What is Behavioral and Programmatic Consultation?
Behavior consultation is designed to provide support to parents and caregivers who are living and working with adults or children who have autism spectrum disorders.  Consultation will incorporate current research on autism spectrum disorders with practical experience to understand behavior and design appropriate interventions.  It will also include information on behavioral management and proactive behavior strategies.  The consultation will be tailored to the individual needs of the client.

About the Consultant
Consultation will be provided by Dr. Barbara Luskin, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist (L.P.). Dr. Luskin received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.  She has provided services to people with autism and their families in home, school, and vocational settings.  Dr. Luskin has been involved with the autism community for many years and is the mother of an adult son with autism.  She currently produces a quarterly review of research in autism for AuSM.

Consultation components might include:

1. Home or site visit to gather information
2. Written report including information on autism and suggested interventions
3. Training for family or staff on suggested interventions
4. Coordination of intervention with school/work.
5. Ongoing evaluation and adjustment of intervention

Cost of Consultation
Therapeutic visits cost $100 per hour of consultation.  Dr. Luskin is able to do both Diagnostic Assessments and Functional Assessments.  Most assessment visits require a meeting time of 2 hours.  Regular consultation or therapy appointments are 1 hour.  The Autism Society does accept most insurance, if mental health benefits are included.  We do accept Medical Assistance (MA) as well as Medicare.

Home or school visits by Dr. Luskin are extremely limited due to her full schedule.  Travel costs are $100 per hour for visits that are more than 15 miles from our office.

How do I sign up for Behavioral Consultation?
First contact our insurance billing agency, Professional Service Consultants, at 651-738-8561 and ask to speak to Aimee at x.12.  She will verify your insurance coverage or have you sign a private pay agreement if you do not have insurance or know your insurance will not cover services.  Once your information is verified, she will fax us your benefit information or pay agreement and we will call you to set up an appointment.

Usually, there is a 2-3 month waiting period for scheduling a one hour appointment.  If you are requesting an assessment, the waiting period is usually 3 to 4 months, but we will do our best to get an appointment for you as soon as possible!

All scheduling questions and concerns can be directed to Laurie Dixon at (651) 647-1083 x.13 or at ldixon@ausm.org.