Intervention for Children with Autism in Colorado
Intervention for children with autism in Colorado| On any given day at the PlayDate Behavioral Interventions center, the staff is buzzing around excited about something a child has accomplished or pitching in to help each other guide a child that has had a rough day. Accomplishments like tying shoes or saying a three-word sentence for the first time are all occasions for celebration for everyone involved at this Colorado Springs nonprofit that provides intervention for children with autism in Colorado!
Established in 2007, the mission of PlayDate Behavioral Interventions is to provide high-quality intervention to children with autism in Colorado as well as children with other disabilities while educating the community, regardless of the family’s ability to pay for services. When Christina Nulk entered private practice as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), she discovered a huge gap between the services available and the number of children needing services. Many families lacked the funding to pay for the kind of high-quality, research-based programs BCBAs typically offer. Since its inception, the program has seen enormous growth and they now offer a full range of services for children with disabilities.
PlayDate provides a full spectrum of applied behavior analysis (ABA) services including therapy, respite, and educational placement for families raising children with disabilities. The services are provided in the home, community, school and at PlayDate’s 5,000 square foot facility in Colorado Springs. Their facility provides the best environment for learning and having fun with therapy rooms, a sensory gym with a ball pit, swing, and zip line as well as a laundry room and kitchen to support learning independent living skills. PlayDate has individualized programming for children birth to 18 years of age.
In 2011, PlayDate Behavioral Interventions provided over $90,000 in scholarship and pro bono services to families for interventions for children with autism in Colorado. Executive Director Christina Nulk predicts the nonprofit will provide over $150,000 in unreimbursed services during 2012. "There is an unmet need for behavioral therapy in a fun environment and we are working hard to ensure that every child that needs it has the opportunity for this kind of service", notes Nulk. Families receiving services from PlayDate can’t say enough about the changes in their children. After just a few months of services, one mother of an 8 year old remarked “What you guys have done is like magic. He has had previous therapy, but the results were not the same.” Most notably is the extent to which this organization goes to in order to serve families raising children with disabilities. For example, staff members often drive to Cripple Creek to pick up children and bring them to the center to ensure that a family’s lack of transportation does not limit their access to services. All this at no extra cost to the family!
There are many opportunities to contribute to this inspiring cause, including free ways to support this amazing organization! PlayDate is participating in the Give! 2012 campaign as well as Colorado Gives Day and needs your support to continue providing vital services to local families. Visit www.myplaydate.org or call (719) 465-3989 to learn more about interventions for children with autism in Colorado.