When Christina Hansel entered private practice as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), she discovered a huge gap between the services available and the number of children needing services. All of the BCBAs in the Colorado Springs area had long waiting lists, and many families lacked the funding to pay for the basic services their children needed, let alone the kind of high-quality, research-based programs BCBAs typically offer.
Initially, PlayDate addressed this gap by providing group-based instruction in social skills. In these groups, which include both children with autism and other disabilities and typically developing children, participants engage in guided interaction under the supervision of a trained implementer who helps the children to negotiate relationships and build social connections. The group format allowed families on waiting lists to access some services at a relatively low tuition rate.
The first group was offered in April 2007 with 4 students enrolled. Since then, the program has seen enormous growth. We continue to add groups to avoid starting a waiting list of our own.
In December 2007, PlayDate became a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services to families at an affordable cost. In 2008, Christina consolidated her private practice with PlayDate, and PlayDate now offers a full range of services for children with autism and other behavioral disorders.
