• Consistency – All of your worker/therapists learn the same thing, get the same message, do the same practice exercises, read the same material, so you get workers who finish the program being predictably consistent in their knowledge and skill set.

• Reliability – All the right material and information is covered EVERY TIME, as opposed to the more traditional ‘stamp pad method’ of training. You know this – its when you have your expensive expert consultant train the initial therapist(s) and that therapist trains the next therapist, who trains the next therapist... with the initial information getting weaker and weaker.

• Control – You will have more control over the workers’ learning process, and the assumptions and attitudes that they are forming.

• Efficient learning - All the information is covered in a logical, sequential way, building learning and competency in an efficient, timely format. It’s the best way to get the most information to stick in the shortest amount of time.

• Cost effectiveness – Consultants are expensive. At $75 to $100 an hour, it can cost up to $2,500 for three days of training (not including possible transportation and accommodation costs), vs. $99 for the Help Us Learn program. Some people like to use their consultant for the initial team training, but it can be prohibitive to bring your consultant back every time you have to train a replacement worker. I like to put my workers through the training and 3 – 6 weeks of on-line experience before I bring my consultant in to evaluate them and give developmental feedback.

• Flexibility – The program works equally well as a facilitated seminar lead by you or a team leader or teacher, or as a self-paced study course that can be done alone. It can be scheduled to do all at once, which takes about three days, or spaced out over a longer period of time (I like to do mornings as study and afternoons as practical observation and practice). It doesn’t have to be done ‘on-site’ – workers can take it home and complete it. You could even ask them to do it on their own time.

• Reference material – It’s a great reference resource that each therapist can keep to refer to. (Have them return it if they leave!)

• Interactive format – The program is filled with practical exercises, knowledge quizzes, role-plays, observational exercises, and guided discussions. 

• Easy to understand - The program is written in a style that makes it accessible to all of the people that you would want to include; grandparents, aunts & uncles, teachers, friends, camp counselors, etc. Even if these people are not actively teaching your curriculum, they will be able to contribute to your child’s development when they understand the most effective way to interact, whether it is through play, short verbal exchanges, or responding to your child’s verbal or non-verbal requests.

• Do you live in a place with no access to consultants?
• Are you on a wait-list for services?
• Do you want to start now?
• Do you have a consultant that has to fly in from another city to train workers?
• Do you want to save money on training costs?
• Are you hiring your first team of workers? Do you want to get them up to speed fast?
• Do you want to take an active role in managing your child's program?
  

Parents or Educators currently running an ABA program at home or at school…

• Are you training a replacement worker?
• Do all of your worker/therapists understand WHY they are doing what they are doing?
• Would you rather save expensive Consultant fees for assessments, curriculum updating or school meetings?
• Does the school understand how to manage or support your program?
• Do all of the important people in your child's life understand and support what you are doing? Teachers, grandparents, aunts & uncles, babysitters, friends, camp counselors, doctors…?
  

Service providers...

• Speech & Language Pathologists
• Occupational therapists
• Psychologists
• Autism Consultants
• Nursery School Directors
  

Relatives or friends of a child with autism. Students who want to work with children with special needs.