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Frequently Asked Questions

General

Our office is located at 5885 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 310, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

We are open Monday through Friday from 8 am - 5 pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday.

Please call our offices at 216-446-2944 to begin the intake process and to schedule your appointment.

Speech Language Therapy Services

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Services 

Educational Intervention Services

SOAR Early Intervention

Parent Training

Sibling Support

Social Skills Training

Executive Functioning Skill Development

Coping Skills Strategies

Daily Living Skill Development

Community Integration opportunities

Functional Behavior Assessment in School or in Home

Behavior Intervention Planning in School or in Home

  • Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Functional Behavior Assessment Based Interventions
  • Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI)
  • Social Cognition Training
  • Functional Communication Training

Depending on the service, our team is able to provide services in the home, in the community, at our office, or in your child’s school. Please visit our services page to learn more.

Scheduling

Please call our offices at 216-446-2944 to schedule an appointment.

If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment please call our offices at 216-446-2944.

We ask that you cancel or reschedule your appointment 24 hours in advance. We understand emergencies can happen, but if there is no emergency and an appointment is canceled with less than 24 hours' notice, you will be subject to a $50.00 fee.

Please call our offices at 216-446-2944 at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment if you need to cancel or reschedule an assessment appointment.

In most cases, you can self-refer yourself or your child for services. In some instances, the insurance payer will require a referral from your primary care physician. Please call your insurance for more information.

We make treatment recommendations that are unique to the child’s individual needs. Treatment plans are tailored to meet your family and child’s goals as identified in our comprehensive assessment process.

Billing & Payment

Costs vary depending on the service.  We accept most major insurances. Patient responsibilities and copays vary by payer. Our office can help you by exploring your benefits. For education services, we accept the Ohio Jon Peterson Scholarship and Ohio Autism Scholarship.

The patient portion is due at the time of service.

Call the main line at 216-446-2944 and press “2” for billing. One of our billing specialists will be happy to help you understand your bill.

Diagnostic Services

Evaluations are multidisciplinary, meaning you will meet with both our psychologist and a speech-language pathologist. An evaluation consists of 4 appointments spread out over 2 weeks. We provide detailed instructions on what to expect at each appointment once you schedule your appointments.

These appointments are tailored to your child, depending on the age range. A young child’s appointment will look different than an adolescent’s. We strive to make evaluations fun and play-based for your child or adolescent.

For a virtual autism evaluation, you will need:

  •  A laptop or computer with video capabilities
  • An additional laptop OR smartphone with video capabilities (for speech evaluation)
  • Optional smartphone stand

A laptop/computer will be used for observations, interviews, and direct assessments. Please take into consideration the size of the screen as this is how you and your child will be viewing the clinician and materials. The additional laptop/smartphone will be used as a secondary viewing device for the clinician. Your clinician will assist with the setup and this will be based on the evaluation.

We are able to evaluate and diagnose all ages of life. Keeping in mind that a young child’s evaluation will look different than an adolescent’s and even more different from that of an adult's. Follow this link for more information on evaluating across the lifespan.

Applied Behavior Analysis

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) and therapies based on it are evidence-based and the most common behavioral interventions for autism. ABA refers to a set of principles based on the science of learning and behavior. Studies of interventions based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) show when implemented properly it can lead to improvements in IQ, adaptive behavior, communication skills, social skills, and a reduction in challenging behaviors. ABA applies researchers’ understanding of how behavior works to real-life situations. ABA programs should be individualized to each person to increase skills or behaviors that are helpful and decrease those that are harmful or hinder learning. It should never be applied simply to “train out” individual differences or personality traits. Positive reinforcement is one of the main strategies in ABA.

BCBA stands for board-certified behavior analyst. A BCBA is a graduate-level certification in behavior analysis. Professionals certified at the BCBA level are independent practitioners who provide behavior-analytic services. The BCBA does behavioral assessments, creates treatment plans, supervises RBT direct therapy, provides parent coaching, and facilitates coordination of care between the school and other service providers.

RBT stands for registered behavior technician. An RBT will assist a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) in implementing a patient’s care plan.

