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Growing minds have a number of programs but the “Early Intervention Program” will be the focus of this paper.Developed to address specific populations and groups with respect to cultural, ethnic, gender, and/or socioeconomic indicators, the early prevention program is the poster child for diversity. At Growing Minds, the organizational goal is to treat both children and adolescents from all points of the autism spectrum. The early prevention program is tailored to each individual, no matter their economic status, ethnicity or gender.Growing Minds early intervention programs serve children between 18 months and 5 years; also experienced working with children with severe neurological problems, starting at nine months. Growing Minds, Inc.
AUTISM SPECTRUM & ASPERGER’S SYNDROME13specialists works with the children who have been affected by the disorder. This program also specializes in working with the parents, teachers and other professionals from all over the world. Based out of Bloomfield, Colorado, this organization provides numerous programs for families and the children in homes and schools across North America and Europe and through distance consultations anywhere in the world. The Growing Minds Program has also had the privilege of providing autism services in the Netherlands since 1998. With the partnership of Dutch organizations and generous feedback from Dutch parents, the Growing Minds Program have designed a wide variety of guidance services which meets the specific needs of Dutch parents and caregivers working with children who suffers from the disorder. Sociocultural Evaluation: EffectivenessMeasuring the effectiveness of this program has been very difficult due to the lack of research regarding its effectiveness. The limitations within these programs are the inconclusiveness of the program’s effectiveness. There are many strengths of the program in which it treats the entire person and caters to the needs and diversity of the individual. Program Evaluation: Core ThemesIn developmental psychology, two competing theories such as, “continuity anddiscontinuity” and “stability vs. change” are both prevalent in growing minds programs. Both continuity and discontinuity attempts to elaborate how individuals change throughout their lives. From the continuity aspect – an individual changes with a smooth transition. On the other hand, within the discontinuity continuum - abrupt changes are associated. Within the realm of Autism, both theories can reign supreme. Autism isn’t a pretty disorder. Changes occur within time or in
AUTISM SPECTRUM & ASPERGER’S SYNDROME14that moment. For example, a child with ASD that has been admitted into the early intervention program at Growing Minds can undergo months of rigorous training and can get a new verbal cue in that present moment or they could get in later during a basketball game. Such changes canbe best described as a wide variety of an individual’s social and behavioral makeup. For