a handbook for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders

ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONSHow do I get BHRS or wraparound services?In order to obtain BHRS, you can have your child evaluated at one of themental health providers in the county (See Appendix I). An evaluation will beoffered within seven days of the initial phone call.What will happen at an evaluation for BHRS?There isn’t onespecific cause ofAutism. Researchhas focused onwhether chemicalimbalances,differences in thebrain, genetics, orproblems with theimmune system playa role in causing thedisorder.Before the evaluation, a master’s-level clinician will ask you questions aboutyour child’s developmental history and current and past behaviors, includingdefinitions of the behaviors, the frequency and intensity of the behaviors, pastmedical history review of strengths, current school or preschool placement ifrelevant, drug and alcohol history if relevant, family psychiatric history, pasttreatment, and medical history. You should bring as much information aspossible to this appointment.The clinician will make a level-of-care determination for BHRS and/or anotherlevel of care that will address your child’s needs.What is a Functional Behavioral Analysis and should one be completedfor my son/daughter?A Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA) is an attempt to look beyond theobvious interpretation of behavior and determine the specific function that itmay be serving for a child. Truly understanding why a child behaves a certainway is the first and best step to developing strategies to stop the behavior.An FBA includes the gathering of information through interviews of caregiversas well as direct observation and data analysis of when the behaviors occur.During the FBA process, the family, school staff, and a BHRS BSC (trainedin the FBA process) will observe your child in several of the settings inwhich the behavior occurs. The BSC notes what comes before the behavior(also called the “antecedent”), the behavior, and what happens after thebehavior (also called the “consequence”) over a period of time. The BSC alsointerviews teachers, parents, and other caregivers who work with the childto evaluate how the child’s diagnosis may affect behavior and manipulatethe environment to see if there is a way to avoid the behavior (for example,providing a child with a sensory tool such as a chewy tube to avoid having thechild chew on inedibles in his or her environment). This information becomesthe basis for a behavior plan. The behavior plan will include specific treatmentinterventions to replace destructive, disruptive, or distracting behaviors withmore socially appropriate, acceptable behaviors.- Page 12 -