By Your Side, A New Autism Language Center Opening October 5, 2009

BY YOUR SIDE, a unique speech and language therapy center, dedicated to providing speech and language therapy to children and young adults with autism , will open October 5th in Burr Ridge. The center, led by Julie Martin, M.A., a licensed and certified speech language pathologist specializing in the area of autism, will head the center that teaches communication strategies and social skills to cope within the demands of everyday life. The floor plan of BY YOUR SIDE is set up to promote and create a natural environment, the first of it’s kind in the Chicagoland area. The center is made up of rooms found in a home with subtle accommodations (e.g. safety corners, visual/picture cues) to support the child with autism. The facility also includes instruction rooms which are specifically created for one on one teaching of skills in a room free of all stimuli. Language concepts, communication strategies and social skills are then taught within the activities of each of the “home” rooms. The center features a den, kitchen, play room, activity room, indoor playground, individual therapy rooms and quiet sensory room.

BY YOUR SIDE’s philosophy includes the belief that language is the foundation of all communication and is embedded in every facet of life. Communication is not restricted by time, place or person. Improvement of language skills is directly correlated to quality of life and ability to participate in its activities. These skills must be taught in a natural and relevant environment providing direct instruction and opportunities for generalization with a variety of communication partners.

BY YOUR SIDE offers four programming options to address the varying needs of the autism spectrum. Frequency and intensity of the program is unique to each individual and determined by the therapy team which includes the family as an important member of that team.

The Intensive Therapy program, ABA and verbal behavior, is intended for children or young adults who have behaviors that interfere with learning. The program will focus on teaching an array of functional skills to help increase language, play and socialization within the demands of everyday life.

The Language Builder program is created to teach fundamental language and communication skills to allow the child to have foundational knowledge to cope and communicate in academic and social routines using a combination of individual and group therapy.

The Augmentative Communication program is intended for children and young adults who currently have access to communication devices but are not realizing the full potential of the device.

The Social Circles program is intended for children and young adults who have adequate language skills but have difficulty navigating through conversation and social interactions.

BY YOUR SIDE’s carefully developed setting paired with a well-cultivated team consisting of many qualified and devoted professionals, promises to deliver winning results. Individuals enrolled in the center’s unique programs will receive one on one nurturing from an experienced and committed staff of therapists.

Julie Martin M.A. is a licensed and certified speech language pathologist specializing in the area of autism. With over 8 years of working with students with moderate to severe autism ranging in ages from 4 years to 19 years, she has experience in a variety of therapy models and techniques including ABA, discreet trial, verbal behavior, PECS, Greenspan’s Floortime, and structured teaching. She has a passion for literacy and its ability to enrich language and communication skills. She has experience with a variety of types and forms of augmentative and alternative communication including sign language, literacy, static and dynamic displays. She has spent the last five years developing the speech and language program at the Autism Comprehensive Educational program at Elim Christian Services. In addition to her responsibilities as speech language pathologist she was an active member of the literacy committees of both ACE and Elim Christian Services. She presented at the Illinois Speech and Hearing Association (ISHA) annual conference. Julie was invited to present her therapy model as a best practice philosophy to the Illinois State Board of Education conference for non-public schools which was enthusiastically received. Julie has dedicated the last five years of her profession to developing therapy delivery models and methods that improve the language and communication skills of students with autism.

Laura O’Rourke holds a Master of Science degree in special education and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has over 10 years of experience working with children and has worked as a behavior therapist with children who have autism since 2002. Her primary experience is with challenging behaviors and Applied Behavioral Analysis. She has also received training in TEACCH, Floortime, discreet trial training, and PECS. Laura has experience as a home ABA consultant. Laura has worked closely with speech language pathologists over the past four years to create programs that address both the behavior and communication needs present in children with autism.

With hours of operation 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, BY YOUR SIDE accommodates a variety of schedules. The enthusiasm and dedication of the BY YOUR SIDE staff, coupled with state of the art facilities and programs, create an ideal environment for optimal instruction and learning. The center is currently conducting complimentary in-home program evaluations ($225.00 value) through October 5th, 2009. The facility is located at 361 Frontage Road in Burr Ridge. For more information or to schedule an evaluation, please call 888-288-7667 or visit BY YOUR SIDE’s website at www.ByYourSideAutismCenter.com.

Official Website: http://www.ByYourSideAutismCenter.com