Access For Autism Inc.

Communication Intervention and Consulting Services

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Customized Services For Children With Autism Provided By:

Barbara Hitchcock M.S.P.A., R.SLP, S-LP(C), CCC-SLP

Registered Speech Language Pathologist


Access for Autism provides a variety of services to support the needs of children with Autism. Services can be provided within the child’s home, on site at our clinic, or at school when contracted by a school district. All services are on an individual contract basis and focus specifically on speech, language and communication skills. All clients need to present with a documented diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

We Provide . . .

ACCESS

Assessment
Communication Therapy
Consultation
Educational Support
Social Skills Development
Staff training and Support

Assessment

Comprehensive assessment of skills within the following areas:


  • Receptive / Expressive Language

  • Vocabulary and Concepts

  • Language and Processing

  • Pragmatic Language Skills

  • Social Language Skills

  • Articulation

Clear concise reporting of assessment results, interpretation of test scores, and development of recommendations are all part of the assessment process

Communication Therapy

Provision of a variety of intervention techniques that match the needs of the child including:

  • Intense intervention — IBI

  • Language Facilitation

  • Specific speech and language therapy

  • Learning through play

  • Direct therapy with a Registered Speech Language Pathologist

Individual program plans with long and short term goals are provided as part of the treatment process.

Consultation

Consultation can be provided to both home and school based programs. Services focus on:

  • Develop support strategies

  • Assisting with setting communication goals

  • Supporting specific intervention activities

  • Supporting home based staff and Educational Assistants

Educational Support

Support for the development of:

  • Custom made visual supports

  • Schedules and social stories

  • Templates for augmentative communication

  • Picture Exchange communication

  • Modified curriculum activities

Social Skills Development

Intervention focused on:

  • Developing conversation skills

  • Expanding understanding of social situations and conventions

  • Development of pragmatic language skills

  • Support to help students with communication skills required for peer relationships

Staff Training and Support

Individual and small group training for specific intervention techniques. Workshops and in services on topics related to Autism can be provided on request.

Barbara Hitchcock

Barbara Hitchcock M.S.P.A., R.SLP, S-LP(C), CCC-SLP has over 40 years of clinical experience with severe needs students, including many with Autism.

She has worked with families in home based intense intervention for children with Autism and has provided treatment and consultation to a number of school districts in Central Alberta for students presenting with Autism. The focus of her work has been with young children ages 2-8.

Barbara has taught at the college level in the area of Communication Disorders for the Rehabilitation Practitioner, and Educational Assistant diploma programs. She has presented numerous workshops to teachers and educational assistants for school districts in Central Alberta. Barbara has been in private practice since 1994, providing contracted services to families, school districts and community agencies.

Contact Us.

You can get ahold of us anytime by filling out the contact form, or, you can reach us using either the email or phone number listed below.

Email: hitch3@telus.net
Phone: 1 (403) 350-4863

COVID Guidelines

Access for Autism Inc. is in compliance with all Covid protocols provided by Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Alberta College of Speech Language Pathologists (ACSLPA) These Include the following for all in person services:

  • Adults are required to wear a mask at all times.

  • Sessions by appointment only

  • Only one adult can attend with the client (no siblings)

  • Please wait in your car until your scheduled appointment time. Your clinician will let you in.

  • Hand sanitize at the start and end of each session.

  • You will be asked the standard Covid screening questions.

  • Please do not attend if you, your child, or a household member is sick, has been deemed in close contract or is in quarantine/isolation. Please cancel.

  • You will be required to sign a COVID waiver indicating you understand and accept the potential risk of attending an in person session.

  • We are adhering to all protective measures to ensure the safety of both our clients and staff. This includes consistent disinfecting of surfaces and materials used in a session, masking, and protective barriers.