The Positive Behavior and Visual Supports (PBVS) project was designed as a 5-session home-based program to complement services provided by Babies Can’t Wait. The curriculum is as a Tier 3 targeted intervention for children with autism developed by the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University. This presentation will include an overview and discussion of project goals and objectives as well as an in-depth orientation to the use of visual supports and positive behavior strategies to improve communication and social and behavioral development. Participants will be provided with a structured approach to behavior intervention training for caregivers and family members of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ages 1-3 years old) in home-based settings. Emphasis will be placed on the identification and use of family strengths, training in research-supported behavior assessment and intervention strategies, and the use of visual supports in the establishment of functional child routines. Participants will learn how to help caregivers better understand what their child is communicating through his or her behavior, as well as, how to teach and reinforce more appropriate forms of child communication. Attendees will be informed of the preliminary findings and lessons learned related to the implementation of the PBVS across the state of Georgia. Next steps for the project will be discussed