Yes, instruction in natural environments allows opportunities for experiencing new places, learning community social skills in various locations, and advocating for sensory breaks. Our team can observe the child in the natural setting, and allow for the generalization of skills learned to everyday life. We recognize that family involvement is a critical part of skill development, so building opportunities for coaching and support during community family interactions (e.g., riding in the car, eating out, and shopping) can also be appropriate.

A Behavioral Health Center of Excellence Accredited ® Organization is an applied behavior analysis provider that has demonstrated it has met and continues to meet clinical and administrative standards as determined by an independent third-party evaluator. To learn more about BHCOE please follow this link.

The Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) is an association of agencies serving individuals with autism spectrum disorders. To learn more about CASP please follow this link.

FBH ABA personnel will not implement non-evidence-based practices. When a parent/caregiver indicates an interest in having their child participate in services lacking evidence, FBH staff will initiate a conversation with the parent/caregiver regarding the limited evidence available to support the use of the identified education, review the possible risks that could be associated with participating in non-evidence-based treatment, educate the parent/caregiver on how to make data-based decisions when deciding on what treatments to participate in, and actively work to address conflicts should they arise when parents/caregivers exercise their right to participate in non-evidence-based (e.g., open conversations around concerns/conflict, problem-solving around scheduling to assist with prioritizing ABA/evidence-based therapy over non-evidence-based therapy, termination of services if the conflict cannot be resolved in a manner where FBH staff feel they are able to provide ethical and quality services, etc.).

Examples of non-evidence-based therapies positioned as “autism cures” that could be potentially harmful include bleach cures, hyperbaric chambers, aversion therapy, chelation, biofeedback, supplements, electric shock, and stem cell therapy.

ABA Treatment & Process

The BCBA will schedule an initial assessment to: observe the client in the home/school/community, interview the family, complete developmental, academic, and/or behavioral assessments, and develop a treatment plan that supports the medical necessity for ABA services. The BCBA will look at present levels of challenging behaviors (what they look like, how often is it occurring, the function of behavior (why it is occurring), and then recommend antecedent strategies and replacement behavior teaching. Recommendations for treatment will be made to include areas of skill development and how we would recommend the services be provided:

  • Direct Therapy (RBT facilitates in-person skill development and behavior reduction)
  • Supervision (BCBA mentors RBT working in skill development and behavior reduction)
  • Program Modification (BCBA develops programs, materials, etc. for teaching new activities)
  • Caregiver Training (BCBA provides in-person or virtual training to the parents/families to generalize skills, and provide coaching for when the RBT/BCBA is not in the home)

The Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) defines Comprehensive ABA treatment as treatment of the multiple affected developmental domains, such as cognitive, communicative, social, emotional, and adaptive functioning as well as maladaptive behaviors. Intensity levels of 30-40 hours per week are common and necessary to achieve meaningful improvements in a large number of treatment targets. However, the intensity of comprehensive treatment must be individualized to the client’s characteristics and other factors.

Focused ABA is described as treatment provided directly to the client for a limited number of behavioral targets [functional skills, problem behaviors]. Intensity levels in a range of 10-25 hours per week are mentioned, with the caveat that the intensity may need to be higher depending on the nature of the target behaviors and other considerations, individualized to each client.

Per the BACB, “determinations as to whether ABA treatment should be focused or comprehensive and the intensity of treatment should be based on the medical necessity of the treatment for each individual client rather than the client’s chronological age, duration or nature of previous ABA services, or the like.”

Our Behavior Technicians (BTs) have a minimum of a high school diploma and at least one year of experience working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder or other learning challenges. If not already certified upon hire, BTs will complete the process to become certified as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) with the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB). The RBTs will also go through extensive training in ABA provided by FBH staff prior to entering the field to work with clients.

Our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) hold a minimum of a Master’s degree in Psychology, Education, or a related field, and have at least two years of experience working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder or other learning challenges. Our BCBAs hold a professional certificate with the BACB (BCBA) and Ohio State Board of Psychology (COBA) and are in good standing with both organizations. They all have experience with treatment planning, data analysis, clinical supervision, and parent/staff training.

