Autism Services

Please choose from the menu below to easily navigate to the descriptions of each service.

• Adult Autism Connection



• Adult Day Services



• Approved Private School



• Before & After Preschool Child Care



• Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services



• Connections Camp



• Early Intervention



• Elizabeth Lee Black Specialized Preschool



• The Employment Opportunities Center



• Forest-Warren Autism Early Identification Diagnostic and
  Treatment Center



• Family Support Services



• Happy Hearts Inclusive Preschool



• Home and Community Based Waiver Services



• Intensive Autism Program



• Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program



• Parent Support Groups



• Residential Living Options

Adult Autism Connection

As individuals with autism become adults, many are left without the critical services they need. The Adult Autism Connection, a program sponsored by the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber National Institute, offers neuropsychiatric services to help adults reach their potential for fulfilling, productive lives. The Adult Autism Connection recognizes the unique complexities of autism that do not easily fit in other settings. Our professional staff draws upon years of experience and training in providing autism services to meet the needs of adults.

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Adult Day Services

Adult Day Services seek to capture and maximize each individual’s strengths and increase community integration. These goals are accomplished through a wide variety of interesting and active approaches, and take place in diverse occupational and social venues. Appropriate levels and concentrations of service are offered in correspondence to the needs of the individual. The decades of excellence at work in Adult Day Services form a solid foundation on which new challenges are met with progressive knowledge and passion.

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Approved Private School

The primary aim of the school-aged program at the Elizabeth Lee Black School is to prepare students to live and work more effectively at home, at school and in the community. Acknowledging that education for these child is a lifelong process, we provide a positive, supportive, and consistent learning environment. Daily tasks and schedules are developed and presented on an individual basis with small group participation as the anticipated outcome. Programs are data based, highly structured, and tailored to the specific needs of the child. Students are taught in a variety of settings by staff with expertise in autism. Members of the child's service team include speech and language pathologists, behavior analysts, physical and occupational therapists, and certified special education teachers and assistants.

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Before and After Preschool Child Care

This program offers child care for preschool aged students from 7:00 - 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 - 6:00 p.m. on each day of the preschool calendar. Our 50 years of experience in individualized education allows us to guide each child toward his or her potential.  The program offers a progressive, innovative curriculum that encourages the development of creativity, self-direction, positive peer interactions and communication.  Hired because of their training and high levels of expertise, our staff provide each child with a learning environment that is stimulating, caring and fun.

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Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services

Behavioral Health Rehabilitation/Wrap-Around Services are intensive, community-based mental health services that seek to prevent more restrictive levels of care. Services include those necessary to support parents, teachers, and caregivers with the challenges that accompany raising and educating children and adolescents with complex, multi-dimensional issues. The BHRS model provides a comprehensive array of home and/or school-based professional services, but it seeks to maximize the strengths of families, personal support systems and community resources.

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Connections Camp

The Connections Camp is a daily summer therapeutic experience designed to meet the individual and social needs of children and adolescents with Asperger Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism. Intervention focuses on the development of social skills within peer groups. Participants have fun as they learn to cope with challenges, manage emotions, and make good decisions.

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Early Intervention

Early Intervention Services are targeted to infants and toddlers (birth to age three) who are at risk of developmental delays. Our staff members have more than 250 years of combined experience, and are knowledgeable about cutting-edge interventions for infants and toddlers. Services focus on parent training, and may be provided in diverse locations.

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Elizabeth Lee Black Specialized Preschool

This preschool program designed for children developmental delays, provides individual and group instruction which facilitate "best practice" teaching methods.  All children receive an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to encourage them to develop to their potential.  Students also benefit from an excellent student-to-teacher ratio.  All school programs are afforded the full breadth of services of the Barber National Institute to support the learning and behavioral requirements of all children with disabilities. 

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The Employment Opportunities Center

The Employment Opportunities Center (EOC) provides Community Based Work Assessment, Job Development, and Job Coaching services for adults who are interested in obtaining support to find and maintain a job. Staff members who are specially trained in working with individuals on the autism spectrum provide individualized support based on the desires and needs of each individual.

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Forest-Warren Autism Early Identification Diagnostic and Treatment Center

The Forest-Warren Autism Early Identification Diagnostic and Treatment Center offers information and referrals, services, and support to children and adults with autism and their families in Forest-Warren Counties, Pennsylvania.

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Family Support Services

Family Support Services (FSS) helps eligible families to purchase necessary services for their family member with special needs. Services may include therapies, respite care, recreation, and parenting skills training. The FSS support helps families meet their care-giving responsibilities and participate more fully in community activities. FSS offers "Time for Me," a unique program that provides an afternoon of structured activities for children with special needs. Activities include swimming, arts and crafts, and gym.

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Happy Hearts Inclusive Preschool

This program offers a progressive, innovative curriculum that encourages creativity, self direction, positive peer interaction, and communication skills for both typically developing children and children with special needs ages 3-5. In addition to group activities, all children receive individualized attention to encourage them to develop to their potential.  Students also benefit from an excellent student-to-teacher ratio.

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Home and Community Based Waiver Services

The In-Home Waiver Program provides eligible families with funding to purchase many different support services needed for caregiving. The goal of this support is to enable families to remain together in their own homes. Benefits include visiting nurses, camps, home health care, adaptive equipment and home adaptations, therapies and trained staff to provide short-term caregiving responsibilities

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Intensive Autism Program

The Intensive Autism Program (IAP) at the Elizabeth Lee Black School of the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber National Institute is an innovative program for preschool and school-aged children with autism within the Approved Private School (APS) service. In addition to all of the features listed under our APS description (above) the program incorporates many cutting-edge features for students with autism, including enhanced staff training, extensive individualized curricular support, and a program-wide focus on Applied Behavior Analysis.

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Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program

The Mental Health Partial Hospitalization program serves students ages 5-21 with various psychiatric, emotional and behavioral needs. Students with autism benefit from the high degree of classroom structure and an educational/therapeutic approach based on Applied Behavior Analysis. The clinical support team includes a psychiatrist, board certified behavior analyst, psychiatric nurse, and trained professional staff.

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Parent Support Groups

A variety of groups exist to provide additional support to parents through the Barber National Institute.  Programs include the 21+ Club, Parent-to-Parent, Connections Social Skills Support Group, and the Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Autism Society of America.

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Residential Living Options

The range of options available through Residential Services all promote shared goals:  facilitating individual choice, fostering greater independence and community involvement, and providing a comfortable, life-enriching home life.  Depending upon their needs and preferences, individuals and families may consider residential community group homes, supported living services, life sharing, respite care services, and/or intermediate care facilities.

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