Connections – Family and Behavioral Services

THERAPY, ASSESSMENT, AND CONSULTATION IN SALINAS, MONTEREY, SANTA CRUZ, AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES

We build new skills that bring peace and success in the home and school.

We work with children, adults and families to help remedy troublesome or difficult household and classroom behavior. We assess the underlying root cause of the behaviors to determine how to build skills in the child, adult and family.

We build skills that will help children, adults, and families in the long term.

Are you or someone you know struggling with…

• Frustrations
• Meltdowns
• School or work performance below ability
• Inattention
• Hyperactivity
• Thoughts that seem unusual
• Developmental delay
• Planning and following through
• Motivation
• Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

Have services so far not understood you or your family member and the sources of your frustation? Do you or your family member have a diagnosis of Austism Spectrum Disorder, PDD NOS, ADHD, Comunication Disorder, or do you suspect this diagnosis? It doesn’t have to be this way…

We develop a personalized plan for your family.

STRATEGIES INCLUDE

• Behavioral Techniques
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Play Therapy
• Relationship Development Intervention Based Strategies
• Mental Health and Developmental Assessment

SERVICES INCLUDE

• Individual Therapy
• Parent Coaching
• Home and Community Based Coaching by a Trained Interventionist
• Family Plans and Interventions
• Safety Planning

New service offered: We are now offering HIPAA compliant tele-therapy.

Our team has over 25 years providing services to individuals with learning and communication diagnoses, Austism, Asperger’s, developmental diagnoses, executive functioning issues and psychosis. We know the importance of having the right support for the need at hand.

Our team is passionate about supporting individuals, children and families with the most effective treatment possible, including assessment, advocacy, educational consultation, and in-home and in-office therapy. We specialize working with children, teens, adults, with executive functioning issues, and their families to address family relational issues, anxiety and depression.

Autism Spectrum Assessment

At Connections Family and Behavioral Services, we know many questions may lead to you considering an Autism Spectrum Evaluation for yourself or a family member.

• Does the world seem chaotic and to not make sense?

• Does it seem like you should be able to do more, but just can’t?

• Does it seem like the social world has rules that everyone but you knows?

• Does it seem like whenever things go wrong, it’s your fault, but you don’t know why?

• Are you exhausted from ‘playing the role’ of yourself in your life, trying to ‘do it right’?

• Do you suspect Autism Spectrum, but you don’t seem like ‘the right type’?

Why have an Autism Evaluation?

Having the best most accurate diagnosis can help you and the people in your life understand you better.  It can guide you in your own self-discovery.

Additional benefits may include:

• Important new information to contribute to your Individual Education Plan (IEP) at school to have the most appropriate services provided in the school setting.

• Supportive information to help access other community services, where appropriate and applicable, such as Regional Center Services, Department of Rehabilitation, and others.

• Supportive information for other medical providers.

An Autism assessment can help you make your world make sense.

What is involved in an Autism Evaluation?

Autism is a developmental diagnosis impacting every part of a person; the senses, the way the brain works, the way they perceive things. A thorough assessment will involve a combination of structured formal and informal interviews of the person assessed and relevant people in their lives, paper and pencil rating inventories, records review, and observation. The process will include input from the person being assessed, their care providers when applicable, and other informants. The process usually takes 3-5 weeks due to needing input from all parties.

A resulting report and consultation will be provided to help the assessed person and those in their life to understand them better. This report will include recommendations and referrals which may include other resources to access. Connections therapists can provide ongoing mental health therapy when indicated.

keywords: Tricia Lara