Behavior Assessment Letter and Response - Feedback please

March 23, 2006

We just got approved for a six-hour behavior assessment. I had assumed it meant half at school and half at home, but got a letter from the organization in question today and turns out it will all be in home. When the regional center told me weeks ago the name of this company I did a google search and found their site. They are behavioral health consultants LLC - located in Glendale, California. This is close to us, although I had never heard of them the site looked good showing info for parent training and also for child services and they use pecs, verbal behavior, ABA. http://behavioralhealthconsultants.com/index.html We have no experience with behavior services. Matt is in third grade, nonverbal, not toilet trained and got approved for six months of floor time too. ------ Dear Bonnie Sayers Regional Center has authorized Behavioral Health Consultants to conduct a Behavioral Assessment of your child. The Behavioral Assessment is very important as it, along with other data, will be used to determine which behavioral services Regional Center will provide. In order for Behavioral Health Consultants to provide you and your child with the best possible services, we will need your full cooperation. Very soon, you will be contacted by the Behaviorist, who has been assigned to complete the in-home Assessment. Please cooperate with this Behaviorist and set up a day and a time that is convenient for you, your child and the Behaviorist to meet together. All parent(s)caretakers who are regularly responsible for the child, should be present for the Assessment. (That sentence was in

italics) The meetings need to take place at your home. The Behaviorist has a limited amount of time available in which to schedule his/her appointment with you. Each Behaviorist has to meet with many other families and their children, so scheduling time is very tight. Please be considerate of the Behaviorist time and day restraints. (This all is in italics) Once your appointment(s) are made, please make every effort to not schedule anything that might conflict with the Assessment (from not schedule to the end of the sentence was in Italics). After the sessions have been completed, the Behaviorist will submit their written evaluation to BHC. Behavior Health Consultants will then submit the Assessment to your Service Coordinator. Please feel free to call your BI Case Manager XXXX at XXX Bart Ellis,

LCSW, LCS 4429 (Director) ============= Does anyone have experience with this agency or know of this Social Worker? Would you consider this letter rude and would you send back a response via email? I was floored to read this condescending letter. Here is my response that I emailed at 5:10 pm today. =========== I received a letter today 3-22-06 that is dated 4-21-06 from Bart Ellis and would like to direct this email to his attention. My name is Bonnie Sayers, single parent to two boys on the Autism Spectrum and Editor of Autism Spectrum Disorders @ BellaOnline.com. My children are ages 9 and 11. They have been consumers with Lanterman since the summer of 1998. My children's Service Coordinator contacted me yesterday to inform me that two services were approved for my youngest son Sayers. An hour later the

other organization contacted me via telephone to let me know the services were approved and to go over availability for the sessions. I am contacting you to give feedback on the letter that was sent to me by you. I am not sure if this is a form letter sent to all parents within the Regional Center system or all your clientele, but I must say I found it to be demeaning to parents. I doubt this letter is considered a welcome letter because I did not feel very welcomed by your organization after perusing it. Maybe it is classified as an introductory letter, in which case I would hope the Behaviorist and other representatives of Behavioral Health Consultants LLC would treat families with respect, especially considering they are entering our homes. Various sentences and words were emphasized in bold and italics within this letter, giving the impression in the tone that a Behaviorists time is more precious than that of your

clients - families with special needs children. On top of this the families are probably dealing with behavior issues, or they would not be contemplating services with Behavioral Health Consultants LLC. I have never received a letter from any organizations, and was surprised to read such a condescending message. My days are busy filled with meetings, Doctor appointments, training sessions, therapy appointments and the like. I did not appreciate a letter addressed to me that has such little regard for forming a relationship between professionals and families. I hope the Behaviorist will be considerate of my family obligations as well and our day restraints with school. It is my hope that the person(s) entering my home that will be working with us will be professional in nature. I have my doubts that the service will be the best possible if this is how clients are treated. I would suggest an overhaul

into this letter if it is sent to new clients. I did not appreciate being told to give my full cooperation, be considerate and to make every effort..... Perhaps Behavioral Health Consultants LLC needs to be made aware of the time restraints and scheduling that families with children on the Autism Spectrum and other disabilities have. We are just as important as professionals and should be treated appropriately. Thank you for your time in reading this feedback. Please also note I read the letter to the Service Coordinator who also felt the tone was harsh. She suggested I send an email with my response to help other parents who may be too desperate for services to respond to said letter. Bonnie Sayershttp://autismspectrumdisorders.bellaonline.com ========== Any feedback on the letter I got or the one I

emailed? Would you have overlooked it or sent off a response? Is this typical of companies offering behavior services? What should I expect? Thanks for any replies.

