Futures Behavior Therapy Center

Our Mission

Futures Behavior Therapy Center (“Futures”) was founded in April 2006 with the mission of providing quality and individualized treatment to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. By collaborating with families, educators and medical clinicians, we strive to build better “futures” for the child and their families, helping them reach their fullest potential and enabling them to live more productive and independent lives.

Our Philosophy

Futures believes that a program following the principals of Applied Behavior Analysis provides the most promising and successful treatment option for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. ABA therapy provides children with autism a way to learn in a more structured environment that includes positive reinforcement, errorless learning, prompt fading and discrete trials. ABA techniques can be individualized and implemented to help a child develop language, appropriate behaviors and responses, self-help, academic, play and social skill-sets. This approach is a rigorous therapy that is backed by 50 years of research in the field.

Identify population of students to be served

Futures School is a school designed to meet the academic, social and behavioral needs of children in grades pre-K through 12+ (ages 3 to 22). The proposed number of students to be served is 18 students in four classrooms (4-5 students per class). The school is designed to address the academic abilities as well as the severe behavioral needs of children identified as having autism spectrum disorders.

Educational and Behavioral Characteristics of Population

The emphasis of Futures School will be to provide an individualized academic curriculum combined with a high level of behavioral support and interventions to students. The behavioral characteristics of the identified population of students are severe aggressive behavior, self-injurious behavior and communication deficits that have resulted in social, behavioral and academic difficulties within the general education environment.

The population of students identified for Futures School requires a highly structured environment that utilizes a teaching method based on Applied Behavior Analysis throughout their day for children to reach their fullest academic potential. Every student will have an individually designed academic and ABA based behavioral program to meet his/her learning, social and behavioral needs. Academics will be provided at the child’s level and each child will have a behavioral team who will work with the child on social and/or behavioral issues. Additionally, students will be provided speech and language services, physical therapy services and occupational therapy services during the school day to assist with the development of language and learning. All services will be provided during the school day so that students have ongoing therapeutic support.

The proposed staffing structure will provide a 1:1 bachelor level teacher to student ratio, 6:1 Master’s level Special Education teacher to student ratio and a 9:1 Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to student ratio. The proposed staffing will include: Educational Director, Clinical Director, Special Education Teachers, ABA Therapists, Occupational Therapist and a Speech and Language Pathologist.

Our School Goals & Objectives

Futures School’s goals focus on two major areas: the student and the parent. Futures School believes that to have a positive impact on a student’s future, a team oriented approach is crucial in working with students, families, community agencies and school districts. Through ongoing communication and collaboration with Futures School staff the student is the ultimate benefactor. Futures School is to provide an educational environment for students that is nurturing, empathic, supportive and supports the educational and behavioral needs of the student.

A. The Student:

To provide an individualized academic curriculum that prepares the student for life skills.
To provide a school environment that will support the student’s behavioral needs so that their true abilities can develop.
To provide an educational environment that is nurturing, empathic, and supportive of the student with Autism.
The student will gain the academic, behavioral and emotional skills necessary to function in the community.
A consistent and continuous academic school year that prevents regression of skills learned.

B. The Parent and School District:

To work collaboratively with parents on supporting their goals and dreams for their child.
To provide ongoing support and communication around their child’s academic, behavioral and emotional growth and/or struggles.
To work collaboratively with parents through the implementation of behavioral programs.
To work collaboratively with parents and the school district in preparing the student for school transitions.
To communicate, consult and collaborate with parents about their child’s strengths, weaknesses, struggles and areas for future growth.

Implementation-Educational Services:

Content Requirements of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks:
Futures School’s curriculum was developed in direct reference to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Additionally, all textbooks are aligned with the curriculum, ensuring that Futures School students have direct access to the standards. The Futures School curriculum provides rigorous academic instruction in all Curriculum Framework areas as outlined by the Department of Education.

Students are presented with the curriculum frameworks in a variety of ways (differentiated instruction) within the classroom setting. The small student to teacher ratio increases the teachers and students ability to access and master the presented curriculum. Through small group instruction, individual teaching, group work and independent work, students have the opportunity to master the curriculum.

Additionally, due to the student’s social and/or emotional disability, students have the therapeutic support within the school environment to facilitate the student’s ability to access the curriculum.
Self-help, Daily Living Skills:
Often times, students who have autism spectrum disorders are impacted by their high levels of challenging behaviors, social inabilities and communication difficulties. These symptoms will also impact the student’s self-help and daily living skills.

Common impacts on self-help and daily living skills are: lack of showering, combing hair, brushing teeth, changing clothes, washing clothes, eating properly and general hygiene.

Futures School’s clinical component’s primary job is to work with students on understanding how their disability impacts their daily life. Each student will have an assigned teacher whose role will be to work with the student on recognizing, understanding and addressing the self-help and daily living skills issues that may occur.
Social/Emotional Needs:
Every student at Futures School has a developmental disability that impacts the student to the extent that a therapeutic/behavioral school is necessary for the student to make substantial progress. Futures School is designed to specifically address each student’s social, emotional and behavioral issues.

