Services may be delivered in your home, our clinic, a school, or in the community. Funding is available through the Adult Autism Waiver, Private Insurance via Act 62, and school districts. Parents may also choose to pay privately for services.

Why You Should Consider Potential’s Clinic Services

1. •Board Certified Behavior Analyst supervising all aspects of programming
   

2. •Therapists are trained extensively in ABA -VB procedures and most have a bachelor’s degree or higher
   

3. •Enjoy our comfortable and relaxing waiting area
   

4. •Bring your laptop to use our wireless internet access
   

5. •Browse our resource library of books, videos and professional journals
   

6. •Extensive educational materials are organized and ready to use
   

7. •Our therapy rooms are controlled safe environments
   

8. •Observation windows are available so that you may view the therapy session in progress
   

9. •Parent training offered during sessions for generalization of skills and parent support
   

ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis.  It is the science behind successful educational and behavioral programs for all individuals.  It is the only intervention that is scientifically based and recommended by the US Surgeon General, National Institute of Health, and NY State Department of Health.

VB stands for Verbal Behavior.  Although "Verbal Behavior" is a book written by B.F. Skinner about how language can be explained using behavioral principles, it has come to represent specific teaching strategies for individuals with autism.  Verbal Behavior falls under the science of Applied Behavior Analysis as does many other teaching strategies.

Potential, Inc. offers the expertise and staff needed to run a successful ABA-VB program either in your home, school, or our clinic.  The program is tailored to the needs of the individual and is constantly monitored to insure progress.  A Board Certified Behavior Analyst supervises all ABA-VB programs.

Clinic and Home programming hours are dependent upon individual need, client schedule and therapist availability.

Levels of services and funding options are discussed with each individual family during our intake process.

Workshops Available at Your Place or Ours:

Integrating Special Needs Students in a Typical Preschool/Public School Classroom - What supports need to be in place, how to modify the curriculum, answer children's questions and enroll peer support are some of the topics discussed.

Pervasive Developmental Disorders (Autism Spectrum) - An overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders that is ideal for individuals who have had limited or no experience with individuals who have this diagnosis.

Toilet Training - What you need to know to get your child trained sooner rather than later.

The "ABC's" of Problem Behavior

"ABA-VB-DTT" - What do all of these initials mean?  What consumers need to know about services for children with autism.

Choosing and Teaching Augmentative Communication Systems for Children with Autism (Sign Language, PECS, Voice Output) - This is an overview of factors to consider when choosing an augmentative system.  A brief description of best teaching practices is reviewed.*

Workshop testimonials from BUCKS COUNTY AUTISM SUPPORT COALITION 2009:
  • Very good!
  • Excellent!!!
  • Very helpful. Relaxed style.
  • Kristine Quinby was an excellent presenter/trainer with extremely relevant material!
  • Really fantastic, lots of usable ideas!

*Note - This is not an official PECS Training and is not sanctioned by Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc.
Contact Potential for more information.

Potential Inc. specializes in understanding the unique needs of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Potential Inc. is certified by the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE). 

To teach and support adults with autism to successfully function in their daily lives and in the community, we offer the following services under the State of Pennsylvania’s Adult Autism Waiver Assistance Program:

• Community Inclusion

• Behavioral Support

1. •Job Assessment/Finding
   

2. •Respite (In Home)
   

• Supported Employment

To learn more about our Adult Services, click here.

Bridge the Gap Sessions will be held at our clinic and are designed to "bridge the gap" between the school year and extended school year (ESY). Potential will address your child's IEP goals and provide art, music, and social skills activities from 10-2. All sessions are supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and most assistants have a bachelor’s degree or higher. The student to teacher ratio is 1:1. Registration space is limited. Please contact Potential for more information and registration. Registration must be received at least one month prior to the starting date.

Are you unsure if your child is ready for toilet training?

Are you worried you will psychologically damage your child if you toilet train them incorrectly?

Do you believe your child can be trained but are unsure of how to go about it?

Does your child resist sitting on the toilet?

We can answer these questions and many more. For a Toilet Training Intake Form please email info at potentialinc.org.
Our approach to toilet training starts with asking the question, is this child ready to be toilet trained?  Many parents are under the impression that their child needs to show an awareness of their bodily functions before begining training.  While awareness is helpful, it is often not necessary for toilet training.  Our toilet training intake along with a phone interview will help us to determine if now is the time to start this process.  Our goal is to make toilet training fun and easy, not frustrating.

Once we determine that the child is ready, we use a modified version of Drs. Foxx and Azrin's Toilet Training in Less Than a Day.  Most children with developmental disabilities are not able to complete the program in a day, but many kids I have trained have been trained within a week. Drs. Foxx and Azrin have done extensive research into toilet training individual with disabilities and our work is drawn from that information.  We can further modify the program depending on what your child needs.  Since the program is overseen by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, we have the ability to pinpoint problem areas and resolve them quickly as well as make modifications based on your child's learning style and personality.

For our clients who come to us only for this issue, we will take on a coaching role to assist parents through this process. (For clients who know us, we would model the procedures and then assist the parent in taking over the role.)  We begin with the intake and phone interview, then we meet with the family and assess the environment where the training will take place. At that time, we will make recommendations for any additional items such as a potty seat or chair, stool, or other items related to training. We will review the basic procedures and leave guidelines for the parents to review.  We would then return for the big day to assist in problem solving and coaching parents for the first 2-6 hours. After that, our consultants will be available via cell phone and email should any problems or questions arise after we are gone. We could also schedule an additional visit if necessary.

Make a Friend Program

The Make a Friend Program utilizes a unique approach to social skills where we target your child’s specific needs in a 1:1 setting or or with a peer depending on the needs of your child. Our goal is for the child with autism to make a friend with the peer in their group. Peers are either typically developing volunteers or a similarly skilled peer.

At Potential, we recognize that social interaction begins for typical children in infancy. If we are to truly help individuals on the spectrum navigate in a neurotypical world, we should begin addressing the core deficits of autism, including social skills, young as possible. To do this, we use a systematic applied behavior analysis (ABA) method to teach social skills. We analyze and create a program that is unique to your child’s needs to develop core skills. We use a building block approach that teaches skills such as joint attention, social play, language, problem solving, and how to make and sustain friendships. This unique program addresses all of the areas that inhibit social skills and fills in the gaps to promote a core foundation while teaching social skills. We believe this complete approach to social skills will enable the child to grow and enjoy social interaction.

Scheduling is flexible to your individual needs. We provide in-clinic, in-home and in-school services. We typically suggest
scheduling sessions one to three times per week.

A Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is the first step towards creating an effective behavior plan. The assessment consists of document review, interviews, questionnaires, and observation. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) will conduct the assessment in collaboration with other professionals and caregivers. When the assessment is complete, an individualized behavior plan will be created based upon the results. Drafts will be reviewed with the team in order to create a plan that is not only effective, but that also fits within the family and school dynamic.

When an FBA has not lead to behavior change in the past or if there is still a question about the function of a behavior, a Functional Analysis may be recommended. This process is a manipulation of antecedents and consequences in a safe environment to determine the function of a behavior. It is more reliable than an FBA and may be completed in a shorter time period. This assessment is done in the Potential Inc. clinic with trained staff and overseen by the BCBA.

Potential Inc. supports parents by offering one on one consultation regarding IEP development, consultation with schools and wraparound teams, free or low cost workshops, and assistance with navigating transitions between services. We also complete independent evaluations for schools and parents as a neutral party. In addition, parent training is incorporated into our other programs to support you and your child in accomplishing goals.