INTENSIVE SERVICES PROGRAM

WHAT IS AUTISM?

Autism is a neurobiological disorder that affects approximately 6 in 1,000 people. It affects a persons’ ability to communicate and interact with others. Individuals with autism typically show stereotypical behavior, repetitive and limited interest in various activities.

Maui Youth and Family Services offers a comprehensive program to serve youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Significant Mental Retardation (SMR) in the community, home, and school settings.

Services Offered:

IISC  -  The intensive instructional service consultant is a Bachelor’s degreed professional who develops goals and objectives for the child commensurate with the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The consultant then leads and directs other team members to facilitate the child’s growth in different areas of their life. These team members usually include at minimum the parents, classroom teachers, and Skills Trainers.

STs Skills trainers hold at minimum an Associates degree. They typically provide the majority of service hours as led and directed by the IISC. Most often, the skills trainers work with children after school in the home and community. The skills trainer level of intervention fades as the child becomes independent.

Parent trainer:

Parent trainers hold a Master’s degree and work with the parent to help them understand what autism means, what programs and interventions will benefit the child, and any other educational needs the family might have in relation to ASD/SMR.

Therapeutic rec:

Skills trainers provide students with ASD opportunities to interact with typical peers in natural environments. The TR  program encourages social skills and communication development in community settings (such as youth centers, public parks and beaches, after-school programs)

 The MYFS intensive services program provides these services collaboratively with the Hawaii Department of Education. The service is free to families, with individualized attention given to each child and family. Just as autism is a spectrum disorder, the intensive service program offers an individualized program for each child and family, drawing on a wide variety of research based methods and modalities.