Thank you for visiting Best Behaviour Consulting. We hope you have found our overview of services helpful. Below we have tried to answer some specific questions that parents ask. If you cannot find the answer to your specific questions, please email us and we will be happy to respond.

• Is Nicholas listed on the Ministry's Qualified Service Provider List?

Yes. Nicholas is a qualified Behaviour Consultant and is listed on ACT's web site at www.actcommunity.net/search/raspprofiles.aspx . This page lists the qualified Behaviour Consultants.

• I see that Nicholas is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Is this the same as a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst (BCABA)?

No. BCBA’s have graduate level degrees and training. The associate level requires only an undergraduate level. Associates work under the supervision of a BCBA. Associates may not be sufficiently trained to work independently without supervision.

• What types of families do you work with?

Nicholas will work with families who have children aged 3-19 diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder as well as families who have children presenting with problem behaviours or skill deficits but who don’t have a medical diagnosis.

• What type of people does Nicholas have specific experience working with?

Working in the field since 1986, Nicholas has worked with adults with developmental disabilities and dual diagnoses including those with sexually acting out behaviours. He has worked with teens diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder. Nicholas also has multiple years experience working with families of young children with autism. As well, Nicholas has extensive experience working with children showing extreme problem behaviours. Either directly or in a supervisory capacity, Nicholas has worked with hundreds of families.

Nicholas will work on goals and priorities of importance to your family, which may include teaching adaptive behaviours such as functional communication, toileting, daily life skills, etc. as well as reducing problem behaviours such as aggression, self-injurious behaviours (SIB), property destruction, tantrums, etc.

• Will Nicholas do all of the 1:1 work with my child?

Nicholas will work 1:1 with your child. With some of the assessments including the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS), Nicholas will directly assess your child’s strengths and needs. For families wanting early intervention, Nicholas will regularly work 1:1 with your child so that he is intimate and up-to-date with your child’s progress. This is important as intervention programs are continually changing; as your child meets mastery of various parts of the teaching curriculum, newer more challenging drills are added.

Nicholas will also directly observe your child for baseline data collection and depending on your child’s abilities, he will “chat” with your child for his/her perspective. Nicholas will also be present to role model how programs should be implemented. However, Nicholas’ role is not primarily to work 1:1 with your child. Nicholas will work much more with you and your team than with your child. Using a mediator model, Nicholas works with you and your team to develop behaviour plans that will succeed for your family. It’s important therefore that your team members are able to work well with your child. Long after Nicholas is “out of the picture” we want you and your team to be able to build on the success. As such, as much as we strive to help your child learn and grow, we also want to support your learning in applied behaviour analysis.

• What areas in the Lower Mainland do you service?

Nicholas will work with families on the North Shore, Vancouver, Burnaby, Bowen Island and the Sunshine Coast. If you live outside of these areas, Nicholas may still be able to partner with you.

• Where are your offices located?

We don’t have one! It is especially important that Behaviour Consultants be able to observe your child directly to offer support in the very environments where the behavioural plans are to be implemented. Nicholas will want to observe you and your child at your home and use direct observations as part of the assessment process as well as to track the progress of the behavioural plans. Because Nicholas will work with you in your locations and because your family won’t ever have to come and visit “an office” it actually is unnecessary for us to keep an office.

• How do you know if the behavioural plans are working?

Through detailed data collection that we would both gather as well as regular contact, we would know if our plans are producing positive trends in your child’s behaviour.

• How much does your service cost?

Our hourly rate is $90/hour (CAD). Travel time is billed at a reduced rate of $50/hr (CAD). There is no charge for an introductory meeting.

• How many hours of service per week or per month do you recommend?

This is a good question and the answer depends on many factors including the type of service you want to receive. A young child requiring early intervention will likely require more support than an older child working on just one or two target behaviours. For our early intervention service using the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS), we recommend a minimum of 10 consultation hours per month. This will include direct time working with your child, facilitating team meetings, training 1:1 interveners, updating curriculum and reviewing data. These 10 hours should not be confused with the number of treatment hours that your child may need each week. For behaviour consultation with older children, there is much more flexibility; whatever amount you wish to receive, we will stipulate this in our service contract.

• Where does the service take place?

Service will take place in the environments you want the behaviour plans to be implemented. This can include, home, school, daycare, respite, foster care and other community locations. It is important for Nicholas to observe your child in his/her natural environments as well as train your team in those same environments.

• How do you address very challenging behaviours like aggression or self-injurious behaviours?

Before treatments are developed, Nicholas will administer various assessments including a Functional Assessment to uncover the maintaining consequences (or functions) responsible for the problem behaviour. We do not use a “grab bag” approach of gimmicks. Rather, we use the results of our assessments to develop individualized behaviour plans. As much as we are able, we will use positive proactive and positive reactive strategies. However, if your child has severe problem behaviours, we may intervene immediately and bypass baseline data collection. Your child's safety is our top concern.

If you cannot find the answer to your specific questions, please email us and we will be happy to respond.