A Note From Greg

My name is Greg Stanford, and I am the owner and Clinical Director at Gulfport Premier ABA. I've been a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) since 2017. Before that I was a teacher for 20 plus years. Much of my background and training (and much of the training I have conducted with my RBTs) is related to early intervention. Every child is different of course, but I find that if I can initiate treatment within the 18 months to 3-year-old time frame we tend to see the most significant results. That's not to say that older children will not benefit, but in general: the earlier we can begin working with the child and family, the better. Again, every child is different, but my ultimate goal with this age group is for the child to have the skills necessary to successfully start preschool or kindergarten when the time comes. Language skills, social skills, skills of attending to and following basic directions are all targeted, as well as those needs specific to the particular child. As the child approaches school age, we will usually start our Preschool Life Skills Program. We have a model classroom and practice skills specific to the environment the child will be transitioning into. This is intensive therapy and generally I like to program roughly 20 hours a week, primarily in the mornings. Typically, 8:00 - 12:00. Once the child enters the education system, we may move to more of a support role where we consult with the school, provide Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP) if needed, and in some cases, we will continue with after school therapy. That's a rough description of our early intervention program, in practice all programming is based on assessment and individualized to match the needs of each child. We have a 2000 square foot area of our clinic presently devoted to this age group & program.

We also have a second area of our clinic that is devoted to after school social skills programming. With the current clinic layout, we are able to provide separate programming for a preteen group and an early teen group. I've found that the transition to adolescence tends to be a very difficult period for many of our kids. Obviously, we would assess for and target skill deficits as well. I tend to utilize the PEAK Comprehensive Assessment with this age group as it does an excellent job of indicating deficits that other assessments tend to miss. This is usually somewhat less intensive with clients generally coming 10 to 15 hours weekly, sometimes less according to the individual needs. Again, there is a strong parent training component, and I am always available to consult with schools as needed.

While we do have current availability, we are a small clinic and I keep our caseloads low in order that each child can receive the highly individualized treatment they deserve. This is a collaborative effort, coordination between as many of the child's environments as possible is imperative. I conduct regular meetings with parents, reach out to other providers, and make myself available to the schools. As I mentioned, I was a teacher myself for over 20 years, so I know the struggles faced by those in the education system. I've found that this background will often make teachers and their support personnel more receptive to the interventions I propose. I should add here that I am blessed to be working with some of the finest people I've ever had the privledge to know. They take great pride in the work we do and we absolutely love to celebrate each child's successes. You can find more information about the staff on the Staff page and more informationn about the ABA process on the About ABA page.

Finally, ABA works. I've seen repeatedly the effect these interventions can have on our client's lives and on the lives of those in their environments. I'm also aware that ABA has received some negative pushback in recent years, largely from the autistic community. While it would be easy to posit that these were just a few disgruntled individuals, I'm afraid the truth lies closer to home. ABA is a science. It is a highly effective science. But if we get so caught up in our protocols and graphs and lab coats that we forget the humanity of those we serve, then we risk doing harm to everyone involved. I promise that we will prioritize building relationships, that we will teach with joy, and that we will provide a safe space where a child can develope into the best and happiest possible version of themselves. You are trusting us with your most valuable possession and I will do everything I can to honor that trust.

— Greg Stanford M.Ed., BCBA, LBA