Due to this population of student’s social, emotional and behavioral issues, a student can have emotional distress or social frustrations at any time during the school day. The clinical staff at Futures School are available to provide counseling and behavioral intervention support to the student at any time during the school day.
Physical Education; Adapted Physical Education:
Each student at Futures School is expected to participate in an Adapted Physical Education Class once per week which will incorporate swimming, physical therapy and other gross motor activities. Futures School believes that the physical health of the student is an important component to maintaining the overall health of the child.

Futures School will work with students on developing physical fitness skills through the use of our gym and playground. The physical education class emphasizes team work, building self-esteem and social participation.
Pre-Vocational, Vocational, and Career Education:
A goal of Futures School is to prepare students to transition from Futures School to other educational and community settings. Futures School believes that it is essential to support the pre-vocational path with all students so that they have a full understanding of options.

The student’s clinical team will provide pre-vocational training to all students. Areas of interest will be explored with the student, information gathered and direct assistance to the student to pursue his/her interest will be given.
English Language Support:
For students who need English Language Support, Futures School teachers and clinical staff will ensure that the student is given additional instructional time to understand the presented material. The student will work with his/her identified case manager on understanding the language of the curriculum.
Supplemental Aids
The student’s IEP team will discuss the student's participation and progress in the general curriculum. If there are supports, modifications or adaptations necessary for the student to be successful in the general curriculum, then the team decides and describes them in the IEP. Futures School will provide any aids, services, or other supports/modifications that will enable eligible students to be educated to the maximum extent in all learning environments including recess periods, lunch, transportation, physical education, statewide testing or vocational education.

Implementation-Related Services:

Each area identified below is part of the Team IEP meeting. Futures School will ensure that each area is reviewed and discussed at student’s IEP meetings under PLEP B. Team recommendations will be immediately implemented upon signature of the IEP.

Transportation:
Transportation services for each student will be reviewed with the sending school district during the student’s IEP meeting. The team will review if the student needs specialized transportation and additional transportation needs (i.e. wheel chair bus, monitor, and close supervision). Each sending school district will be responsible for transporting the student to and from school (per regulations).
Braille Needs (blind/visually impaired):
For blind/visually impaired students Futures School will ensure that the student has access to large print books, Braille written books and magnified computers. Additionally, students may bring a seeing eye dog into school to assist the student during the school day.
Assistive Technology Devices:
Students will have access to assistive technology devices during the school day. Devices such as computers, alpha smarts, reading pens, and communication devices will be used within the school environment. Additionally, for students who need assistive technology devices, an assistive technology evaluation will be completed at Futures School so that recommendations can be given to Futures School and to the sending school district.
Communication Needs:
For students with communication needs, a variety of services may be offered to students. Speech and language, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy services will be offered to students whose IEP calls for such services. Additionally, for deaf/hard of hearing students, students will have access to teacher notes, they can have a 1:1 sign language interpreter at all times and academic periods with a deaf and hard of hearing teacher.
Physical Therapy:
For students with physical therapy needs, the student will have access to direct or consult physical therapy within the school environment. The student can participate in adaptive physical education to meet their physical therapy needs. The student’s level of services will be implemented based on the IEP grid recommendations.
Occupational Therapy:
For students with occupational therapy needs, the student will have access to direct or consult occupational therapy both individually and within the classroom environment. The student’s level of services will be implemented based on the IEP grid recommendations.
Recreation Services:
For students in need of recreation services, the Team will assess the student’s leisure function and ability to independently access recreation programs in the school or community. If the student is in need of recreation services, the student will work with his/her case manager on the development of a recreation plan to address areas of weakness (this will also be reflected in the students IEP) and this plan will be implemented during the school day.
Mobility/Orientation Training:
For students who are blind or visually impaired, Futures School will work with area organizations and professionals in providing students with orientation and mobility services. The purpose of this service is to enable the student to attain systematic orientation to and safe movement within the environment in school home and community. The services will be provided in the school environment so that the student has safe orientation and mobility throughout the school environment.
Psychological Services, Counseling Services, Rehabilitation Counseling
Services, Social Work Services:
All students enrolled in Futures School are in need of behavioral and counseling services. Futures School employs Board Certified Behavior Analysts and school counselors to address the social and emotional needs of its students. Each student is assigned a Board Certified Behavior Analyst to address social and emotional issues, and to help the student around personal, family and career development.
Parent Counseling and Training:
Futures School offers parents a parent support group that is led by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst or school counselor. The goal of this group is to assist parents in understanding the special needs of their child, to provide information to parents about child development and to help parents acquire the necessary skills that will allow them to support the implementation of their child’s IEP. Additionally, school personnel are always available to meet with parents to discuss their concerns and to guide them towards understanding.
School Health Services, Medical Services:
School health services will be provided to students on a daily basis. The school nurse will ensure the medical health of all students and work collaboratively with Futures School staff, students and parents on ensuring the health of all students (see Nursing Manual).
Other (e.g., music therapy):
For students in need of “other” therapies, the IEP Team will identify specific types of therapy and implement them within the school environment. Art and music will be incorporated throughout the day.

Contact Information

School & program intake forms