Frequently Asked Questions
Would it be better for my child to be with “neurotypical children” than with children who have the same difficulties?
A great deal has been written about the importance of keeping the children fully mainstreamed with “neurotypical” children. We agree that many of the children are able to handle the academic challenges of a “typical” classroom. For this reason, our program meets only once a week so that the children can continue in their natural school setting. We do not see that the children can learn how to play or engage in social communication with peers without a great deal of facilitation by a trained adult, and then they are learning more from the facilitator than by observing their peers. For the majority of the children in our program their focus is always on the adult and they have not learned how to communicate or play the way that most children do via observations and accommodation. One of the goals in the group is to help them lean how to read their peers’ social cues, and develop a repertoire of skills to use as “building blocks” in play.
How long do you expect a child to be in the program?
Asperger’s Syndrome is classified as a Neurodevelopmental Disorder. For that reason, it does not go away, but rather the children’s presenting problems may decrease as they learn more skills and their parents and teachers become more attuned to their needs. Families have stayed in the group for 6 months to 3 years. The most common reasons for leaving the group are that the time demands placed on parents are difficult for professional parents to meet, that the parents find it too stressful to watch their child engage in activities which are very difficult for him or her, or that it is too stressful to tolerate their child’s initial resistance to the program.
Do you really believe that you can diagnose Asperger’s Syndrome this young?
Absolutely. The clinicians involved in this program have expertise in “neurotypical” development and they are attuned to the large discrepancies between the children’s strengths in vocabulary and information and weaknesses in the area of social communication with peers and the ability to developing ideas in joint symbolic play with their peers. There have been children referred to our program for whom we have questioned their diagnosis. There have also been children who received different diagnoses by other clinicians such as A.D.H.D., Anxiety Disorder, Gifted, or Depressed, but whose diagnosis changed after further evaluation.
I would love to be in the program but I cannot take so much time off from work. Is it that important for a parent to be there?
Most of us are parents who are also professionals, so we understand your dilemma. However, we firmly believe that an essential part of this group is what the parents learn about their child through observing the child in the group, processing it with the staff, and finding ways to facilitate the child’s adaptation across the many settings that their child travels. That is why we do not recommend individual psychotherapy for these children before they are more aware of the challenges that Asperger’s poses to them and have a desire to “improve” things. Before that time, we strongly recommend interventions targeted at the child within the context of his or her peers that include the adults so that they can practice the skills introduced in the group in different settings.
Many parents have asked: Can my child's nanny come, if I cannot?
One reason that we do not allow that on a regular basis is that a large part of the group involves parents sharing very personal issues. Many of the parents do not mind talking with a sensitive nanny occasionally but all of the parents find it very uncomfortable when a nanny shares her observations or feelings about the child’s parents. Another problem arises if parents do not see things the same as their nanny. Although we understand that emergencies at times might arise, we have decided that childcare providers cannot take the place of a parent on a regular basis.
Why does your program cost this much?
We have a very high ratio of experienced, trained professionals to participants. The average ratio is one childcare clinician for every 2-3 children. A licensed clinician also runs the adult group.
Do you take insurance?
Our program is too small to participate in any insurance plans. Parents are given a detailed bill that explains the program and necessary billing information. We will adjust codes and labels if that helps you get coverage. We are also willing to explain the program to your case provider.
A great deal has been written about the importance of keeping the children fully mainstreamed with “neurotypical” children. We agree that many of the children are able to handle the academic challenges of a “typical” classroom. For this reason, our program meets only once a week so that the children can continue in their natural school setting. We do not see that the children can learn how to play or engage in social communication with peers without a great deal of facilitation by a trained adult, and then they are learning more from the facilitator than by observing their peers. For the majority of the children in our program their focus is always on the adult and they have not learned how to communicate or play the way that most children do via observations and accommodation. One of the goals in the group is to help them lean how to read their peers’ social cues, and develop a repertoire of skills to use as “building blocks” in play.
How long do you expect a child to be in the program?
Asperger’s Syndrome is classified as a Neurodevelopmental Disorder. For that reason, it does not go away, but rather the children’s presenting problems may decrease as they learn more skills and their parents and teachers become more attuned to their needs. Families have stayed in the group for 6 months to 3 years. The most common reasons for leaving the group are that the time demands placed on parents are difficult for professional parents to meet, that the parents find it too stressful to watch their child engage in activities which are very difficult for him or her, or that it is too stressful to tolerate their child’s initial resistance to the program.
Do you really believe that you can diagnose Asperger’s Syndrome this young?
Absolutely. The clinicians involved in this program have expertise in “neurotypical” development and they are attuned to the large discrepancies between the children’s strengths in vocabulary and information and weaknesses in the area of social communication with peers and the ability to developing ideas in joint symbolic play with their peers. There have been children referred to our program for whom we have questioned their diagnosis. There have also been children who received different diagnoses by other clinicians such as A.D.H.D., Anxiety Disorder, Gifted, or Depressed, but whose diagnosis changed after further evaluation.
I would love to be in the program but I cannot take so much time off from work. Is it that important for a parent to be there?
Most of us are parents who are also professionals, so we understand your dilemma. However, we firmly believe that an essential part of this group is what the parents learn about their child through observing the child in the group, processing it with the staff, and finding ways to facilitate the child’s adaptation across the many settings that their child travels. That is why we do not recommend individual psychotherapy for these children before they are more aware of the challenges that Asperger’s poses to them and have a desire to “improve” things. Before that time, we strongly recommend interventions targeted at the child within the context of his or her peers that include the adults so that they can practice the skills introduced in the group in different settings.
Many parents have asked: Can my child's nanny come, if I cannot?
One reason that we do not allow that on a regular basis is that a large part of the group involves parents sharing very personal issues. Many of the parents do not mind talking with a sensitive nanny occasionally but all of the parents find it very uncomfortable when a nanny shares her observations or feelings about the child’s parents. Another problem arises if parents do not see things the same as their nanny. Although we understand that emergencies at times might arise, we have decided that childcare providers cannot take the place of a parent on a regular basis.
Why does your program cost this much?
We have a very high ratio of experienced, trained professionals to participants. The average ratio is one childcare clinician for every 2-3 children. A licensed clinician also runs the adult group.
Do you take insurance?
Our program is too small to participate in any insurance plans. Parents are given a detailed bill that explains the program and necessary billing information. We will adjust codes and labels if that helps you get coverage. We are also willing to explain the program to your case provider.