Under the autism waiver program, we currently provide the following services:

• Respite-Services are designed to provide relief, aid, and emergency services to families of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is a service where family members can obtain a sense of relief knowing that their children are safe and cared for with highly qualified and efficient services.

• Family Consultation – Family Consultation Services are provided to further educate family members about autism spectrum disorder and ways to mitigate unwanted behaviors. A treatment plan is often created with the family.

• Adult Life Planning – This service is designed to support families with a circle of support and resources before aging off the autism wavier program. Families are allotted 40 hours per fiscal year for this service. The family would work with an adult life planner who would help them navigate their way through the transitional process which may include providing supportive referrals and resources to DDA providers.

• Intensive Individual Support Services – This service provides a holistic and in-home services for 25 hours per week. This treatment modality is dynamic and universal and allows the direct support professional to integrate role plays, visual demonstrations, positive and negative reinforcement, and teaching effective and appropriate child rearing practices. Quantitative and qualitative data are measured by the skilled provider to identify and examine areas of improvements needed to help restore and strengthen the family unit. A treatment plan is created to identify goals, objectives and to enhance and improve communication.

• Therapeutic Integration (TI) -The purpose of this program is designed to provide services in a group like setting where individuals with disabilities can come together and receive community integration and social inclusion opportunities. These services are provided throughout the week and the weekends. CARAFAP’s TI center is located in Columbia, Maryland.

• Intensive Therapeutic Integration (ITI) – This service is designed to support clients who require one-on-one intensive services in group like settings. This program allows opportunities for individuals to be integrated with other children with disabilities to provide equal opportunities for them to be exposed to activities and exercises that neurotypical people enjoy. CARAFAP’s ITI center is located in Columbia, Maryland.

• Animal Services: CARAFAP’s special therapy program utilizes animals such as therapy dogs and horses as an intervention designed to improve socialization skills, interpersonal relations, motor coordination, emotional dysregulation and coping mechanisms to effectively handle conflicts that may arise in everyday life. The psychological advantages of this non-traditional treatment will aid the client with increased self-confidence, increased interest to explore the outside world, enhanced patience, emotional control, self-discipline, fulfillment and enjoyment. CARAFAP conducts monthly horse riding events for their clients.