March 23, 2006

Bonnie,

If I got that letter it would make me depressed. Who is the

customer?

I hope their services are better then their initial contact

letters. Autism is such a scam these days. Everyone has a

shingle. At the end of the day, it goes back to the mom's who know

best because we aren't in it to make a living, we are in it to save

lives.

>

> We just got approved for a six-hour behavior assessment. I had

assumed it meant half at school and half at home, but got a letter

from the organization in question today and turns out it will all be

in home.

>

> When the regional center told me weeks ago the name of this

company I did a google search and found their site. They are

behavioral health consultants LLC - located in Glendale,

California. This is close to us, although I had never heard of them

the site looked good showing info for parent training and also for

child services and they use pecs, verbal behavior, ABA.

>

> http://behavioralhealthconsultants.com/index.html

>

> We have no experience with behavior services. Matt is in third

grade, nonverbal, not toilet trained and got approved for six months

of floor time too.

>

> ------

> Dear Bonnie Sayers

>

> Regional Center has authorized Behavioral Health Consultants to

conduct a Behavioral Assessment of your child. The Behavioral

Assessment is very important as it, along with other data, will be

used to determine which behavioral services Regional Center will

provide.

>

> In order for Behavioral Health Consultants to provide you and

your child with the best possible services, we will need your full

cooperation. Very soon, you will be contacted by the Behaviorist,

who has been assigned to complete the in-home Assessment.

>

> Please cooperate with this Behaviorist and set up a day and a

time that is convenient for you, your child and the Behaviorist to

meet together. All parent(s)caretakers who are regularly

responsible for the child, should be present for the Assessment.

(That sentence was in italics) The meetings need to take place at

your home.

>

> The Behaviorist has a limited amount of time available in which

to schedule his/her appointment with you. Each Behaviorist has to

meet with many other families and their children, so scheduling time

is very tight. Please be considerate of the Behaviorist time and

day restraints. (This all is in italics)

>

> Once your appointment(s) are made, please make every effort to

not schedule anything that might conflict with the Assessment (from

not schedule to the end of the sentence was in Italics). After the

sessions have been completed, the Behaviorist will submit their

written evaluation to BHC. Behavior Health Consultants will then

submit the Assessment to your Service Coordinator. Please feel free

to call your BI Case Manager XXXX at XXX

>

> Bart Ellis, LCSW, LCS 4429 (Director)

> =============

>

> Does anyone have experience with this agency or know of this

Social Worker? Would you consider this letter rude and would you

send back a response via email? I was floored to read this

condescending letter.

>

> Here is my response that I emailed at 5:10 pm today.

> ===========

> I received a letter today 3-22-06 that is dated 4-21-06 from

Bart Ellis and would like to direct this email to his attention.

>

> My name is Bonnie Sayers, single parent to two boys on the Autism

Spectrum and Editor of Autism Spectrum Disorders @ BellaOnline.com.

My children are ages 9 and 11. They have been consumers with

Lanterman since the summer of 1998.

>

> My children's Service Coordinator contacted me yesterday to inform

me that two services were approved for my youngest son

Sayers. An hour later the other organization contacted me via

telephone to let me know the services were approved and to go over

availability for the sessions.

>

> I am contacting you to give feedback on the letter that was sent

to me by you. I am not sure if this is a form letter sent to all

parents within the Regional Center system or all your clientele, but

I must say I found it to be demeaning to parents. I doubt this

letter is considered a welcome letter because I did not feel very

welcomed by your organization after perusing it.

>

> Maybe it is classified as an introductory letter, in which case I

would hope the Behaviorist and other representatives of Behavioral

Health Consultants LLC would treat families with respect, especially

considering they are entering our homes.

