Navigating Life Together...One Step At a Time!

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 Awards given each semester: January, May, September 

There are times when you know there needs to be a change, that if your loved one could just move past a certain behavior in their day-to-day interaction with the people in their lives, life would be easier. We have all been there and we understand!  It is for this reason The FOUNDATION offers ABA Scholarships to assist families, helping them with specific behaviors to help their loved ones be more successful.

Applied Behavior Analysis is a type of intensive therapy that focuses on the principles and techniques of learning theory to help improve social behavior. ABA therapy helps to (1) develop new skills, (2) shape and refine previously learned skills, and (3) decrease socially significant problem behaviors. ABA is a scientifically validated approach to understanding learning and behavior by looking at the function of the behavior and the environment in which it occurs.

Anything a person does is a behavior (talking, eating, coloring, tying shoes, etc.) and ABA looks at the purpose behind those actions and under what circumstances they occur in order to change them or teach new, more functional ways of doing something. For example, if a child screams when eating lunch, ABA would look at the environment around him to determine why he is screaming and then determine what would be a more appropriate way of getting that same thing. This scholarship program is available on a short-term basis (4 months per application), to work on very specific behaviors, not as an on-going therapy.  

It is the responsibility of the family to research and secure an organization they feel will work best with their child.  Once you have found an organization, it must be pre-approved by The FOUNDATION for funding.  Email info@dsfflorida.org to request the approval form once you have found your ideal candidate. You may apply for the scholarship before they become an approved vendor, however, we will not process any payments or approval letters until they have been approved. If there is an additional cost associated with the evaluation of your child prior to enrolling them in a program that you are unable to pay in order to submit your behavior plan, you can send in a request for that amount to info@dsfflorida.org for consideration prior to your application.