Easterseals’ strategic alliances with Instride Therapy, ABA Academy and Brainwaves creates a comprehensive state of the art services providing high impact services overcoming geographic barriers allowing all abilities shine for many more families in southwest Florida and beyond.
Easterseals Happiness House is proud to partner with InStride Therapy and through this partnership, we are providing a seamless transition for clients who receive therapy from both our organizations. InStride and Easterseals Happiness House utilize Instride’s beautiful sixty-two-acre therapy facility in Nokomis, FL to deliver Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), and Speech Therapy. Additionally, InStride also offers Therapeutic Riding and Equine Assisted Learning Programs including programs for veterans.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Academy and Easterseals Southwest Florida, two nonprofits that similarly serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, have formed a strategic alliance to share services in order to fill educational gaps and create the best possible programming regionally.
This synergistic strategy combines the skill set strengths, teamwork and leadership from both organizations. ABA Academy’s talented team and experience in applied behavioral therapy, one of the foremost research-based therapy approaches for autism, pairs well with Easterseals Southwest Florida’s extensive therapy, early intervention education, family support services and broad range of autism services.
Continuous autism services throughout an individual’s lifespan is critical for families in the community. Now through this agreement and with state support, there is a special place that will maximize an individual’s abilities through programming and educational components.
“This exciting opportunity allows the ABA Academy to provide comprehensive educational and support services for students with autism and other disabilities and their families,” said Donna Leigh-Estes, executive director at ABA Academy. “Without Easterseals of Southwest Florida, we wouldn’t be able to provide all of these auxiliary services. These students deserve the same opportunities that all students receive and the same ability to participate in any activities. That’s what I hope to continue to bring to ABA Academy.”
Each nonprofit will function as separate entities. As part of the alliance, Easterseals Southwest Florida will continue to provide preschool and a kindergarten program at its 350 Braden Ave. location in Sarasota. Kindergarten is a critical year for children, and the program takes a comprehensive approach to development, education, health and well-being.
“Our two great organizations are coming together, and these scalable and sharable programs will overcome geographic barriers to benefit significantly more families,” said Tom Waters, president and CEO of Easterseals Southwest Florida. “There is a longstanding passion by both parties to help these families and students far into the future.”
The Brain Wave Center provides neurofeedback training to Easterseals clients. As part of their initiative, The Brain Wave Center has opened a branch location at Easterseals for the convenience of our students and staff. The majority of the children that are positively impacted by neurofeedback meet the criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder.assistive-technology-Brainwaves.
The primary goal of partnering with The Brain Wave Center is to help as many children with disabilities as possible using neurofeedback. The Brain Wave Center is also developing a research project to further prove the effectiveness of neurofeedback with children, as part of a comprehensive treatment program.
