We spoke with BHN Team Leader, Nicole Corso and Behavior Management Therapist, Arianna Martineau for insight on what drew them to this field and to learn more about BHN’s Applied Behavior Analysis program. From an early age, Nicole knew that she wanted to work with this population. “My sister was diagnosed with epilepsy and selective mutism at 3 years old and later diagnosed with autism. I have been a part of her services for as long as I can remember, from her early intervention days to her high school transition meetings. She is now 30 years old, and I credit her and my mother for everything that I have accomplished. I watched them both navigate through services and the education system with such love and persistence.”

Nicole has always had a love for science and assessing patterns within data, and stated that ABA gave her a way to combine her interests in data and in helping people, “I feel so much joy that I get to help so many families as a supervisor here at BHN. We have a department full of passionate behavior analysts, and I’m so lucky to supervise them.”

Arianna always wanted to help people and while unsure of which path to take when starting out, she drew from her personal experience. “I had early intervention, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, and had been on a 504 in early elementary school. My mom always told me how grateful she was for the services that assisted her with helping me to eat and start to walk.” Arianna attended Holyoke Community College and then Elms College, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders, for Speech Pathology. She went on to earn a master's degree in ABA.

Arianna explained, “While doing speech therapy in elementary and middle school I saw the need for more behavioral focus. Both fields built upon each other and brought my communication background into ABA. I found I was able to help children in a different, more powerful aspect with functional communication, skill acquisition programs, and behavioral interventions. I have been able to see kids learn new skills, begin to talk, and build on their social skills throughout treatment.”

According to Arianna, the most rewarding part of her job is that she does not consider it a job at all, but a way of life, “ABA is all around us, whether we are at home, at the store, at a party or even taking a walk in the park, it surrounds us. When working with the autistic population they make you see the world differently and appreciate the small victories in life, whether it is them requesting with their voice for the first time to their mom or dad, or them making a friend at the park.”

Arianna believes the greater public can benefit from autism awareness in the community by being patient and accepting. “The more people that are accepting and understanding of autism, the more people will be supportive of children and families. We need to take care not only of the individuals on the spectrum but also the people that care for them.”

Nicole would like more people to understand the importance of early diagnosis and why it is so critical. “It is important that every child is screened early and seen by a professional with the ability to diagnose. I see a lot of people saying things like “That’s not autism,” when later the child is diagnosed. When a family can obtain an early diagnosis, they benefit from services and have more support in the early years, helping them to be in a better position for the future.”

At BHN, ABA services start with an assessment that can vary based on the learners’ age and needs. This assessment includes talking to the family about their own unique family goals. “We discuss what is important for the child and their family. Just like not every child with autism is the same, not every family is the same either,” said Nicole. “We look at the assessment for strengths and skills that are already flourishing and skills that we can build on through treatment, paired with family goals. For example, some families want to be able to sit together to eat dinner as a unit and talk about their day. We can work on that in many ways through ABA, increasing joint attention, increasing conversation skills, and overall ability to sit.”

In addition to ABA, BHN offers other programs to support youth and adults on the Autism spectrum that include:

• 24-hour Residential Support
• Early Intervention
• Individual Community Support
• In-Home Behavioral Services
• Kamp for Kids
• Shared Living
• Self Advocacy groups

The Center for Development, part of the BHN Wellbeing Community Behavioral Health Center, provides outpatient therapy to Autistic individuals and strives to affirm neurodiversity in their approach to care. Individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and case consultation are available in a variety of settings. Shifting our lens from Autism Awareness to Autism Acceptance and adopting a conceptual framework of neurodiversity in our human experience, centers the voice of each individual, and their experience of living in a neurotypical world, and furthers the movement to create a more accessible and inclusive community.

For referrals or more information about BHN supports and services for youth and adults with Autism call 413-301-WELL (9355).