Complete Behavior Services Celebrates Grand Opening of Lakeland Location
by James Coulter
Children growing up with Autism Spectrum Disorder or other developmental disorders can be quite overwhelmed by their environment. The many sights, sounds, and other senses can trigger them with sensory overload, making their daily lives more difficult than they already are.
Fortunately, through a new, revolutionary teaching technique, these children can learn through their environment, using its many elements to learn to better communicate and to improve their social and functional living skills.
Complete Behavior Services expects to help educate local children with these new techniques through their new Lakeland facility, which recently celebrated its grand opening last Friday.
Located along Massachusetts Avenue in Downtown Lakeland, Complete Behavior Services is a new learning facility that assists children with Autism and other developmental disorders by utilizing techniques and treatments through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
ABA, according to its pamphlet, “is the science of examining the environment and its effect on behavior…[It] is used to identify the function of problem, behaviors, and train new skills as a replacement.”
Simply put, ABA helps identify deficits in communication, social skills, and functional living skills and helps children overcome these deficits with hands-on learning through their environment. As such, children can overcome their shortcomings by learning new skills as a replacement for their deficits.
“The focus is on data collection and all treatments and techniques are solely evidence-based procedures that have been tested and proven to be effective,” their pamphlet explained. “ABA can start as early as 18 months and can be effective with adults as well.”
Complete Behavior Services previously operated their initial location in Orlando. They have since opened their newest location in Lakeland, and have been seeking children to participate in their program, said Paula Galetto, ABA Services Director.
“It has been in the process of accommodating for the different children we will be working with,” she said. “We have been able to transition new kids into therapy. Some had therapy before, so the parents are aware of what they are walking into.”
Their new facility includes a large colorful play area, as well as separate rooms for individual one-on-one learning and training. Sensory rooms are also provided to help calm down children who may feel overstimulated, as are Tantrum Rooms to handle high crisis behavior with situations that could become more aggressive.
Galetto expects news parents to become accommodated by these new services. They have proven successful in Orlando, and they hope to remain successful in Lakeland. Through ABA, they have been able to help parents learn how to implement this therapy in their children’s lives at home and in their community, and the results have more than superseded expectations.
“It is honestly life-changing,” she said. “When you can work with a kid and a kid who does not speak and they say their first words, it is mind-blowing for parents to know that the kid cando that and communicate more effectively.”
The Lakeland Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday to commemorate the facility’s grand opening. Mayor Bill Mutz and Chamber Member Jason Rodda both commended the facility for being a great new addition to the community, and they both wished success for it.
“Thank you so much for your investment in our community, and your investment into the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce,” Rodda said. “We wish you great success with your new facility.”
Complete Behavior Services is located at 714 N. Massachusetts Ave., Lakeland, FL 33801. For more information, call 863-937-6747, or visit their website at completebehavior.org.
