Programs and Services

The University Center for Developmental Disabilities (UCDD) is a supplemental behavioral intervention and parent education/training program. UCDD serves children with developmental disabilities and their families. The program provides one-to-one behavioral interventions as well as parent training and education for families with children and/or adolescents with developmental disabilities who requires support and education in attention, communication, or social interaction.

Positive Behavior Intervention Program (PBIP)

UCDD PBIP is designed to complement existing school and/or community-based programs by providing supplemental and weekly support services. These services include direct instruction to children to increase socialization, communication and appropriate behaviors, parent training, and instruction in strategies for addressing behavioral issues and goals at home. Families typically attend the program for one or two sessions per week. Each session is 2.5 hours in length. Once accepted, most families remain in the program approximately two- and one-half years. Intensity and time in program are based on individual needs, attendance and participation and progress in the program.

Transitional Aged Youth Program (TAY)

UCDD TAY program provides a center-based program for young adults with autism or other developmental disabilities. The TAY program is designed to complement existing programs by providing supplemental support services. The program is designed to benefit young adults who need to establish additional skills in order to successfully participate in a vocational program, day program, college program or competitive, integrated employment. The TAY program targets increased independence, pre-vocational, and employment skills.

Parent Consultation and Training

UCDD offers parent training groups in person during in-center sessions, and via telehealth. UCDD also offers individual parent training. Parent training is available both in English and Spanish.

Parent Training Group

The training curriculum has been divided into twelve distinct topics. These topics each contain subcategories or additional information relating to the topic (see charts below). The topics will repeat every twelve weeks. The parent group counselor will emphasize specific subcategories within that week’s topic to best meet the parents’ current needs or to build upon information that was emphasized when that specific topic was presented to the parents in the previous cycle.

The parent groups are structured into three specific segments. The first segment will be the review of the prior week’s topic, discussion regarding experience with the topic during the week and answering any questions that the parents may have about the material that was presented the prior week. Parents will have the opportunity to relate how the topic related to their individual situations at home or in the community.

The second segment will be the presentation of that week’s topic. In addition to the formal presentation of material, the presentation may include video segments (as appropriate) to illustrate concepts, learning activities and group participation activities. Group participation activities may include role play, designing a sample activity schedule, group problem solving, modifying activities, roundtable discussions etc. The activities will be designed to increase the parents’ understanding of the material.

The third segment will be going over specific, individual in-home goals. The parents will report progress and barriers to the parent group counselor. The Parent Group Counselor will discuss and train parents on modifying techniques and goals and generalizing skills in different settings with a variety of people.

PBIP (Positive Behavior Intervention Program) Parent Training Topics

TAY (Transitional Aged Youth) Parent Training Topics

Individual Parent Training 

Individual parent training is offered to all parents in the program. Individual parent training sessions are scheduled between a UCDD Counselor and a parent. The sessions are designed to collect and analyze information about the client’s progress and barriers to specific goals and increase the parent’s ability to use appropriate techniques to shape their child’s behaviors in different stages.

The individual parent training is structured in three segments. During the first segment, the Counselor collects information from the parent about the consumer’s in-home goals, progress, and barriers. The Counselor provides ideas for modifying techniques and or goals. When necessary, the Counselor provides the parent with handouts and other materials (i.e., visual schedules) to support the parent’s training.

In the second segment, the Counselor and parent observe the consumer during his/her session with a UCDD staff member. The Counselor explains to the parent the techniques as they are being used by the staff member to redirect the consumer’s behaviors. The Counselor also explains how the pre-selected activities are being used to target the consumer’s goals.

In the third segment of the individual training, the Counselor and parent join the consumer and UCDD staff member in engaging with activities / lesson plans. During this segment, the UCDD Counselor provides hands-on training to the parent to teach appropriate techniques of redirection, and methods to increase appropriate behaviors, communication and socialization skills. The Counselor also models appropriate ways of reinforcing and praising a wanted behavior. At the end of the hands-on training, the Counselor meets with the parent to discuss what was observed and what new techniques the parent learned. The Counselor also

discusses ways that these techniques can be modified to work in the home environment and/or in the community.

Individual parent training is scheduled at least once in every funding period. Parents may request additional individual training. Individual training is offered in person and via telehealth.

Program Hours

The center-based PBIP and parent training operate in San Bernardino Monday through Thursday evenings from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings from 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. The center-based parent training groups are held on Monday through Thursday evenings from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings from 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. Parent training groups are also held via Zoom on Thursdays and Fridays at 6 pm and Saturdays at 10 am.

TAY client sessions are currently scheduled on Wednesdays from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. and on Thursdays from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Parents can obtain additional information about the program or can schedule an appointment to visit the Center by calling (909) 537-5495.

Referral and Intake

The UCDD programs are offered to serve children with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families.

• Positive Behavior Intervention Program (PBIP): 2–21 years old clients and their families.
• Transitional Aged Youth (TAY) program: 15 years and older clients.

Referral

UCDD accepts clients through two agencies:

Inland Regional Center (IRC) and Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP). IRC families are referred to the UCDD program by their IRC Consumer Services Coordinator (CSC) and the IRC BHT. In some cases, IRC may request a meeting with UCDD staff to discuss appropriateness of the program before moving forward with the funding approval.

IEHP families can be referred by their child’s doctor, or the families may request UCDD’s services by calling IEHP’s member services.

In both cases, once UCDD receives an authorization from either IRC or IEHP to proceed with the assessment, the family is contacted to schedule the assessment. Often, the authorization for assessment is accompanied by the client’s most recent IPP (Individual Program Plan) and may also include the client’s Psychological Assessment, Social Assessment, Medical Assessment and CDER (Client Development Evaluation Report). These reports are reviewed by the UCDD intake team.

UCDD offers program tours to interested families prior to the referral process. The tour is typically given by a UCDD Supervisor. The interested parents can observe the space where the sessions take place and to observe how teachers work with children. The parents are also given a tour of the Parent Training Group where they meet a UCDD Counselor and parents in the program.

Assessment

The assessment will usually take about 2-3 hours and it can be scheduled at the time the program is running or earlier in the day. Staff will be assigned to work directly with the client and the Program Manager or designated Parent Group Counselor will conduct the parent interview with the parent or guardian. Additional staff will be assigned as needed to assist and observe the assessment.

The purpose of the assessment is to get information via direct observation and parent report on the client’s current functioning in the areas of behavior, interaction, communication, and self-care skills and pre-vocational skills for the TAY program. This information will be used to write initial program goals for the client. The assessment is a program-based assessment and is not used for diagnostic purposes.

During this initial visit to the program parents will observe their child working with Center staff via the observation mirror. This allows the parents to observe their child without the child seeing the parent and allows the parents to see how UCDD strategies are used. Program strategies are discussed as the parent observes their child and questions are answered at this time. The Teacher Assistant assigned to work with the child during the assessment will add notes based on their observations of the child at the conclusion of the assessment. The parents will select a weekly session based on their availability and program openings.

When the initial assessment is completed, a report is written and sent to IRC or IEHP. IRC and IEHP fund UCDD consumers for 6 months of service at a time. Once a family is funded to start the program, the Assistant Director or Program Manager will call the family to inform them of their start date.

Appeals and Complaints

Customers who have questions about the appeals procedure, please contact Dr. Greg Richardson, the director at gregory.richardson@csusb.edu. UCDD is vendorized with Inland Regional Center to provide services to consumers. Customers can contact CA Department of Developmental Services and/or the Division of Occupational Safety and Health for compliants or appeal procedures.