All of Mandala’s therapists hold a Registered Behavior Technician certificate from the Board of Applied Behavior Analysis. Therapists continuously receive training and professional development in techniques that reflect best practice for the field through our customized competency-based training system. Ongoing supervision is provided by a master’s- or doctoral-level Board-Certified Behavior Analyst for your child’s initial assessment, skill acquisition programming, behavior plan development, and programming/treatment plan updates.

Our clinicians have strong backgrounds and experience in early intervention, behavior management, social skills programming, verbal behavior programming, adaptive living skills training, vocational training, toilet training, parent collaboration, and school consultation.

Early intervention focuses on children from infancy to kindergarten age with special needs that interfere with their development. The purpose of early intervention is to take advantage of critical years in a child’s development, allowing the benefits of targeted interventions to compound as they get older. Using ABA principles, early intervention aims to help your child reach goals created specifically for their needs, and to gain developmentally appropriate language and learning skills. Early intervention programs prepare your child for the transition to school-based learning with the objective of entering into the least restrictive environment possible.

Behavior management focuses on reducing challenging behaviors. These programs address behavioral concerns that may adversely affect school placement, as well as challenging behaviors that significantly impact the child’s ability to function in the home or community settings. The following challenging behaviors are frequently addressed:

• Aggression
• Self-injurious behavior
• Disruptive/dangerous behaviors
• Property destruction
• Noncompliance
• Elopement (running away from caretakers)
• Tantrums
• Toileting delays
• PICA (ingesting inedible objects)

The goal of treatment is to identify the environmental variables contributing to the challenging behavior in order to reduce the frequency, duration, and intensity of the challenging behavior. Our clinicians focus on determining socially appropriate replacement behaviors for the challenging behavior(s), and determined treatment strategies based on your child’s specific needs. Assessment results and other environmental variables that may affect treatment decisions (family structure, classroom structure, medical concerns, etc.) are also taken into consideration. Once the treatment team determines appropriate and effective interventions for the challenging behaviors, caretakers are trained to use the interventions in a variety of settings.

Day treatment services are also available, and are typically recommended for a minimum of four to five hours a day due to the ongoing safety concerns that often result from the intensity of a child’s behaviors. Your child may require a physician’s note that outlines the necessity of these services in order to maintain eligibility for Florida’s Step-Up scholarship program, especially if a modified school day is deemed to be clinically necessary.

At Mandala Wellness, our social skills services are designed to empower children and adolescents with the tools they need to navigate social interactions confidently and on their own terms. We support children with a variety of social skill challenges, such as forming peer relationships, sharing, engaging in conversations, using non-verbal cues appropriately, playing with toys, and understanding emotions, humor, and social cues.

Rather than pushing our clients into social situations, we focus on providing them with the skills and understanding to interact with the world if and when they choose to. By teaching pro-social behaviors, we help foster positive developmental outcomes like peer acceptance, improved academic performance, and a decrease in challenging behaviors across social settings. Our goal is to give children and adolescents the opportunity to build the social skills they need for meaningful interactions, while respecting their unique pace and comfort level.

At Mandala Wellness, we provide a comprehensive, individualized approach to addressing both verbal and adaptive living skills, empowering children to communicate effectively and function independently in their daily lives. Our goal is to give children the tools they need to engage with the world in meaningful ways, based on their unique strengths and needs.

Verbal behavior programs are a critical component of our ABA services, focusing on teaching functional communication skills that allow children to express their needs and desires. Based on B.F. Skinner’s work, verbal behavior programming helps children realize that using language appropriately will help them achieve their goals. When children with developmental delays struggle to express themselves, they may resort to problem behaviors. We aim to replace those behaviors by teaching a functional way to communicate.

Our verbal behavior programs use proven techniques like errorless teaching, prompting, and discrete trial training to ensure success. We personalize each child’s program based on their learning style, with options such as Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), American Sign Language (ASL), and technological aids like Proloquo, DynaVox, and iPads for those who are less vocal.

We combine Natural Environment Teaching (NET) and Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) techniques to teach these skills. Each therapy session is carefully structured, with data collected on progress, and is complemented by collaboration between our behavior analysts, the child’s family, teachers, and other professionals. This collaborative approach ensures goals are achieved and generalized across settings such as school, home, and the community.

Mandala also offers adaptive living skills training, which focuses on developing the daily life skills children need to function safely, independently, and age-appropriately. These skills include toileting, grooming, dressing, mealtime behaviors, cooking, housekeeping, safety, money management, and social awareness, among others.

Using a variety of assessments, including parent and teacher questionnaires, therapist evaluations, and direct observations, we create a targeted plan to improve each child’s independence. The goal of adaptive living skills training is to increase a child’s ability to manage daily tasks on their own, while also providing caregivers with the knowledge and strategies to support this growth across various settings.

At Mandala Wellness, we use a variety of assessments to ensure that our behavior programs are personalized and effective. These assessments help us determine each child’s current abilities and guide the creation of individualized goals. Our comprehensive evaluation process includes the following tools:

• ABLLS-R (Assessment of Basic Learning and Language Skills): A tool used to assess a child’s basic learning and language skills, helping us track developmental progress in communication and behavior.
• VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program): An assessment tool designed specifically to evaluate verbal behavior and communication milestones, providing a structured approach to teaching language.
• AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills): A tool used to evaluate a child’s ability to perform essential life skills, such as toileting, dressing, and safety awareness.
• Vineland-3 (Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scales): A standardized assessment that measures adaptive behaviors, focusing on skills required for independence and daily functioning.
• Socially Savvy: A tool that evaluates a child’s social skills, including interactions with peers and understanding of social cues and behaviors.
• ESDM (Early Start Denver Model): A comprehensive early intervention model used to assess and improve social, communication, and behavioral skills in young children with autism.
• ABAS-3 (Adaptive Behavioral Assessment System): A system used to assess a child’s adaptive behaviors in areas such as self-care, home living, and community involvement, providing insight into their day-to-day functioning.

By using these assessments, we ensure that each child’s program is based on their unique needs, strengths, and developmental stage, helping them progress toward their full potential.

At Mandala Wellness, we believe in offering children the tools they need to thrive, in a way that feels natural and empowering for them. Our science-driven, data-informed methods are always delivered with empathy, understanding, and compassion, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow at their own pace and choose how they wish to engage with the world around them.

We believe in the power of parent collaboration as an essential component of your child’s treatment journey. Our parent collaboration sessions empower you to become an active participant in your child’s progress by teaching you effective behavior analytic techniques that you can implement in the home and community settings.

These sessions provide a direct coaching experience with your child’s therapist, allowing you to receive valuable feedback and guidance. They create an opportunity for you to ask questions, troubleshoot specific strategies, and build confidence in applying behavior management skills consistently. By working together, we ensure you feel supported and equipped to contribute meaningfully to your child’s development and success.

Mandala provides consultation services to school districts seeking assistance with Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and behavior management difficulties. Clinicians work closely with the school to select appropriate goals for students by providing direct assistance with the writing and presenting of IEPs. Mandala clinicians also assist the school by conducting Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) and writing Behavior Treatment Plans (BTP). FBAs consist of both indirect assessments and direct assessments. Examples of indirect assessments include parent/teacher interviews, standardized behavior rating scales, and questionnaires. Examples of direct assessments include direct observations of the student in the classroom and ABC data collection. The results of the FBA are then used to write an individualized BTP. Teachers and aides are trained on the BTP by clinicians and provided with supervision and feedback as the plan is implemented.