ABA is a therapy that can help anyone change their behavior. As a fee for service, our clinicians can provide ABA therapy to a variety of individuals regardless of age or diagnosis. However, the insurance companies have erroneously limited the scope of our practice and determined that ABA is medically necessary only for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder within a specific age range. In order for ABA to be paid for by your insurance company you must have a formal diagnosis of ASD from an approved medical provider (MD or PhD) using standardized assessments with evidence in the diagnostic report that your child is likely to benefit from ABA.

Speech and Language Therapy

A speech-language pathologist, or speech therapist, is an expert in speech, language, and communication. Speech-language pathologists are trained to work with people of all ages, from babies to adults with a wide range of speech, language, and communication problems.

The goal of speech and language therapy is to assess and treat speech, language, and communication problems. Speech and language therapy can help improve speech sound production (articulation), language comprehension (receptive language), language expressive (expressive language), literacy, social communication (social/pragmatic language), fluency, voice, and cognitive communication, as well as foster the development of early communication skills.

There are a number of reasons an individual may benefit from speech and language therapy, which may include but are not limited to:

  • Speech and language delays
  • Difficulty communicating wants and needs
  • Difficulty with language expression (e.g., limited expressive vocabulary, reduced length of utterance, difficulty with grammar and sentence structure)
  • Difficulty with language comprehension (e.g., limited receptive vocabulary, difficulty following directions)
  • Difficulty answering questions
  • Speech sound errors
  • Reduced speech intelligibility
  • Disfluent speech or stuttering
  • Reduced play skills
  • Difficulty participating in a conversation
  • Difficulty participating in social interactions with peers
  • Difficulty reading and interpreting nonverbal social cues (e.g., facial expression)

Before beginning speech and language therapy, a thorough speech and language evaluation will need to be completed to determine areas of strength and opportunities for growth. If your child has recently had a speech and language evaluation, our speech-language pathologists will request a copy of previous assessments to determine if an updated evaluation is warranted, or if information from the previous evaluation can be used to develop appropriate goals and objectives for therapy.

A speech and language evaluation may include a review of records, parent/caregiver interviews, informal assessments, standardized assessments, and clinical observations. In most cases, it includes all of the above.

All of our speech-language pathologists have a minimum Master's level education in communication disorders. They have met the requirements and are licensed by the state of Ohio’s Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. In addition, all of our speech-language pathologists are members of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) and have their Certificate of Clinical Competency in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), or are meeting the requirements for their Clinical Fellowship, and are supervised by an experienced licensed speech-language pathologist.

It is really important to work with a speech/language pathologist when determining which form of AAC is going to be most effective to enhance communication. A speech/language pathologist can conduct an AAC evaluation, where the therapist will identify a communicator’s areas of strength and those areas where the communicator needs support. The speech/language pathologist will then trial different modes of communication to determine which one is most effective in helping the communicator get their message across. After the evaluation and trial period is complete, a speech-language pathologist can help assist with funding any equipment that is needed, as well as provide ongoing training to the communicator and caregivers.

The need for referral is insurance specific. In some instances, the insurance payer will require a referral from your primary care physician. Please call your insurance for more information.

Yes. Our speech-language pathologists are trained to assess and implement the use of AAC during therapy sessions, as well as provide training to communicators and caregivers.

Education Services

We partner with teachers to develop effective behavior intervention plans for students with learning challenges. We equip administration, teachers, and staff with the tools needed for their students to succeed. Our specialized team has experience differentiating instruction and progress monitoring. We can break down overwhelming academics into appropriate manageable steps.

Frazier Behavioral Health is an approved provider for the Autism Scholarship and Jon Peterson Scholarship and can provide services in the areas of Intervention, Speech, Psychological, and Aide Services.

We are committed to helping children remain in their least restrictive environment. That means that kids should be in school with their peers as much as possible. If your child’s school is willing to have our team work with your child in the school building we are happy to provide a portion of their specially designed services in their classroom.

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