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 HISTORY OF ABC1ON1 ABC 1on1 is the realization of a dream I've had for twelve years. In September of 1992, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Jonathan. In all ways, Jonathan seemed perfect. He walked on time, he talked on time, he engaged with other people, and he even put three baby words together at 16 months! We were delighted with our little boy, but something changed in March of 1994 and that change spun our world in a direction no one could have foreseen. At 18 months, Jonathan completely stopped talking. He no longer responded to his name, he didn't run to the T.V. anymore when he heard the Barney theme song, he just seemed to withdraw into his own little world seemingly overnight. To us, it suddenly appeared our child had gone deaf. Streams of doctors and countless tests led us to a diagnosis of P.D.D. - N.O.S (Pervasive Developmental Delay - Not Otherwise Specified) and later Autism. My husband and I had never even heard the word autism and here we were thrust blindly into a lifelong journey down this unknown path with our son's future at stake. I poured over every book I could get my hands on and my husband worked overtime with his construction company to pay out of pocket for every test, every casein-free/gluten-free ingredient, every vitamin, every magic pill. The book "Let Me Hear Your Voice" by Catherine Maurice sparked the upswing in my son's therapy, and in our lives. This introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis led me to research the Lovaas Program as well as the SonRise program, and after attending several workshops nationwide, I developed a lesson plan tailored to my son and our lives. It worked! Jonathan began learning! At four, we finally heard him talk again. He learned to identify colors, letters, numbers, and shapes, first receptively, then expressively. His eye contact improved. He began asking for things he wanted, he answered yes or no questions, and could engage in simple conversation! He gained fine motor and gross motor skills as well and his tolerance of community activities and family outings was greatly improved! Following a move to Arizona, I began working as a provider through a couple agencies. I facilitated a classroom setting and later directed for one. I learned many things but never felt I had enough control to fully implement what I thought would be best. I wanted to build a place that Jonathan would have benefited from, a place he would have enjoyed going and that I would've felt comfortable taking him to. Jonathan had learned well in our home, but I felt that a center-based environment where he could have been surrounded by peers would have been even better. The ABC center at Gilbert and highway 60 is the place I'd always dreamt of. Here, our children are paired one-on-one with their provider but are in a group setting! They have the benefit of individualized attention, yet the exposure to peers that helps prepare our children for that experience in public school. The one-on-one time focuses on each child's individual objectives and the group Circle Time and Art Time mirrors those our children see in school, while working on social skills, following directions, and fine motor goals! The providers have a supervisor that oversees everyone and is there to assist and answer any questions. Security is very important to ABC; the entire building, with the exception of the bathrooms, is equipped with security cameras that record everything. A live feed of the cameras is present in the administration office as well. During Respite time, the recreation half of our 12,000 square foot building houses everything our children need to let their imaginations run wild! From the dress-up room and the sensory room to the putting green and the movie theatre, our kids enjoy their Respite time while still learning social skills and improving on gross motor goals! (But shhh... Don't tell them!) I'm very proud of our center and our program. It's a dream come true for me and it's one I'd love to share with you and your family. MISSION STATEMENT ABC 1on1 provides tailored programs for all ages and uniquely-abled individuals, specializing in a 1 on 1 habilitation technique combining the Lovaas, P.A.C.E, and SonRise programs to best prepare consumers for the least-restrictive environment. ABC 1on1 is an agency of the Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities servicing greater Maricopa county! (Ahwatukee, Chandler, Gilbert, Guadelupe, Higley, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe.). |
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