What therapy services does Lumiere Children's Therapy provide?

Lumiere Children's Therapy offers comprehensive pediatric services, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), social work, early intervention, autism testing, teletherapy, and a therapeutic preschool. Our multidisciplinary team collaborates to create personalized treatment plans that support every child's unique developmental journey.

At what age can my child begin therapy?

We serve children from birth through 18 years of age. Early intervention can help address developmental delays before they become more significant, while older children benefit from therapy that supports communication, learning, motor development, emotional regulation, and independence throughout childhood and adolescence.

How do you determine the right therapy plan for my child?

Every child begins with a comprehensive evaluation completed by a licensed therapist. We assess developmental skills, discuss your concerns and goals, and use standardized assessments when appropriate. Based on the results, our team creates a personalized treatment plan that evolves as your child grows and reaches new milestones.

Can my child receive more than one therapy service at the same location?

Yes. Because Lumiere Children's Therapy offers multiple pediatric therapy services under one roof, children can receive coordinated care from speech, occupational, physical, behavioral, and social work professionals. This collaborative approach improves communication among therapists and creates a more consistent experience for families.

Does Lumiere Children's Therapy accept insurance?

We work with many major insurance providers and help families understand their available benefits before therapy begins. Our experienced administrative team assists with insurance verification, claim submissions, billing questions, and payment options, making the process as simple and transparent as possible for parents and caregivers.

What should we expect during our first therapy appointment?

Your first visit focuses on understanding your child's strengths, developmental needs, and family goals. A licensed therapist will complete an evaluation, answer your questions, and explain recommended services. You'll leave with a clear understanding of the next steps and a personalized treatment plan designed for your child.

Why do families choose Lumiere Children's Therapy?

Families choose Lumiere Children's Therapy because we provide individualized care through a collaborative team of experienced pediatric specialists. From evaluations and insurance guidance to ongoing therapy and family education, we're committed to delivering compassionate, evidence-based care that helps children build lifelong skills and confidence.

How can I schedule an evaluation at Lumiere Children's Therapy?

Scheduling an evaluation is quick and straightforward. Simply call our office, send us an email, or complete the contact form on our website. Our friendly team will guide you through every step, including insurance verification, appointment scheduling, and preparing for your child's first visit so you can get started with confidence.

December 16, 2020

More Than ABCs: The Teaching Tools Involved in ABA Therapy

Smiling counselor holding pictures during meeting with young patient with autism

Explaining the elements of ABA Therapy and how it helps children with ASD

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or other developmental conditions, face specific challenges in how they respond to environments or situations. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy can help children cope and thrive while achieving a higher level of independence.

What exactly is ABA Therapy and what are its key training methods? We’ll review a few of them below so you can decide if this type of therapy might be helpful for your child.

Defining ABA Therapy

ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis. The purpose of this therapeutic technique is to help children and their families address and reduce behavioral issues. As you may be aware, changes to your child’s routine or unknown situations/activities can cause stress and anxiety. The stress can lead to challenging behaviors, including aggressive verbal and/or physical reactions.

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ABA Therapy has seven primary goals:

Identify the behaviors you want to change
Set specific goals and outcomes
Determine how to measure progress and improvements
Evaluate where your child stands at the outset of therapy
Help your child learn new skills and address challenging behaviors
Review your child’s progress over time
Determine if further therapy is necessary

ABA Therapy can also provide teaching strategies for parents and caregivers to help their children at home and in other environments.

Let’s look at three of the specific elements of ABA Therapy.

Discrete Trial Teaching

Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) is one of the interventional methods applied during ABA Therapy. Developed in the 1970s by Doctor Ivar Lovaas, DTT is sometimes recommended for children who have ASD. These children may display Level 3 signs of ASD, such as an inability to speak, extreme sensitivity to touch, or repetitive behaviors, like continual rocking back and forth.

DTT breaks activities down into small, easily-taught parts. This method works by applying repetition to help develop cognitive, communication, play, social, and self-help skills.

DTT has five steps:

Discriminative stimulus
The prompt
Child response
Consequence
Inter-trial interval

Pivotal Response Training

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Pivotal Response Training (PRT) applies the principle of encouragement, by asking the child to engage in play-based therapy. Dr. Robert L. Koegel and Dr. Lynn Kern Koegel developed the method in the 1970s.

PRT targets “pivotal” elements of a child’s development, rather than focusing on specific behaviors. This can help children build social and communication skills while reducing disruptive behaviors and enhancing learning.

There are four areas of PRT focus:

Motivation
Response to cues
Self-management
Initiation of social interactions

Fluency Building

Fluency building trains a child to develop appropriate responses by continuous repetition of elements of specific behaviors.

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Fluency building can be helpful with certain daily activities, including:

Bathing
Eating with utensils
Getting dressed
Brushing teeth/hair
Washing hands
Picking up toys
Interactions with others

With fluency building, activities are broken down into small steps and then repeated until each step has been mastered. After practice and mastery, your child will become “fluent” in the skill.

ABA Therapy helps everyone cope

Your child’s behavior can impact his/her life in numerous ways, both at school and with family members and friends. ABA Therapy can help him or her learn appropriate behaviors while teaching you how to reinforce those lessons at home.

Lumiere Children’s Therapy offers a high level of supervision with ABA Therapy to maintain an exceptional level of care.

We also provide other comprehensive therapies so children with a wide range of physical, emotional, and developmental conditions can achieve traditional milestones.

Our services include:

Speech therapy
Occupational therapy
Developmental therapy
Physical therapy
Social work
Augmentative alternative communication
Early intervention
Teletherapy

Lumiere Children’s Therapy is a full-service, multidisciplinary pediatric therapy practice located in Chicago that serves the developmental needs of children from birth to 18 years of age. Learn more about how our team of clinicians works to improve the lives of children and their families.

SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT

Looking for expert pediatric therapy services? Our team specializes in helping children reach their full potential through compassionate, personalized care.

Book an Appointment → Call (312) 242-1665

Vasilikitsa “Kitsa” Antonopoulos

Vasilikitsa “Kitsa” Antonopoulos, MA, CCC-SLP/L is a licensed speech-language pathologist with over two decades of experience supporting children and families. After earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Saint Louis University, she gained deep clinical expertise working across pediatric hospitals, early intervention programs, and autism therapy settings.

In 2010, Kitsa founded Lumiere Children’s Therapy to create a holistic, collaborative space where children could receive personalized, multidisciplinary care. Her vision continues to guide Lumiere’s dedicated team of therapists, offering speech, occupational, physical, and behavioral therapy and more, to help every child reach their fullest potential.