Sendan Center
Sendan ABA Services
Sendan Center offers targeted, client-centered, evidence-based interventions to support clients and families.
- In-Home, Center-Based, and Community programs
- Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) for young children with a diagnosis of autism. To see more information about our EIBI program please take a look at our current flyer.
- Behavioral Support to Schools: Child-specific behavior plan consultation implementation; professional development.
- Parent Coaching: In-home and office-based parent coaching.
Our Behavior Teams are headed by an in-house, highly experienced, child psychologist / senior behavior analyst (PhD / BCBA-D).
We are contracted with Premera, Kaiser, and Regence, as well as with HCA Fee-for-Service, and Molina.
Our office is located in Bellingham, WA. We have been serving clients since 2011 in Bellingham, WA and surrounding Whatcom County such as Ferndale, Sudden Valley, and Fairhaven. We also serve areas of Skagit County on a case-by-case basis.
Short-term programs offered by Sendan ABA: |
To be added to our ABA waitlist, please:
- Complete our Intake Form: Sendan New Patient Forms. If you would prefer a printable version to fill out by hand, please follow this link: Sendan New Patient Forms – printable
- Read, sign, and submit the ABA Parent Manual. If you would prefer a printable version to read and sign, please follow this link: ABA Parent Manual – printable (make sure to print and sign the last 3 pages).
- Make a copy of the front and back of your insurance card.
We will add you to the waitlist once we have received:
- Your completed Intake Paperwork.
- The signed pages of the ABA Services Parent Manual.
- A copy of your insurance card.
For current ABA clients:
If your ABA supervisor has asked you to complete any of the forms listed below, please click the link to fill and submit the form online (forms will open up in a new tab):
- Sendan ABA Disclosure (printable version here)
- Release of Information (printable version here)
- ABA Clinic Location Acknowledgement (printable version here)
- ABA Family COVID Letter (printable version here)
- ABA Family Update Form
- ABA Request for Non-Secure Communication
- ABA Parent Manual (printable version here)
Sendan ABA Services FAQs:
Who provides services?
What kinds of services are offered?How do I know that the services I’m receiving are high quality?
What intensity of treatment can you offer my child?What kind of time commitment is required for ABA?
What age is appropriate for ABA?
Does Sendan Center serve clients in schools?
Does Sendan Center provide in-home services?
How will I know how much treatment planning or treatment will cost?
Does Sendan Center bill insurance companies for treatment services?
Who provides services?
The core Behavior Services Team:
- Sara White, PhD, BCBA-D, Child Psychologist and Behavior Analyst
- ABA Behavior Specialists and Technicians
Other Sendan Center service providers are also available to Behavioral Services families. These include clinicians in the areas of child psychiatry, speech / language / communications, childhood anxiety, and learning disorder diagnosis and treatment.
What kinds of services are offered?
Sendan ABA therapy programs are tailored to each individual client’s needs and skills. We will meet learners where they are and strive to help them achieve their goals in a way that is significant to them and to their families.
ABA therapy is a scientifically validated and evidence-based intervention that can target increasing communication and social skills, acquiring daily living skills and attaining independence in the community, as well as decreasing maladaptive behaviors that can interfere with day-to-day joy, learning and community experiences. We will work with you and your learner to pinpoint those specific goals that will have the greatest impact on their quality of life.
We serve children with autism spectrum disorders, Down Syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders, disruptive behaviors and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, as well as typically developing children with significant behavior issues that are causing them distress in their daily environments.
We match the needs of the child and family to what the scientific literature suggests is the most appropriate intervention. We will use some or all of the following techniques:
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- Skill-Based Treatment (SBT), a trauma-informed protocol for teaching children to navigate things they find difficult and communicate to get their needs met.
- Positive reinforcement
- Discrete Trial Teaching
- Naturalistic Teaching
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a behavioral approach to working toward personal acceptance of emotional responses and commitment to behavior change
- PEAK Relational Training, a comprehensive approach to teaching learners to understand the relationships between stimuli rather than rote memorization of labels and responses.
- Other evidence-based protocols
We strive to provide neurodiversity affirming care. To learn more, click here.
How do I know that the services I’m receiving are high quality?
- Your learner is excited to see their therapists
- Your input and suggestions are heard and incorporated into the service plan
- Your learner is making meaningful progress on their goals, and if they aren’t, the behavior specialist makes responsive, thoughtful changes to the service plan
- Parents/caregivers/family members are included in therapy sessions
What intensity of treatment can you offer my child?
The intensity of treatment varies from child to child and is based upon the family’s needs, preference for intensity, and financial ability.
Upon intake, a Behavior Specialist will directly assess a client’s skills and current level of need, as well as gather input from their caregivers and service providers. Using this information, they will then determine the most appropriate setting and intensity of services required for the best outcomes.
We are able to offer a wide spectrum of treatment options. The following are all examples of services we provide:
- Development of a behavior plan plus one or two follow-up visits to modify the plan as needed. Parents and teachers (or other providers) implement the plan.
- Development of a behavior plan plus 1-2 hours per week with the child and parents and / or teachers to train parents / teachers in implementing the plan.
- Intensive one-on-one treatment in home or school (5-10 hours per week).
- Very intensive one-on-one treatment (25-40 hours per week).
- Weekly in-office sessions with the child therapist.
What kind of time commitment is required for ABA?
ABA services require a multiple day commitment (typically 3 to 5 days a week) for a minimum of 6 months based on typical insurance authorization periods. Exceptions to this 6-month commitment are for those that qualify for our short-term early intervention program (EIBI) which runs for approximately 3 months, 4 days a week. Treatment hours can range anywhere from a few hours a week to intensive behavior support that can be up to 40 hours of therapy per week. Treatment recommendations and hours prescribed are informed by evidence-based research, what is realistic for families, and what is most appropriate for the client’s age and development.
What age is appropriate for ABA?
We provide ABA services to children aged 3 up to young adulthood. 18+ services are not common but may be covered under some insurance plans.
Does Sendan Center serve clients in schools?
We may contract directly through schools, but we do not provide services paid for by insurance in school district settings. Staffing outside of school district employees is an IEP team decision and something you should speak to your child’s school IEP team about if you are interested in pursuing this option.
Does Sendan Center provide in-home services?
In-home services may be available for those that live within our Bellingham-based service area. This is defined as within a 20-minute drive from our clinic. Those that live outside of this area may come to our clinic for services when openings are available.
How will I know how much treatment planning or treatment will cost?
We will always let you know in advance of any appointments or sessions what the costs are, so you can decide whether or not you want to proceed. Costs are determined by which provider you are seeing, what sort of treatment you are seeking, what your child’s diagnosis is, and what kind of insurance you have. Based on this information, our billing department will let you know what your likely costs are.
Does Sendan Center bill insurance companies for ABA treatment services?
If your child has a diagnosis of Autism AND you have Kaiser, Premera, Regence, HCA Fee-for-Service, or Molina: Yes.
In all other circumstances: No. All costs for treatment services are paid for out of pocket by families. Families will be given invoices once a month listing all services rendered along with billing codes and credential information for each provider to be submitted to insurance for possible reimbursement.
If you are not sure whether Sendan Center would be able to bill your insurance for ABA, please call our Billing department at 360-305-3275, ext. 3.
Can I schedule a time to see the ABA clinic?
Clinic tours can be made by appointment only. Please contact our ABA department at 360-305-3275, ext. 7.