The Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center (DDDC) was established by the Board of Governors of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in 1972 to meet the needs of people with autism spectrum disorders and their families. Affiliated with the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP), the DDDC is governed fully by the Rutgers University Board of Governors. Center operations reflect university policies in areas such as personnel and business practices. A complete copy of university rules and regulations is housed in the Center Director's office. The DDDC is approved by the New Jersey State Department of Education, and is a provider for the New Jersey Department of Human Services and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. We believe that autism is caused by a genetic, biochemical, or neurological deficit, however, until the exact causes are found we must focus our attention on teaching individuals to compensate for the effects of the disorders. As an ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) program, we use these principles to organize our delivery of comprehensive services designed to meet the needs of individuals at different periods in their lives. We recognize that it is our responsibility to work collaboratively with the families of the children and adults we serve, and with the agencies that fund their treatment. As a university-based program, our commitment includes the education of undergraduate and graduate students and the dissemination of knowledge through research, training, and consultative services. We also strive to provide information about the treatment and education of people with autism spectrum disorders to the entire professional community and to the general public. In addition, we are committed to furthering the understanding of the nature and treatment of autism spectrum disorders through research. The DDDC is also a member of the Center for Outreach Services for the Autistic Community (COSAC). COSAC, a non-profit organization, is a resource center providing information to parents and all interested persons about schools, services, and programs available for individuals with autism in the state of New Jersey. COSAC also provides short-term emergency care to family members with autism and makes arrangements for speakers through the Speaker's Bureau.
What Does It Mean To Be An ABA Program?
The DDDC's service delivery model includes:
- Data-based decision-making
- Well-trained and certified staff
- Use of empirically supported strategies
- Interventions that span school, home and community
- High intensity and continuous provision of learning opportunities
- Systematic assessment of the environment
- Competency-based staff training
- Parent training and support to promote collaboration and advocacy
- Strategic and contingent reinforcement
- Functional Assessment
- Antecedent interventions
- Positive behavioral supports
- Functional communication training
- Discrete trial instruction
- Incidental teaching
- Precision Teaching and Rate Building Procedures
- Natural environment training
- Task analysis
- Community programming
- Augmentative communication
- Interventions using the language classification system of Verbal Behavior
- Other data-based, empirically validated treatment strategies
Do Our Methods Work?
There is substantial research documenting the value of Applied Behavior Analysis for people on the autism spectrum. Our experience is that most individuals benefit from this approach. Parents and funding agencies are kept up-to-date on students' progress through regular meetings and written reports. Following our initial assessment, goals are determined and progress measured according to data-based criteria. All students are individuals and therefore their progress varies, but most students show meaningful changes.