>

> Various sentences and words were emphasized in bold and italics

within this letter, giving the impression in the tone that a

Behaviorists time is more precious than that of your clients -

families with special needs children. On top of this the families

are probably dealing with behavior issues, or they would not be

contemplating services with Behavioral Health Consultants LLC.

>

> I have never received a letter from any organizations, and was

surprised to read such a condescending message. My days are busy

filled with meetings, Doctor appointments, training sessions,

therapy appointments and the like. I did not appreciate a letter

addressed to me that has such little regard for forming a

relationship between professionals and families.

>

> I hope the Behaviorist will be considerate of my family

obligations as well and our day restraints with school. It is my

hope that the person(s) entering my home that will be working with

us will be professional in nature.

>

> I have my doubts that the service will be the best possible if

this is how clients are treated. I would suggest an overhaul into

this letter if it is sent to new clients. I did not appreciate being

told to give my full cooperation, be considerate and to make every

effort.....

>

> Perhaps Behavioral Health Consultants LLC needs to be made aware

of the time restraints and scheduling that families with children on

the Autism Spectrum and other disabilities have. We are just as

important as professionals and should be treated appropriately.

>

> Thank you for your time in reading this feedback. Please also

note I read the letter to the Service Coordinator who also felt the

tone was harsh. She suggested I send an email with my response to

help other parents who may be too desperate for services to respond

to said letter.

>

> Bonnie Sayers

> http://autismspectrumdisorders.bellaonline.com

>

> ==========

>

> Any feedback on the letter I got or the one I emailed? Would

you have overlooked it or sent off a response? Is this typical of

companies offering behavior services? What should I expect?

>

> Thanks for any replies.

>

March 23, 2006

mybrandyskye wrote:

I hope their services are better then their initial contact

letters.

I was concerned that they do not list any BCBA or BCABA staff on their

website. Too many people are simply declaring themselves to be

'behaviorists' without the credentials.

R

March 24, 2006

And, IMHO far too many people with credentials in Behavior Analysis are

(mis-)representing themselves as experts in areas other than Behavior

Analysis, such as Autism, curriculum and instruction, program evaluation,

staff development, functional assessment, and appropriate behavior supports.

Winterling

Vineland, NJ

Re: Re: Behavior Assessment Letter and Response -

Feedback please

mybrandyskye wrote:

I hope their services are better then their initial contact

letters.

I was concerned that they do not list any BCBA or BCABA staff on their

website. Too many people are simply declaring themselves to be

'behaviorists' without the credentials.

R

March 24, 2006

PDDTeacher@... wrote:

> I've been in the field of autism for over ten years, and am now trying to

> get my BCBA. One major problem I'm seeing is that most people taking the

> coursework are kids just out of their undergrad program with no hands-on

> experience or field knowledge related to ABA. I'm nervous about what

> will

> happen in the field as all these people get their BCBA and go on to help

> families in need.

I too am getting my BCBA. I am now in the process of doing my 18 month

internship. One cannot get a BCBA with no hands-on experience or field

knowledge. It is just not possible. The internship is required.

R

March 25, 2006

I have to say that there is a part of me that agrees with you about

others getting their degrees in areas that they really do not have a

lot of experience in. However, I have only been working with children

placed along the spectrum for two years now, and I am just someone

with an undergrad. I feel that I have dedicated my heart and soul to

these children and I feel that I do have the potential to continue on

in this area. I apologize if I sound frank but the " kids " looking to

further their career in autism or BCBA is not an issue. These " kids "

need to be given a chance. You were at that point in your career also.

> >I hope their services are better then their initial contact

> >letters.

> >

> >I was concerned that they do not list any BCBA or BCABA staff on their

> >website. Too many people are simply declaring themselves to be

> >'behaviorists' without the credentials.

> >R

> >

March 25, 2006

My grandson is 13 and I have been working with him for 10 years. I still have a therapist that has worked for me for 8 years and I pay her $12.50 and she is great. I have never had a certified therapist who was as good. Pat K

March 25, 2006

I think they are, in fact, getting a chance. The organization I work for

hires persons young in their careers. Many do well and enjoy long careers

supporting a goodly number of persons with a variety of abilities.

It's what the new person does to capitalize on the experience coupled with

good supervision that seems to make a big difference with the outcome.

Winterling

Vineland, NJ

Re: Behavior Assessment Letter and Response - Feedback

please