Pediatric Minds Medical Center

ABA therapy (Pediatric Minds Developmental Services)

Ages 1–10

Behavioral agency providing individualized ABA for children with autism and related needs in the home, clinic, school and community. Programs are designed and supervised by Board Certified Behavior Analysts, with Registered Behavior Technicians giving 1:1 care. Every child starts with an initial assessment that sets individual treatment goals; functional behavior assessments are also offered. Goals include aggressive or self-injurious behavior, attention, safety awareness, eloping, self-regulation, social skills and self-help skills such as toileting, dressing, feeding and sleep. Parent training is included, and school-based support targets off-task behavior. Serves ages 18 months to 10 years (the site also says 8 in one place) and has operated in the South Bay since 2015. Consultant Ted Hutman, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist, trains staff. The agency says it is contracted with most insurance plans, and it is a Harbor Regional Center vendor.

• Applied behavior analysis, Functional behavior assessment, Parent training and Social skills training
• Ted Hutman, PhD
• Insurance: Regional center funded: vendored with a California regional center
• Where care happens: In the family’s home; At the clinic or office; At the child’s school or daycare; Out in the community: parks, stores, playdates
• Taking new patients or families: yes

Registration open

Early Childhood Treatment Center (intensive day program)

Ages 2–7

The Early Childhood Treatment Center is a short-term intensive outpatient day treatment program for young children ages 30 months to 7 years who have autism spectrum disorder, anxiety disorders, developmental disabilities or behavioral disorders. The clinic says it is funded through the family's insurance. The team brings together child neurology, psychology, speech and occupational therapy and behavior analysis. Families describe a program of about 3 hours a day, 5 days a week for roughly 10 to 12 weeks, depending on insurance, with weekly meetings with the psychologist and parent observations and training. The program is delivered at the Torrance center.

• Intensive outpatient day treatment, Parent training and Multidisciplinary assessment
• Insurance: Regional center funded: vendored with a California regional center
• Where care happens: At the clinic or office

• Activities: Early intervention and Testing & evaluation

Social Cognitive Skills groups

Up to age 21

A 10-week Social Cognitive Skills program teaching friendship skills, verbal and non-verbal conversation, gestures and body language, how to play with a group of peers and how to respond to teasing. Children are placed in small groups by age, skill level and needs, and typical peers take part so children can practice with them. Most sessions are at the Pediatric Minds offices in Torrance, with some held at a community location. Groups have been offered Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, and the clinic says insurance or private pay is accepted.

• Social skills groups
• Insurance: Regional center funded: vendored with a California regional center
• Where care happens: At the clinic or office; Out in the community: parks, stores, playdates

Speech therapy

Ages 1+

Licensed speech and language pathologists work with children from 15 months of age on apraxia, dysarthria, oral motor deficits, feeding difficulties, articulation, pragmatics, fluency, word finding and conversational skills. Therapists are trained in the Hanen Method, a family-based approach that uses social interaction and teaches parents to deliver language interventions to their child in familiar, naturalistic settings. Offered at the Torrance clinic alongside the center's ABA, psychology and neurology services.

• Speech and language therapy, Hanen Method, Apraxia and Oral motor and feeding
• Insurance: Regional center funded: vendored with a California regional center

• Activities: Speech therapy and Feeding therapy