Starting therapy services for children diagnosed with Autism in BC

The purpose of comparing the service providers is to illustrate the vast range of therapy services available for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families in British Columbia (BC). As we progress through the process, it will become evident that some distinguishing features separate one from another apart from the different names given to the services by other agencies.

To conduct a “like-for-like” comparison of service providers, it is necessary to understand the available services. It is also equally important to be aware of such services as advertised on their website, are indeed provided by them to avoid further confusion when looking at the options.

Cost and Treatment Duration

Costs are defined as direct and indirect costs of the therapist’s time spent during each session spent on the child’s intervention. With regard to a services comparison for Autism Service Providers , the cost of services is often the distinguishing factor over the services themselves. For example, a Behavior Consultant who provides home-based therapy consultation only and parents who have to hire their own Behavior Interventionist might have lower or no overhead costs compared to an agency that offers multi-disciplinary services for children with Autism.

We recommend reviewing the price ranges of each provider. The advertised prices are most often subject to recommendations from some regulatory professional bodies (College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia for Occupational Therapists; College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC for Speech-Language Pathologists).

Region of the service provider and availability

The location of the service provider and the professionals’ availability is an important consideration —not only because of the number of professionals working under one umbrella but also the inter-professional network and collaboration between them. There is less likelihood that the parents are left in the lurch when a Therapist leaves the employment or the solo Behavior Consultant does not respond to queries.

Why are families surprised to discover the therapy model at Symbiosis during their free consultation session?

Many of our parents and caregivers expressed how good they felt to have someone to hear them out. They find that we are excellent listeners, and we usually respond to emails, phone inquiries, Skype calls, or even meeting requests in person at our Clinics all the time. “Even though it’s a very basic necessity and fundamental customer service skill, it’s not something you might not find in other service providers, unfortunately”.

Most of our Clinics referrals have been built on word of mouth and referrals from families like you. The quality of work always comes first, and our reputation rests on doing an excellent job for our children and families. We will be happy to chat about how we can help. Just call us at 778-395-8752 or email us at [email protected]

Shalini Das

Director, Board Certified Behavior Analyst,Occupational Therapist

Shalini is one of the co-founders of Symbiosis Pediatric Therapy. She currently oversees the clinical and administrative departments of Symbiosis. Shalini has more than 25 years of experience working with children with autism and developmental disabilities.

Shalini completed her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy specializing in Pediatric Neurology in 2000. She also has her Masters degree in Special Education with a focus on Applied Behavior Analysis from The Pennsylvania State University.Shalini is listed in the RASP list as a Behavior Consultant and an Occupational Therapist.

Shalini has extensive clinical experience with assessment and program development that is designed to treat challenging behaviors, build communication, and functional life skills. Some of the team-based intervention which she incorporates are the Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), SCERTS, DIR®/Floor time model, etc.

Shalini has trained & supervised several teams of therapists, parents, and other professionals on evidence-based behavioral strategies to improve the quality of life for the children. She also assists with the development and implementation of evidence-based treatment approaches, in addition to providing clinical guidance and mentorship to the Behavioral intervention team.

Shalini is certified to administer the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) from the University of Southern California and in Neuro-Developmental Therapy (NDT) from NDT Association, USA. She also enjoys working with children in Symbiosis embracing different therapy models while viewing the challenges faced by the children through the developmental framework.

Shalini is the mother of two children and understands the importance of considering the needs and wants of all members of the family when establishing therapy goals. She spends her spare time with her children and husband, reading, traveling, and cooking different recipes from around the world.