Social Care Awards 2017

20 | ghp Social Care Awards 2017 Best Autism Treatment & Prevention Centre- Caribbean SO170029 Tomorrow’s Voices provides direct one to one therapy to clients between the ages of 2 and 21, utilising the research-based principles of behaviour analysis. With a focus on the Verbal Behaviour method of teaching language, the centre’s therapists work with clients across a range of skills, such as language acquisition, early and intermediate academics, social skills, play, self-help, daily-living and motor skills. Thea explains that the overall mission of Tomorrow’s Voices is to be able to provide the individualised therapy that each client requires, thus improving their quality of life in a truly significant way for the client and their families. “We aim to provide them with the skills they need to live the most fulfilled, independent, and inclusive life they possibly can. Due to the fact that we are currently the only establishment in Bermuda that offers ABA therapy, we are inundated with the need that continues to present itself on the island. We currently subsidize 70% of the costs for therapy, which means that the families are only responsible for paying 30% of the overall cost of the therapy. In order to cover these costs, our centre raises funds through grants and donations. “In addition to the services we provide at the centre, we have presented multiple applications to The Bermuda Health Council in an attempt to get ABA therapy included as a part of their insurance coverage. We will keep working towards this goal so that more families are able to afford this essential therapy for their children. It is also our goal to educate the community about Autism and ABA, and in order to achieve this we offer many training opportunities throughout the year to parents, teachers, and allied health professionals. “Our focus is to provide services that have been empirically supported as the most effective intervention for individuals with Autism and other developmental disabilities. We are an early intervention centre, so where possible we like to work with clients from about 2 years old, as research has shown that optimum benefits are observed when ABA is utilised between 2 and 5 years old. Our centre is overseen by two Board Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBAs), who both have approximately ten years working in the field of ABA. We also have a number of staff members who boast a range of different qualifications and backgrounds, making us a very diverse team. Our combined experiences with a variety of children, in a range of different ABA environments, allows us to implement high quality therapy and helps us to overcome any challenges that we are experiencing with the clients or the targets they are working on.” As an organisation providing such a vital service, Thea expresses how focused the team at Tomorrow’s Voices are on their continued professional development, and how hard they work to ensure they gel well as a team. “Due to the nature of the work that we do, it is critical that we are able to rely on each other for support when it is needed. At the most senior level of our staffing team, we try to demonstrate how to be a team player and act supportively, Tomorrow’s Voices is an early intervention centre that provides Applied Behaviour Analytic (ABA) services to children, adolescents and young adults with Autism or other developmental disabilities. Thea Furbert, Co- Founder and Board Chair of the centre, was eager to tell us more about the valuable work they undertake.