Submitted by: Lara Lanza, M.Ed., BCBA

Hi, my name is Lara and I have been working for Reaching Milestones for the past 4 years and I wanted to tell my story about how Reaching Milestones inspired me to “reach my personal milestones!”

In April of 2013 I graduated from an undergraduate program at the University of North Florida. I had such a passion for children but was still unsure of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I met someone who took a class called Behavior Modification, which is what Applied Behavior Analysis was referred to years ago, and this person let me borrow some of her materials from the class to see if it sparked my interest. Once I read some of it – and saw how much this field impacts the lives of children with special needs – I was sold!

I began my first semester of Graduate School at the University of North Florida in August of 2013 and immediately began taking ABA classes! The first semester was spent learning different types of protocols and strategies to help better the lives of special individuals and it really solidified that this was the path for me.

In February 2014, I applied for my first job within the ABA field. I wasn’t completely sure how the practices I was learning in school would be implemented in the real world. I was lost and did not know where to search for such a facility to implement those amazing protocols. I did some research online and found some reviews for a few clinics and Reaching Milestones was first on my list – and thank goodness it was – because little did I know how much Reaching Milestones would provide so many growth opportunities and possibilities within my career!

Although Graduate School prepared me with tons of knowledge on different facets of the field, nothing prepared me more with such knowledge and growth than Reaching Milestones. Seeing the types of team members that RM had developed aspired me to want to REACH my own MILESTONES!

Through great preparation, I was able to reach many milestones within my career with the help of RM. Beginning as an RBT, RM prepared me for my future as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) – which was the next milestone on my list! Through intensive training from fellow BCBA members of the RM team I was able to conquer the milestone of being a BCBA within the company. I remember thinking, “I did it! I achieved my goal! I reached my milestone!” I was so excited to finally be a BCBA.

Being a BCBA presented great opportunities to pursue further development within the company, and the next milestone on my list was to become a Supervising Analyst.

RM successfully created a path supplied with prodigious support and direction towards that next milestone I wanted to reach! Being a Supervising Analyst has really helped maintain the skills I learned within this applied field and keeps me on my toes, thinking of different types of strategies that work best for our children, based off the functions of their behavior.

But my path did not stop there. Currently, I am in transition from Clinical Coordinator to Clinical Director at one of the many successful Reaching Milestones centers.

Being a part of a company that does not show limits, but rather offers opportunities to excel, sets team members up for success! Not only does RM help such amazing children achieve milestone after milestone, but the organization really does prepare team members to achieve and reach their personal milestones – just like I did!

Through hard work, dedication, and a supportive company like Reaching Milestones, I can confidently say that I was able to achieve more than I thought would be possible within my career as a 26-year-old woman, and I have and I WILL continue to aspire to REACH MILESTONES!

The post Reaching My Milestones appeared first on Reaching Milestones.

Hi, my name is Lara and I have been working for Reaching Milestones for the past 4 years and I wanted to tell my story about how Reaching Milestones inspired me to “reach my personal milestones!”

In April of 2013 I graduated from an undergraduate program at the University of North Florida. I had such a passion for children but was still unsure of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I met someone who took a class called Behavior Modification, which is what Applied Behavior Analysis was referred to years ago, and this person let me borrow some of her materials from the class to see if it sparked my interest. Once I read some of it – and saw how much this field impacts the lives of children with special needs – I was sold!

I began my first semester of Graduate School at the University of North Florida in August of 2013 and immediately began taking ABA classes! The first semester was spent learning different types of protocols and strategies to help better the lives of special individuals and it really solidified that this was the path for me.

In February 2014, I applied for my first job within the ABA field. I wasn’t completely sure how the practices I was learning in school would be implemented in the real world. I was lost and did not know where to search for such a facility to implement those amazing protocols. I did some research online and found some reviews for a few clinics and Reaching Milestones was first on my list – and thank goodness it was – because little did I know how much Reaching Milestones would provide so many growth opportunities and possibilities within my career!

Although Graduate School prepared me with tons of knowledge on different facets of the field, nothing prepared me more with such knowledge and growth than Reaching Milestones. Seeing the types of team members that RM had developed aspired me to want to REACH my own MILESTONES!

