About Us
Our mission is to provide high-quality interventions to children with autism and other disabilities while educating the community, regardless of the family’s ability to pay for services.
Located in Colorado Springs, PlayDate Behavioral Interventions was established to help children with special needs using. From communication and emotional disorders to learning disabilities, we utilized several methods such as verbal behavior aba and personalized early intervention program to help your child. You can rest assured your child will be handled with the upmost respect and care.
In order to meet this critical need we are continually applying for grants and developing funding mechanisms that allow us to offer scholarships for those families who have exhausted all other funding sources. Please see our Make a Difference page for information about how you can help us meet this lofty goal.
Our History
When Christina Nulk was in elementary school there was a student who was deaf in her class. She wanted to be able to communicate with him so she learned sign language. While in middle school Christina became a peer facilitator, volunteering with children with disabilities. In 1996 Christina started in the ABA field, as an implementer. After high school Christina completed her undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders and Emotional Disturbances/Learning Disabilities. She went on to earn her Master of Science in Early Childhood Special Education specializing in Autism.
After graduation Christina started her career as an Elementary Special Needs Educator. While teaching Christina achieved her certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2007. She was the fourth BCBA in Colorado Springs. Christina 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, Christina addressed this gap by providing a social skills groups for children on Saturdays, while continuing teaching on weekdays. These social skills groups provided opportunities for participants to engage in guided interaction under the supervision of a trained therapist who helped the children 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. In December 2007, PlayDate Inc. became a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services to families at an affordable cost.
In 2008, Christina consolidated her private practice with PlayDate Inc. creating PlayDate Behavioral Interventions, and now offers a full range of services for children with autism and other disabilities.
Since then, the program has seen enormous growth. PlayDate Behavioral Interventions currently provides high-quality aba therapy Colorado Springs to about 60 children. Christina consciously limits the caseload to maximize the quality of service provided to each individual child.
Our Team
Every member of our staff is carefully trained in aba services to include Applied Behavior Analysis and Verbal Behavior techniques. We have qualified ABA therapists, RBTs, BCaBAs and BCBAs who work with individuals with a variety of diagnoses including Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and other developmental delays/disabilities.
Christina Nulk
Executive Director
Obtained a Masters of Science in Special Education at Florida State University and received her BCBA certification in 2007. She then received her Colorado State License to teach as a Special Education specialist in 2015.
"One of my favorite things about ABA is the way it can create positive change in the lives of the people that we serve. It starts with teaching our kids the skills they need to interact with their environment in functional ways - whether it’s requesting their favorite toy or learning how to make their favorite snack. It is also amazing to watch as parents learn along with their children, whether it’s a parent working on household chores with their child, or a family sitting down together for dinner or game night.
At PlayDate we believe there is no such thing as “small” progress - fostering independence on any skill is an accomplishment worth celebrating and it is my pleasure to celebrate that kind of growth with our clients, their families and our therapists everyday."
Jasmine Smith-Wills
BCBA
Obtained her Master's of Science in Psychology with an emphasis in ABA at Purdue University and received her BCBA certification in 2021.
“The joy of providing ABA therapy to others and myself makes it a career that I will continue to do throughout my life.”
Neal Shipley
Obtained a Masters of Science in ABA at Chicago school and received his BCBA certification in 2017.
“I love ABA because it's a science that is incredibly flexible, can be used to problem solve a wide variety of behaviors and skills, and often provides results that immensely benefit our kids and their families.”
Shay Farley-Jennings
Senior Therapist
Obtained her RBT certification in 2015.
“I love ABA because it is a flexible science that allows us to help all children reach their full potential, while preserving their personalities and the qualities that make them unique individuals.”
Becky Hansen
Senior Therapist
I love ABA because I can be myself and make therapy something the clients enjoy by using a little bit of creativity and a whole lot of silliness.
Sam Skottegaard
Senior Therapist
Obtained her RBT in 2018
Lindsay Foss
Doctor Physical Therapy
Obtained her doctorate in physical therapy from Regis University, Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions, in 2017
“I love physical therapy because I can help children achieve their mobility goals through the use of play. I believe each child has the right to a unique treatment plan and therapy should be adapted to the individual’s need. Physical therapy can be very effective in providing children with the skills they need to enjoy movement and access their environment. Physical therapy can help with a wide range of diagnoses and therefore encourages creativity in how treatment is provided.”
Rebecca Force
BCBA
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