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From www.autismintervention.com:
While there is no cure for autism, individuals can be helped significantly. The reality is that there are literally dozens of different approaches to autism intervention. Unfortunately, most lack the scientific rigor to support the claims being made by the originators of these approaches.
The key to helping these individuals is to involve them in intensive early behavioral intervention (“IEBI”). Although research in Autism has been going on for some 40 years, it was only since the claims of psychologist Lovaas and his colleagues in 1987 and 1993 that the area of autism intervention had truly developed.
Research shows that training parents to work with their children can have a tremendous impact on the child with autism and the entire family system. However, there is a lack of trainers available. Long waiting lists force many parents to turn to alternative treatments which typically calm parents but do little for these children.
Threshold strongly endorses parent training and has embarked on the creation a unique training program to ensure that parents and trainers have the requisite skills to effect change in behavior and the acquisition of appropriate skills. The Behavior Simulation Training® programs (BeST®) are scheduled for release in 2009. Using 21st Century computer simulation programming developed for the Department of Defense and industry, this series of training disks allow parents and clinicians alike to virtually "create" an avatar representing their child or client. Through slide bar and imaging technology the avatar can be programmed to look and act like a particular child or adult.
The BeST® program is divided into three phases:
The Creation Phase allows the user to develop the physical and behavioral characteristics of the avatar.
The Learning Phase trains the trainer in critical behavioral training skills and language. This phase has a number of skill building games to aid and reinforce learning. Counting and timing devices are built into the training to demonstrate fluency and skill acquisition.
The Training Phase pairs the avatar with the skills developed by the user in a series of real time training programs.
Once the trainer or parent has acquired skills to work with their child or client they can transition from the computer room to the classroom.
Avatar training in this environment allows parents and trainers alike the freedom to make mistakes and learn. Through simulation behavior shaping and reinforcing can be modeled and expanded to see whether or not the behavior being shaped is actually the target behavior. Inappropriately shaped behavior with a child or adult may take weeks or months to extinguish. With the avatar a simple return to baseline click allows the user to start over.
Threshold is pleased to have partnered with H3 Consultants, Inc. and the Harrington Group, Inc. www.harrington-group.com to develop and field this revolutionary family of products. H3 is a behavioral consulting group emphasizing the application of behavior analysis in the virtual world to better understand how behavior influences all aspects of learning and training. H3 provides the "why" in why people behave as they do in the real world setting. The Harrington Group then translates those behaviors into a virtual environment.
The Harrington Group is an advanced technology company that provides organizations of all sizes with quality management software solutions for their quality management and regulatory compliance needs.
Harrington is a leading supplier of simulation and training products. They use advanced technologies and techniques in the development of highly immersive virtual environments. Leveraging various tools such as commercial gaming engines, HGI produces highly effective 3D, real time simulations to meet a wide range of training requirements.
Working as a team, we believe that we can increase the skills of parents and trainers to help overcome the extreme shortage of therapists.
The application of behavioral modification and virtual simulation training will go a long way toward giving parents a tool they can use and hopefully lead them away from approaches that have not met the rigors of scientific analysis.
For additional information please call 321-303-4881.
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