library system of curriculum kits matching up with the ABLLS-R programs that are fun, visually pleasing, pre-packaged and ready to use when a new program is introduced. This library system allows the children to progress from one program to another without delay.
The Early Learner Program is designed to address the treatment needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other related conditions who are between the ages of 1 to 4 years. Clients of the early learner age develop best using Natural Environment Teaching (NET), which means that the therapy programming for these children is structured to resemble the natural life environment of a child’s day. Partners In Excellence uses the Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP) as a guide in the identification of treatment goals and to measure client progress. The objectives outlined in the HELP are used for the assessment and treatment programming for each child’s individual treatment needs. The HELP is designed around typical developmental milestones, and treatment objectives focus on a variety of skill areas, which include age-appropriate socialization, play, communication, and daily living skills.
The Early Learner Program recognizes that most learning in early childhood occurs within the social context of daily activities and experiences. Therefore, the program is structured to include teaching through everyday routines, a variety of social activities, and planned group activities. Clients in this program will be actively engaged with therapists throughout the therapy day. Each child’s treatment program focuses on developing skills that have been identified as deficits or areas in need of growth. Treatment plans are designed to meet the individual needs of each child. Therapists continually create opportunities throughout the child’s therapy day to practice and teach those skills identified as treatment objectives.
In addition to the therapy programming for children in the Early Learner Program, monthly parent training classes are offered to address the specific treatment needs of this age group and to better equip parents with the skills needed to forward their child’s development and progress. Parents are encouraged to participate in these trainings, and will receive guidance from their child’s treatment team to specifically address each child’s individual needs. Parents are also encouraged to participate in individual in center, hands on training during their child’s therapy day. Parents can work one-on-one with the child’s therapist to learn specific teaching techniques and behavior management strategies to help facilitate the generalization of skills into the home environment.
Clients in this program may attend a morning, an afternoon or all day program.
The Intermediate Learner program is designed to increase the children’s opportunities to practice social skills and introduce them to peer directed learning. Prior to participating in the Intermediate Learner program, the children are intensively taught how to be successful in a therapist-directed learning environment. Once the children have developed adequate cooperation and language skills and readily acquire new skills, they are ready to learn in a structured group environment. Children will continue to work on developing language, social, and school readiness skills through intensive teaching. They will also develop these skills in small group settings. Providing opportunities for the children to work in groups teaches them to place value on belonging to a group. The motivation for the children to complete the task becomes that all members of the group complete the task.
The Intermediate Learner program follows a daily schedule that is structured to include everyday routines, such as brushing teeth, dressing, and arrival and departure routines. It also includes a variety of social activities and strategies, such as peer play, video modeling, and interactive and facilitated play. The children participate in controlled group activities, including fine motor and Stepping Stones. This schedule allows the clients opportunities to initiate and sustain social interactions with therapist support and guidance as needed.
At Partners Autism Therapy Centers, we help children facing challenges build confidence at home and in everyday life. With a wide range of services, diverse therapies, and a dedicated team, we provide personalized care and expert support to ensure your child thrives, from diagnosis to progress.
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