One of the primary reasons we started Community Behavior Consulting was because of the dozens of families we have encountered that have had to make sacrifices to obtain needed services for their child. Sometimes the families have to pull their child out of school due to large concerns over health and safety, sometimes families are encouraged by schools to send their child to a different school that is often out of the area, and sometimes families do not feel like their child is ready for school. While Ohio has more voucher options than most states to allow children with disabilities to attend a different school, when that choice is made, parents often have to give up services. Services that are given up can be anything from the peace of mind of their child being five minutes away, free school transportation, free school lunch, certain free therapies guaranteed by a child's IEP, and often the right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). When in crisis, it is understandable why parents choose to sacrifice some services for the hope of better treatment. At Community Behavior Consulting, we will not accept that children with disabilities have anything less than any other student.
The goal of Community Behavior Consulting is not to replace school, but to complement school. In taking this approach, a child will not have to give up services or the opportunities to be in their school. Additionally, the many benefits of being in school and having the opportunity to have peer role models remains. While every child progresses differently, being connected to school while seeking behavioral treatment allows for an easier transition when a child has gained the necessary skills to be back in school full time.
Just like the field of ABA, schools are working to improve their educational methods every year. Special education services, in particular, are constantly evolving. Schooling for children with disabilities should look different than it did five to ten years ago. We want to be a part of that evolution so that we can work toward a more inclusive world.
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