The Faison Approach

 

At The Faison Center, our mission is to give children and adults with autism and related challenges the best opportunity to improve their life’s journey through evidence-based practice. We provide world-class services and programs through our unique lifespan model, which offers enriching opportunities from early diagnosis to adulthood. No matter when our services are needed, we are committed to improving the lives of the individuals we serve. 

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Learn more about the Faison and Peninsula Schools, the Faison Behavioral Health Clinic, and Faison Adult Services.

 

Evidence-Based Treatment

Only the most effective autism therapies, including scientific teaching practices, are used, taught, and shared at Faison. The Faison Approach integrates ABA therapy (Applied Behavioral Analysis), which is an evidence-based treatment that is utilized throughout the entirety of each student’s experience here. In practice, this means that the student’s reading, writing, social, communicative, motor, and self-management “behaviors” are the fundamental units on which we focus. Instructors recognize that performance issues often result from the child’s previous and current history with the instruction, along with how it is selected, designed, presented, and reinforced. Student performance is analyzed on a variety of different levels and on a student-by-student basis. Teachers and behavior analysts use data to 
evaluate performance. The Faison Center serves a number of individuals that receive evidence-based treatment and personalized services. If a specific method proves unsuccessful for a given student, it is modified or replaced with another evidence-based treatment as part of The Faison Approach. Faison’s comprehensive ABA therapy approach also means that the specific procedures we use are based on the science of human behavior and learning, drawn from empirically-based research, and carried out in such a way that they can be described to parents and other important figures in the student’s life. Lastly, our ABA therapy approach focuses on pinpointing student strengths and weaknesses, preferences, and long-term goals. We strive to ensure that we and the rest of the student’s IEP team work collaboratively to prepare students for lifelong learning experiences.

 

Research

Since verified methods are an important part of the educational approach at Faison, a great deal of emphasis is placed on staying up-to-date on evidence-based treatment and research. The Center is affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University and Clemson University. These partnerships afford our staff close access to some of the premier professionals in the country. The Faison Center uses this evidence-based research to review and evaluate our instructional goals and revise our tools when necessary, making sure students take advantage of only the best methods.

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Community Education

In keeping with our holistic approach, Faison serves the Greater Richmond community by developing autism education practices for teachers, medical professionals, school professionals, first responders, families, and the general public. Programs are implemented not only in the Richmond area but also throughout Central Virginia, as we consult with local school districts, train staff to work with individuals with autism spectrum disorder, and assist parents of children with ASD and other developmental disabilities to implement The Faison Approach.

 

All educational services provided by Faison are accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Education Facilities (VAISEF) and are licensed by the Virginia Department of Education.  Adult Services and waivor funded programs are licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.