Through great preparation, I was able to reach many milestones within my career with the help of RM. Beginning as an RBT, RM prepared me for my future as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) – which was the next milestone on my list! Through intensive training from fellow BCBA members of the RM team I was able to conquer the milestone of being a BCBA within the company. I remember thinking, “I did it! I achieved my goal! I reached my milestone!” I was so excited to finally be a BCBA.

Being a BCBA presented great opportunities to pursue further development within the company, and the next milestone on my list was to become a Supervising Analyst.

RM successfully created a path supplied with prodigious support and direction towards that next milestone I wanted to reach! Being a Supervising Analyst has really helped maintain the skills I learned within this applied field and keeps me on my toes, thinking of different types of strategies that work best for our children, based off the functions of their behavior.

But my path did not stop there. Currently, I am in transition from Clinical Coordinator to Clinical Director at one of the many successful Reaching Milestones centers.

Being a part of a company that does not show limits, but rather offers opportunities to excel, sets team members up for success! Not only does RM help such amazing children achieve milestone after milestone, but the organization really does prepare team members to achieve and reach their personal milestones – just like I did!

Through hard work, dedication, and a supportive company like Reaching Milestones, I can confidently say that I was able to achieve more than I thought would be possible within my career as a 26-year-old woman, and I have and I WILL continue to aspire to REACH MILESTONES!

The post Reaching My Milestones appeared first on Reaching Milestones.

Submitted by: Beth Vaughan

Our very own Jamie Redding (Senior Vice President) and Missy Rolison (Vice President of Operations) for Reaching Milestones recently took a trip to Washington, DC last week to meet with members of the United States Congress. The mission of the trip was an extremely important one for all of us involved in both the Autism and Military communities.

Recently, it has become difficult for many military families to find in-network specialists for their children who have been diagnosed with Autism. According to a group of US Senators, this is in part, due to the way federal officials have changed health insurance plan reimbursements earlier this year. A group of six lawmaking senators (including North Carolina’s Thom Tillis) are calling for Congress to reverse the reimbursement cuts via additional funding and sent a letter to federal funding decision makers last week, asking for this very serious issue to be addressed. The letter asks for leaders on the House and Senate appropriations committees to include $32 million in upcoming budget legislation. That money is expected to effectively reverse the reimbursement rate cuts and address the shortage of ABA therapy providers.

According to the Senators, the reimbursement issue arose after Defense Health Agency officials changed the rate that TRICARE pays medical providers (such as Reaching Milestones) for Applied Behavior Analysis therapy. Through TRICARE, military beneficiaries diagnosed with ASD are eligible to receive ABA treatment. The Academy of Pediatrics fully supports and endorses ABA as an effective treatment for individuals with Autism. A Report of the Surgeon General states, “Thirty years of research demonstrated the efficacy of applied behavioral methods in reducing inappropriate behavior and in increasing communication, learning, and appropriate social behavior. The ABA treatment program is used by nearly half of the 26,000 children covered by TRICARE who have been diagnosed with Autism.

On April 1, 2016, the DHA imposed reimbursement rate cuts of as much as 15% for ABA services in most areas of the country. These cuts were imposed despite indications from military families from across the country that they were experiencing ABA provider shortages; and, in some locations, families had no access to providers at all. Just this week, 3 providers in San Diego were forced to shut their doors and a major ABA provider in the Georgia area had to close down all but one of their locations because they could not afford to stay open.

The House and Senate has already approved the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017 to include reinstating ABA reimbursement rates. However, that bill does not appropriate federal funding for such costs and final approval of the budget is expected later this year (most likely December).

Missy and Jamie personally met with 10 members of the US Senate and were very enthused by the conversations that took place. They were able to lock in signatures from these representatives and came back to Jacksonville feeling very positive about the potential outcome.

This mission is far from over, and the efforts to reverse the rates don’t stop with the Jamie, Missy and the group of Senators. We need YOUR help! Sign the petition. Voice your opinions and concerns. Let TRICARE and Congress know how important ABA is for the future of your children. Progress is made every single day with ABA. Please contact your local congressman and senators to voice your opinion and let them know how important this is to all of us!

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