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Mission: Providing ABA help for challenging cases.

Many times families and teams find themselves unable to find Applied Behavior Analysis providers. This can be discouraging when you are trying to support someone you care about. Perhaps you have been turned away because of the client's age, or the diagnosis, or the seriousness of the maladaptive behaviors. We hope to be part of the solution. In those cases where it has been difficult to find support for challenging cases, we may be able to help.

Let's talk. Reach out to us at info@HarrisBehavioral.org

My name is Sam Harris. I am a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Licensed Behavior Analyst here in Arizona. I have had the opportunity to serve individuals with Autism, Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, PTSD, Down Syndrome, Intellectual Disability and other diagnoses. A person is more than the sum of their diagnoses and behaviors. For this reason I desire to serve the needs of the underserved by discovering who they are as an individual and helping to develop a behavior plan to meet their needs.

I have been fortunate to serve the needs of individuals who have had difficulties gaining access to services in the past. Perhaps it was the severity of their behaviors, or their age, or the complexities of comorbidities. I want to be here to help if I can.

Applied Behavior Analysis

What is ABA? Applied Behavior Analysis is the scientific study of human behavior, which is then used to help develop behavior change plans for individuals with behavioral needs.

Skill development. ABA can be used to develop skills and abilities which are lagging (hygiene habits, dressing or eating skills for example).

What about problem behaviors? ABA can also be used to decrease maladaptive behaviors that might be occurring. Physical aggression, self harm, or sexually inappropriate behavior are common areas of need.

Is ABA individualized? Each individual is more than their diagnosis. They are unique and fit into their environment in a way that no one else does. This means that the behavior plan also needs to be developed with that one individual in mind, not a cookie cutter approach.

Long term benefits. Studies have found significant and lasting change in individuals who receive ABA service. The goal is to see a permanent improvement in the quality of their lives through improved abilities. We think about their situation now, and also where the individual will be 5 and 10 years from now.

The Process of beginning service:

1. You reach out for a consultation meeting to discuss whether ABA may be helpful in your case, and whether we might be a good fit. You can email info@HarrisBehavioral.org and we will set up a time when we can connect by video and talk. This meeting is free and no obligation.

1. A Functional Behavior Assessment is completed (after we get preapproval from insurance). This will include interviews with those who know the client best, and direct observations by the BCBA. This generally takes 2-3 weeks.

1. The completed Functional Behavior Assessment is presented to the team, along with service recommendations and proposed goals. We want to work toward goals that can make a significant improvement in the life of the client and make sense to all the stakeholders.

1. After approval, service can begin.

Important info:

What ages: We are able to serve clients 9 years and older, including adults.

What services we provide: We provide ABA by direct service or by consultation. At this time we don't offer diagnostic services, speech, OT, talk therapy, or other services.

How we serve: The approach we use includes a supervising BCBA. The BCBA will also provide ongoing training for parents or group home staff. Doing much of the direct work with the client is an RBT chosen specifically for the client.

Locations: We serve the East Valley area (Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, San Tan, Queen Creek). In some cases where the client is located remotely in rural areas, telehealth can be used to deliver service. Because we serve the clients where they live, we do not have a physical clinic in which to deliver services. We serve clients in family homes, group homes, foster homes, schools, or workplaces.

What diagnoses do we serve? We address behaviors, not diagnoses. The client may have an Autism diagnosis, or they may have other diagnoses. The truth is that it is often easier to get through the insurance preapproval process if the client has a diagnosis of Autism. But if your case manager will help with the process of insurance approval, we have also served clients with other diagnoses. These challenging diagnoses might include Schizophrenia, Bipolar, ODD, Conduct disorder, Down syndrome, or other conditions. We don't serve the diagnosis, we serve the person, by addressing behaviors.

What about insurance? We are in network with Mercy Care and UHC. Even if we are not in network, your insurance can provide a single case agreement so that we can serve the client. Alternately, we also accept private pay.

Are you a Registered Behavior Technician ?

Do you live in the East Valley?

Does what we're talking about above appeal to you?

Do you desire to be part of the solution in tricky cases, like we do?

If so, drop us a line at info@HarrisBehavioral.org !