Therapy services for children above 7 years

The Lizard Centre provides school aged services for children ages 7 through 16 based on the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis. We offer a hybrid model of therapy that takes place across a variety of environments including our centres, in the child’s home, out in the community, and within the child’s educational environment. Our therapy occurs across a variety of environments because it is meant to have impact where your child needs it most.

With an emphasis on learning in the child’s home, learning environment, and in the community, we focus on building your child’s learning to learn skills. These skills include communication, personal independence, relationship building, and how to work together with, and learn from others so that they can move on into their schools, greater social circles, and local communities with confidence and independence.

Included within our approach is a focus on capacity building for the key people within your child’s life. This means that we will work together with you, your child’s educators, your child’s other therapists, and any other key people in your child’s life, so that they can better support your child as they grow up.

• It is based upon the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis. This means that our interventions are evidence based and your clinician will consistently document and evaluate the outcomes of the designed learning program to ensure that your child is learning in an efficient and meaningful way.
• It takes time. Your child’s therapeutic program will likely consist of multiple sessions per week. A typical therapy session lasts for two hours and it can take place in the environment that is most relevant to the learner. It is likely that your child’s relationship with the Lizard centre will last for a year or more, as learning takes time, and your child’s clinicians will be working to make sure that the learning that occurs will have impact not just now, but for years to come.
• You, the parents and support providers will play a key role in the development, monitoring, and implementation of your child’s learning program. You will be consulted and involved on every step of your child’s journey. This is to maximise the impacts of interventions designed, and to build sustainability into your child’s learning program.
• Each program is designed upon an individualized assessment, which means no two interventions are alike. During the first month of your child’s program they will go through an assessment and program development phase in which their key skills and strengths will be identified, and goals for growth will be developed in order to measure your child’s progress.
• Your child’s input will be valued and heard. While your child may communicate in different ways, it doesn’t mean they aren’t communicating. The Lizard Centre places your child at the centre of their learning program and understands that ultimately it is their choice to participate. Early intervention programs designed at the Lizard Centre are put together in such a way so that your child will want to participate and be a part of their learning journey.
• The Lizard Centre recognizes that your child’s learning journey will continue to evolve, and we pledge to be with you every step of the way.

• Your child’s team will be headed up by a Behaviour Support Specialist (BSS). This will be someone who is credentialed as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or a Certified Behaviour Analyst (CBA). They will be in charge of conducting your child’s initial assessments, designing their individualised program, providing you and your child’s support network with specific teachings on how to support them on their learning journey. The BSS will be your key resource navigating your child’s learning journey as they change and grow.
• Your child’s day-to-day therapy will be conducted by certified therapy assistants who are specially trained in your child’s individualized learning program.
• Scheduling of your child’s therapy services will be done by Lizard’s Scheduling Coordinators. They will be who you turn to when setting up your child’s therapy calendar, making changes or cancellations, and adding new therapy assistants to your child’s team.
• The Lizard Centre’s offices and staff are orchestrated by an Operations Manager. This is the person that you will speak with when setting up your service contract with the Lizard Centre, and who keeps the centre running smoothly so that your child’s team can focus on the therapy program.
• From time to time your child’s BSS may work together with the Senior Centre Clinician and the Clinical Director in updating or adjusting the therapeutic program. The Senior Centre Clinician and Clinical Director are internationally accredited, advanced practitioners in their field with greater than five years of clinical supervision experience.