Behavioral Interventions
Compassionate ABA
At MAC Midwest, we don’t just provide therapy—we create environments where learning feels safe, joyful, and meaningful. Our center-based programs use a compassionate ABA model designed to support each child’s individual goals and strengths. Whether your child attends full-day or half-day sessions, every moment is purposefully structured to help them grow with dignity and connection.
Our approach is grounded in the belief that learning should never come at the expense of comfort or trust. That’s why our team focuses on the Happy, Relaxed, and Engaged (HRE) model—meeting kids where they are and building skills through positive reinforcement, play-based strategies, and supportive relationships.
Full-Day and Half-Day Programs, Tailored to Your Family
We offer both full-day and half-day therapy options to meet the diverse needs of families and learners. These programs are designed for children who benefit from structured routines, consistent support, and individualized attention. Each day is carefully planned to balance targeted skill development with natural learning opportunities—like brushing teeth after lunch, navigating transitions between rooms, or participating in circle time with peers.
Center-based programming allows us to create a therapeutic setting where we can control for distractions, ensure safety, and provide repeated opportunities for your child to practice and generalize new skills across different activities and people.
A Layered Model of Care
Our centers are more than ABA hubs—they’re integrated care settings. In addition to behavior therapy, many learners also receive speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, and feeding therapy, all under one roof. Because our team works together daily, therapists can align goals and reinforce each other’s strategies, accelerating progress and creating a more holistic experience for your child.
We also offer:
Family Skills Training to help parents and caregivers use the same techniques at home, making therapy more effective and sustainable
Group Skills Sessions where learners practice communication, cooperation, and play in a safe peer environment
Supports Plus Programming for individuals needing more than 1:1 support, including 2:1 or 3:1 staffing for safety and success
This layered, transdisciplinary approach ensures that we treat the whole child—not just their diagnosis—and surround families with the tools, education, and community they need.
Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS)
Positive Behavior Intervention Support is an evidenced-based framework for supporting the social, emotional, behavioral, academic, and mental health success of children. The focus of PBIS is prevention of unwanted behaviors, not punishment.
PBIS teaches and reinforces positive behavior strategies and uses consistent language to talk about appropriate expectations with consistent and clear positive reinforcement.
In addition to our broad adoption of PBIS, MAC also employs a clinical professional team called POST (Positive Outcome Support Team) to assist with positive intervention planning when significant challenges are present.
Safety-Care
Safety-Care combines the most effective elements of ABA Therapy and Positive Behavioral Intervention Support to eliminate the use of restraints and provide increased dignity and safety for both our staff and clients.
Safety-Care can also be taught to families experiencing challenging behaviors at home and in other settings as part of our Family Skills Programs.
Family Skills Programs
“We improve the lives of people in our care affected by autism”- MAC Mission.
This is most successful when there is consistency between care settings, both at MAC and beyond.
We provide Family Skills training that allows families to learn key ABA, PBIS, and Safety-Care methods they can incorporate anywhere, helping reduce challenging behaviors even when MAC professionals are not around. This is a key element of effective therapy as it helps families carry over the skills their loved ones learn at MAC into their everyday environments.
Family Skills can be done in our centers, virtually, at home, or on-the-go where challenging behaviors are most common, such as the grocery store or playground.
