YAMPA VALLEY AUTISM PROGRAM
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Mission Statement
MISSION - Yampa Valley Autism Program provides resources and direct services to children and families living with autism or other developmental disabilities to cultivate their abilities and maximize quality of life. VISION – We envision healthy communities in the Yampa Valley where all people are valued and accepted. OUR COMMITMENT - To provide specialized therapies, support services, training, education, public awareness, collaboration, and advocacy.
About This Cause
Yampa Valley Autism (YVA) provides low-income and rural families with a wrap-around program that addresses the social, emotional, vocational, and physical needs of those aged 2-21 living with autism and other developmental disabilities. Yampa Valley Autism is the only Medicaid-approved provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy in Northwest Colorado. By offering ABA as a Medicaid provider, with an additional scholarship program available, YVA ensures health equity in Northwest Colorado. No child is denied therapy services due to an inability to pay. In 2024, YVA will implement an autism diagnostic program to support families in achieving this first critical step to receiving appropriate care for their children. Currently, families in the region travel to the Front Range, where wait times are 12-18 months for an appointment with a Medicaid-approved diagnostic provider. In addition to delays in diagnosis, traveling more than 100 miles increases inequity for low-income people who may lack reliable transportation or cannot afford the gas and possible lodging costs associated with the trip. Beyond therapy, children and youth also need opportunities for peer interaction, community engagement, and meaningful employment for a full, well-rounded life. Youth need to learn life and employment skills that will lead to greater levels of independence, self-sufficiency, and self-advocacy. As Lisa Lightner, a Special Education Advocate, wrote in her blog: “My son’s needs are not special. He needs to communicate and eat, go to school, get a job, have friends, and do leisure activities. Are those needs any different from us? No, they’re not. How he will access them is different. But the needs themselves are not “special.” Yampa Valley Autism, using the principles of ABA and social cognition therapy, provides programs that allow children and youth to access the components of a well-rounded life. • SPECIAL ACTIVITIES SUPPORT allows kids to participate in peer-group activities of their choice, such as skiing, mountain biking, chorus, and summer camp, with the 1:1 support of a trained paraprofessional. • COMMUNITY CULTIVATION, an extended school year program, provides kids at risk of regression during the summer an opportunity to stay connected and engaged through gardening. Crops and crafts are sold at the Steamboat Farmer’s Market, where kids build social and work-readiness skills while interacting with the public. • STRIDES transition program for youth aged 18-21, teaches skills needed for life after public education ends. Students learn daily living skills like cooking and meal prep, as well as functional skills like how to use public transportation. • WORK_READINESS programming, conducted in partnership with the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, places students in jobs that fit their interests. Para support helps students learn job tasks. Information and support are also provided to employers diversifying their workforce. The final piece of the circle enveloping these children is the community. For these kids to succeed, the neurotypical community must be part of the process. Providing educators, employers, and community members the knowledge and tools to support those with autism and developmental disabilities throughout their lives is vital to the ultimate goal of inclusion. Yampa Valley Autism's therapists deliver behavioral and educational consultation to teachers, paraprofessionals, community organizations, and first responders to foster inclusion through understanding. Some examples: • “Behavior Boot Camp” trains special and general education teachers. • Staff training for non-profits, including the Northwest Colorado Boys and Girls Club, Steamboat Creates, Tread of the Pioneers Museum, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, and the Steamboat Tennis Center. • Free community training session. Thinking Differently: Disabilities, Acceptance and Behavior Management Strategies teaches community members better ways to structure events and conversations to include neurodivergent people in our community. • Training for the Town of Hayden employees and the Hayden Police Department. Steamboat Police Department receives training bi-annually.