Baseball season has finally arrived!!!

Autism, ,

April is Autism Awareness Month, and Major League Baseball is partnering with Autism Speaks in order to raise awareness and support. Part of the proceeds from ticket sales will go toward Autism Speaks’ efforts to increase awareness, fund innovative autism research and family services, and advocate for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

Many of the MLB Autism Awareness games will provide special opportunities and a safe, friendly environment for families and individuals affected by autism, allowing them to experience a game like never before.

Boy giving the "play ball!" command at a Red Sox game. Image from AutismSpeaks.org
Boy giving the “play ball!” command at a Red Sox game. Image courtesy of AutismSpeaks.org
Working with Autism Speaks or other autism awareness organizations, many clubs will recognize local families during pregame ceremonies. Additionally, in select ballparks, members of the autism community can enjoy the game from designated “Quiet Zones” with a sensory-friendly environment, as well as participate in various traditional baseball activities, including throwing out the first pitch, singing the national anthem, announcing “Play Ball!”, singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, and performing “God Bless America.”

This year, Autism Speaks created a Guide to the Game, a visual story to help prepare children and adults with autism for a day at the ballpark by walking them through the full experience in detail ahead of time. The special accommodations enable many families affected by autism to attend their first MLB game.

Club recognition dates:

  • Miami Marlins — Friday, April 4
  • Oakland Athletics — Saturday, April 5
  • Pittsburgh Pirates — Sunday, April 6
  • San Diego Padres — Friday, April 11
  • Baltimore Orioles — Saturday, April 12
  • Milwaukee Brewers — Saturday, April 12
  • Cincinnati Reds — Sunday, April 13
  • Philadelphia Phillies — Monday, April 14
  • Texas Rangers — Wednesday, April 16
  • Detroit Tigers — Friday, April 18
  • Colorado Rockies — Saturday, April 19
  • Toronto Blue Jays — Thursday, April 24
  • Houston Astros — Saturday, April 26
  • Arizona Diamondbacks — Sunday, April 27
  • New York Mets — Sunday, April 27
  • Washington Nationals — Sunday, April 27
  • Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — Monday, April 28
  • Boston Red Sox — Saturday, May 3
  • Kansas City Royals — Sunday, May 4
  • Minnesota Twins — Sunday, May 18
  • San Francisco Giants — Tuesday, May 27
  • St. Louis Cardinals — Friday, May 30
  • Chicago White Sox — Saturday, May 31
  • Chicago Cubs — Wednesday, June 4
  • Tampa Bay Rays — Saturday, June 7
  • Atlanta Braves — Sunday, June 15
  • Los Angeles Dodgers — Tuesday, June 17
  • Cleveland Indians — Wednesday, June 18
  • Seattle Mariners — Sunday, July 13
  • New York Yankees — Saturday, Aug. 9

Click here to read the full article.

monitoring suite

Functional Behavioral Assessment at JRC

Behavior Analysis, Charting Progress, JRC Experience, JRC Program, Special Needs Software

The Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) literature is consistent with regard to the value of thorough and precise assessment of the functions of dangerous/disruptive behaviors. Such assessment (whether experimental functional analysis or descriptive functional behavioral assessment) can help to form the development of a behavior intervention plan that is better tailored to the individual’s clinical needs.

At JRC, assessment of the functions of student problem behaviors is ongoing throughout the student’s JRC enrollment. When the student is first admitted to JRC, a reinforcer preference assessment occurs over the course of the student’s first week. Data are taken regarding which stimuli/events may serve as motivating rewards in the student’s BIP.

Simultaneously, the student’s JRC Clinician begins to collect data, across all environments, on the student’s positive and negative behaviors, as well as related triggers and consequences. Assessment methods include interviews and questionnaires administered to the student, family, and staff; collection and graphing of a broad range of behavioral frequency data 24 hours per day; and direct observation of the student across all natural environments.

monitoring suite
JRC’s main video monitoring suite enables views of all JRC spaces.
Direct observation, a cornerstone of good ABA, is particularly easy to do at JRC because of JRC’s Digital Video Recording (DVR) system. Most environments (e.g., classrooms, group homes) are equipped with DVR cameras so that JRC Clinicians are able to observe their students’ behavior and related environmental antecedent and consequent events.

JRC’s specialized standard celeration behavior charting system, when combined with the direct observation capability provided by JRC’s DVR system, means that JRC’s Clinical staff are able to conduct ongoing and comprehensive functional assessment throughout the student’s enrollment at JRC. Such ongoing and comprehensive functional assessment is an improvement upon the once-per-year static and narrowly focused functional assessment that sometimes occurs at other settings. For more information regarding JRC’s functional assessment methods, please feel free to reply to this post.

Thoughts on being a JRC employee

JRC Experience, JRC Program,

I am both a parent of a child with several emotional and behavioral issues, and an employee of JRC for over 17 years. When I began in 1997 as a Mental Health Assistant (direct care staff), I was amazed at how well-kept the facility and residential homes are. The facility had an “at home atmosphere” for all the students and clients but they are also well-monitored by cameras and staff.

The author with one of her favorite clients.
The author with one of her favorite clients.

However, what were most impressive to me were the students and clients. They come in from all around the world to receive our services. Despite all of the negative perceptions and ongoing controversy, we have been very successful in providing our students and clients a better quality of life.

Because my child is also one who needs help, I can sympathize with the parents who struggle day in and day out just hoping to find a place where their child is getting the services they not only need but deserve. As both a parent and an employee, I can see that JRC has been and continues to be that place for our students and clients.

As I continue my employment with JRC, I recognize how privileged I am to be working at the center with so many dedicated professionals, and as I continue to grow older I will cherish all of my memories of the students and clients I have met throughout the years.

behavior chart

How using behavioral data benefits our students

Data, ,

I’m a software developer at JRC and I would like to briefly talk about the charting application that we have developed here at JRC that I feel greatly benefits our students and clients and our staff.

The charting application graphically displays client academic and behavioral data that we collect at the school. Academic data is collected and displayed in real time. We have students and clients work in several different educational applications throughout the school day. As he or she completes a timing, the results are written to our charting application which can be displayed instantly. Daily behavioral data is collected and entered by staff usually a day or two later. Staff use the charting application to easily monitor how the student or client is doing both academically and behaviorally.

Being able to easily access this data and being able to visually see this data is a huge help to staff in helping students and clients obtain the best care here at our school. One last benefit that I would like to add is that parents can view their child’s chart data at any time via our Parent Agency website.

This chart shows the drop-off in this student's inappropriate behaviors from entry to JRC to the present.
This chart shows the drop-off in this student’s inappropriate behaviors from entry to JRC to the present.

How JRC uses software to streamline processes

Data,

JRC has made use of custom software applications in order to maximize the work efficiency of staff and to more adequately manage big data.

Because of the large amounts of data needed to be recorded due to the nature of our business, JRC has built many systems in-house in order to manage this workload. From a scheduling system that processes a constantly changing schedule for 1000 staff at 40+ locations 24/7, to a program change application that allows clinicians and case managers to make dozens of changes per week to client’s programs, custom software has allowed the organization to more easily manage the growth of information needed to provide effective aid to our students and clients.

Let us know if you would like to learn more about some of the software programs we have been able to develop here.