Autism therapy at Soar focuses on helping children learn in the ways that their brains are naturally wired to learn — through play, social interactions and relationships. Our integrated team of autism care professionals work together daily to coordinate every aspect of your child’s therapy and treatment needs under one roof.
Families trust the high-quality, compassionate care their children receive at Soar. You are the expert on your child, and Soar is your partner in providing compassionate care and treatment.
Our doors are always open to families. Therapy at Soar is fully transparent, and families are welcome to drop in at any time to observe or participate in treatment. We also provide training so families can implement ESDM principles at home.
Soar offers autism therapy based on the Early Start Denver Model or ESDM. The ESDM is a naturalistic – or play-based – approach to autism therapy. That means Soar meets every child where they are developmentally and helps them develop and acquire new skills through play-based therapy and joint activities.
ESDM is recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics as an effective and well-studied approach to autism therapy. In more than a dozen high-quality studies, therapy based on the ESDM was found to improve language, social, and adaptive skills in children with autism, as well as cognition and behavior.
Learn more about Soar’s ESDM approach, click here.
At Soar, all the multidisciplinary specialties involved in evidence-based autism care are under one roof and working together daily to coordinate care for each child. Our team includes BCBAs, RBTs, as well as speech-language, occupational, and mental health therapists.
Strong partnerships with families are at the heart of Soar’s approach. That’s why we always begin therapy with a process of building a positive relationship and getting to know you and your child. As therapy progresses, Soar clinicians work closely with families to share information and provide coaching and strategies that you can use every day at home.
Challenges in social communication and interaction are common for children with autism. Our Speech Language Pathologists will work with your family and child to identify communication goals and provide treatment in a developmentally-appropriate way to meet your child where they are. We also have clinicians trained in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies to aid in communication for your child. To learn more about Soar’s speech-language therapy program, click here.
Many children with autism have challenges in motor skill development and daily living skills, as well as sensory processing and diet and feeding needs. Our occupational therapists will work with you and your child to support those needs in a playful environment. To learn more about our occupational therapy program, click here.
Soar’s whole-child autism care addresses all aspects of a child’s developmental needs, including consistent and intentional support for healthy social-emotional development. We get to know children and work to understand the reasons behind their behavior. Once we know why a behavior occurs, we can teach a child to express themselves in more effective ways while still allowing for their unique and special personality to shine through.
For your family, having a child with autism can present unique stressors. Soar is here to provide your family with support via licensed counselors, whether for your family, one or both caregivers, or your child’s siblings.
This comprehensive guide was specifically designed for parents of autistic children in the greater Denver area. Download your own free copy now:
Amanda Ariza, BCBA, MA, offers an overview of Soar’s approach to naturalistic, play-based ABA therapy based on the Early Start Denver Model.
Our primary job is to help each child reach their fullest potential as a person with autism. We are not trying to cure them of autism or make them appear “normal” in terms of societal expectations. Instead, we aim to help them cultivate their strengths, develop new skills to navigate the modern world, and grow their self-confidence as a person with autism.
We think some programs too narrowly define autism based on deficits and prioritize “fixing” behaviors. We view autism as a neurodevelopmental condition that leads children to act or communicate in certain ways based on individual reactions to their environment. As such, we ask “why” a child is acting a certain way and empathize with their perspective as we develop a therapy plan to support them.
We think some programs are using overly structured and rigid programs that don’t generalize learning. As much as possible, we incorporate play as a natural, developmentally appropriate way to help kids cultivate and generalize new skills in new areas, using their interests as the primary motivator.
Autism is complex and inherently requires multi-disciplinary collaboration, both among the care team and between the care team and family. We work in partnership with parents and caregivers to design the best individualized program for each child.
We continuously identify the highest-quality interventions with proven success from scientific studies that help children with autism develop and grow. We are fluent in the best models, particularly for young learners (such as the Early Start Denver Model), and we hire and train the right clinicians to deliver them in our center.
We place a tremendous emphasis on caregiver satisfaction, and we hold ourselves accountable for facilitating meaningful progress for each child. As always, we use that data to learn how to improve care delivery for current and future children with autism.
Soar offers three age-specific programs designed to meet the needs and reach the goals of most young children.
Comprehensive and integrated therapy to build foundational skills and enable transition to other settings, like school
Tailored therapy specific to certain skills, therapy types, or domain areas
For families who live far from Soar, three options for remote and hybrid therapy.
At Soar Autism Center, we provide naturalistic ABA therapy. We meet the child where they are developmentally, work to build a strong relationship, and we engage in play. At Soar, we believe that fun is the ultimate teaching tool.
Amanda A., BCBA
Integrated autism at Soar means our clinicians work together under the same roof, actively refining the care plan for each child on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
Jen G., Soar co-founder
Our focus is on setting an early foundation that sets children up to soar and thrive for the rest of their lives. That’s whole-child autism care.
Ian G., Soar co-founder
We have been nothing but impressed with Soar’s work in autism care. They’ve built a strong clinical program to help children and families in a modern setting and environment. It is the place I would send my own children.
Tom M., Advisor
Soar’s mission and values align with mine as a clinician. I went into autism care to help children and their families, and that has always been at the forefront of everything that I do. Working for an organization that puts the child first is number one on my list in selecting where I work. Soar won’t cut corners and will always strive to provide the absolute best quality of care for your child and family.
Amanda A., BCBA