As we move from the gloomy days of winter into spring, I am excited to report that NBA continues to grow in many positive ways. Since our last update, Small Group Intervention staff members Yoko Phillips and Morgan Tompkins have launched a successful puberty group for older boys. We will continue the boys program this summer and hope to add a separate girls group depending on registration.
The spring quarter Community-Based Intervention (CBI) Program saw the largest enrollment in program history. We are thrilled that so many more of our learners are accessing our community services and increasing their independent skills. We initiated a Sibling Support Group in the winter and have held a highly successful panel discussion evening as well as fun-filled Saturday get-together.
Congratulations to Morgan Tompkins for passing her national certification exam in March! Morgan is now a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) as well as a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) in Washington state. Others planning to take the exam soon are Cisco Cornidez and Anna Rosen. On a sad staff milestone note, longtime Program Manager and Supervisor Alex Chehab departed NBA at the end of March. Alex has relocated to the Portland area after nearly 10 years with us. She will be greatly missed.
Art for Autism 2018 is just around the corner on Saturday, Oct. 6. Auction Co-Chairs Sonia Pamboukas and Tracey Newsome are hard at work with their committee procuring items and finalizing details to make the Moonlight Masquerade evening both enjoyable and successful. As a reminder, Art for Autism is NBA’s largest fundraising event and occurs every two years. Proceeds from the event provide scholarships for children and families and help NBA maintain cutting edge resources and materials. Events like Art for Autism help support NBA staff and enable us to receive accolades such as our recent Behavioral Health Center of Excellence accreditation, the only ABA-specific accreditation. Originally accredited in 2016, NBA has now qualified for a second two-year accreditation with the BHCOE, which recognizes the nation’s top-performing behavioral health providers.
NBA continues to remain committed to providing quality behavior analytic services to the autism community. We hope our dedication is evident to all of the children and families with whom we work. We are proud of the work we have accomplished since opening our doors nearly 20 years ago in September 1999!