Upon admission to Norris Academy, residents and their families help their team facilitate the creation of a Master Treatment Plan (MTP), which provides the “map” for each resident’s treatment.  The Master Treatment Plan is a living document that frequently updated throughout the course of treatment and is the responsibility of the resident’s family therapist to maintain on behalf of the resident.  Areas for care that might be included in (but is not limited by) the Master Treatment Plan include:

The framework by which the program intervenes with individuals and their presenting challenges is derived from Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) and Behavior Therapy.  While receiving treatment at Norris Academy, residents will receive weekly individual therapy, weekly family therapy, various group therapy options (in the form of group process, nursing groups, educational groups and milieu groups).

For residents at Norris Academy, parent and family involvement in treatment is a critical part of long-term success after treatment has finished at the program.  Due to the unique needs of our residents, they frequently need consistent support to ensure that their improved habits and successes are able to be maintained when they return back to their homes and communities.  Norris Academy encourages families to be physically present as often as possible in family therapy sessions, for on- and off-campus passes and for other events at the program that allow our residents to show their best potential.  If you perceive a struggle in being able to regularly participate in treatment, please share that with the admissions team and your therapist early in the process so a plan can be developed to support your child in the healthiest way possible.

In addition to the therapeutic interventions described above, residents may also benefit from a variety of other services provided by Norris Academy.  Depending on a resident’s needs, they may be recommended to participate in Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, or Physical Therapy to assist with different clinical presentations.  When appropriate, residents may also benefit from attending our Therapeutic Riding program, which is provided in partnership with Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding (STAR), or in our Humans and Animals Learning Together (HALT) program, which pairs residents with therapy animals to help support emotional growth and reciprocity and encourage supportive learning.