Hillcrest offers hope for children and adolescents with the most challenging difficulties associated with Autism.

Our Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Residential Program offers highly-specialized day, and intensive residential treatment services for children and adolescents at all levels of the Autism spectrum.

The Program’s high staff-to-student ratio ensures a safe, caring and highly-structured treatment environment. To monitor progress, we use state-of-the-art data collection and analysis systems for ongoing assessments of:

Our team of professionals and support staff are led by an administrative team with decades of experience in the treatment of Autism. All facets of treatment provided in this program are supervised by Board Certified Behavior Analysts.

In the Residential Program, all space has been specifically designed for the safety and special needs of the Autism population. Our classrooms have features that help minimize distractions while maximizing learning opportunities during the school day. To ensure that students safely achieve the most in their daily living and pre-vocational skills practice, residential dormitories have been designed using special hardware, fixtures, and furnishings.

All program staff participate in 9 days of HEC orientation training and therapeutic crisis intervention strategies. An additional 40 hours of ASD-specific Training includes the following components:
• Characteristics of the Spectrum
• Basic behavior principles
• Reinforcement strategies and how to elicit behavior from children
• Incidental teaching strategies
• Behavior management techniques
• Discrete Trial Training
• Group management techniques
• Preference-assessment technologies
• Positive teaching procedures
• Various skill acquisition and prompting procedures

Hillcrest Educational Centers’ program uses Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which utilizes the field’s most effective treatment techniques for assessment, behavioral treatment, and instruction. An evidence-based practice, ABA positively improves learning for students at varying levels on the Autism spectrum.

Using Behavioral / ABA based methods, our highly trained staff members provide individualized treatment strategies integrated throughout the school and residential program. This instruction leads to the development of all areas, including new academic, adaptive and physical skills.

HEC’s ASD Residential Program is located in the beautiful Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, surrounded by the natural splendor of woodlands, hills, lakes and rivers in a culturally rich area. Over the centuries, the Berkshires have been renowned as a center for healing and wellness. Children in our program have access to numerous activities and destinations available in this beautiful and popular part of the state.

Students benefit from our:
• ABA Driven Philosophy
• Speech and Language Pathology
• Adaptive Physical Education
• Nursing Services
• Augmentative Alternative Communication Systems (AAC)
• Enhanced Staffing Ratios
• Supervision by Board Certified Behavior Analysts
• Fully Accredited On-Site School