Behavioral issues such as oppositional, impulsive and disruptive behavior can make independence skills, educational achievement, social relationships, and family interactions more challenging. Behavior modification has proven to be an effective treatment approach to change unwanted behaviors or to develop desirable new behaviors such as helping an autistic child learn to make eye contact. It is particularly valuable for treating children but is also effective in the treatment of adolescents and adults. Behavior treatment combines research-based methods with an individualized approach to reduce difficult behaviors, develop new desirable behaviors, improve pro-social choices, and enhance overall quality of life in multiple settings. Treatment can target any difficult situation from toilet training to compliance issues, aggression and destruction, and even inability to participate in tasks in the community, such as grocery shopping or eating out. Interventions can be done in home, day care, school, day habilitation, work, or other community-based settings.

The Behavioral Treatment Plan process will begin with a one-hour interview with family, which usually takes place in the home. The clinician will then complete a one hour observation of the child in two separate settings (for example, home and school). Target behaviors that need to be changed or new behaviors that need to be developed are identified by the clinician. The clinician then develops an in-depth behavioral treatment plan which is designed to change the target "problem" behaviors to more pro-social goal behaviors using incremental “baby steps” and positive reinforcers to motivate the client's participation. Parents and or teachers will receive a 1.5-hour training session (in the home or in the classroom) to learn how to implement the interventions the plan requires. The clinician will then schedule follow-ups to monitor family progress or the child's progress in the classroom as well as be available to answer any questions.