Licensed Therapeutic Day School

Special Education

Giant Steps is currently designated as a therapeutic day school in the state of Illinois, licensed and certified to exclusively serve students with a primary diagnosis of autism.  Each student’s program is individualized and driven by the goals developed in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy aims to increase a student’s overall level of independence.  Through the use of sensory regulation techniques, as well as accommodations for the student’s unique learning style,  Occupational Therapists help the students at Giant Steps to function in a regulated state of arousal.  By achieving this regulated state of arousal, the Occupational Therapists can enhance the Student’s fine motor and gross motor skills as they relate to functional and academic tasks.

Speech / Language Therapy

Speech and language therapy works with both verbal and non-verbal students to improve their ability to initiate communication and increase pragmatic, expressive, and receptive skills so students can improve interactions with adults and peers.  Speech therapy takes a student’s current set of skills and optimized them using various language strategies (i.e. PECS, communication devices).

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

Board Certified Behavior Analysts aim to support their teams by assessing, developing, and training on individualized motivation systems and behavior intervention plans. At Giant Steps, we have a high number of BCBA’s on staff in order to support all students and staff members. BCBA provides case consultation services for maladaptive behaviors and skill acquisition while supporting in and out of the classrooms and therapy rooms. Some additional areas of BCBA’s expertise include toilet training, feeding programs, classroom wide and individualized behavior plans, and knowledge in prompting and shaping appropriate behaviors for academic, therapeutic, and functional performance.

Music Therapist

Music Therapy focuses on the development and generalization of new skills in cognition, speech, and motor functioning using elements of music.  Neurological Music Therapy is a scientific, evidence-based approach that uses rhythm and melody to motivate, engage, regulate and direct behavior and skill acquisition.

Social Work

Social work at Giant Steps primarily focuses on nurturing students’ social and emotional development across a variety of environments, as well as partnering with families to increase their access to support in the home and community.