Early Intervention Programs

Functional Intensive Real-life Skills Teaching (FIRST)
The CAS FIRST program is designed for children 18 months to 5 years of age.

The CAS FIRST program actively targets critical functional communication skills focusing on the child’s wants and needs, self care, play, building relationships, and basic learning skills. FIRST programs are designed to improve the quality of life across all settings and prepare the child for the next step in educational placement. The following areas are assessed and goals are developed as needed:

• Receptive/Expressive language
• Critical functional communication skills
• Cognitive skills across domain areas
• Independent and interactive play skills
• Social skills
• Functional adaptive living and self care skills
• Fine and gross motor skills
• Engagement, attention and learning readiness
• Community skills
• Behavior Management
• Parent Training and Support

FIRST programs are developed through targeting ‘real world’ skills, by placing the emphasis on the generalization of skills to functionally-based daily routines in the home, learned educational setting, and community environments. Parent participation and training is an integral part of the program.

Services provided through our FIRST program can be delivered via a traditional, multi-tiered staff model, or through a direct Trainer to Trainer model. The Trainer to Trainer model allows families to work directly with our Consulting professionals to maximize teachable moments within the child’s daily routines to successfully implement program objectives.