Whispering Hills has a unique on-site school facility which provides educational services to our residents and non-public day school students a minimum of four hours per day, five days a week. Our school is staffed with certified and trained special education techers, general education teachers, support and direct care staff. Our school design features both structured and unstructured space in order to accommodate the varying types of client educational and behavioral needs.

All efforts are directed toward continued research into best practices in the instruction of students with varying learning disabilities as well as neurological and developmental areas of concern. Instruction always matches assessment which is conducted on a daily basis and documented in client portfolios. Highlighted teaching strategies include

• establishing instructional control;
• using errorless teaching to assure that there is a 100% guarantee of a correct response; and,
• using the discrete trial method of instruction.

Additionally, modifications which support individualized educational programming and assure a sensory diet are implemented. Related services necessary for a student to experience educational success are also provided.

Clients at Whispering Hills also receive instruction in life skills and vocational awareness activities. Fine arts opportunities, recreational activities, gardening and instruction in the care of and responsibility for multiple types of farm animals are part of each client's program.

Functional behavior analysis is at the core of our treatment program. Our staff is trained to understand that behaviors are occurring because they are reinforced by one of two things: getting something you want, or escaping or avoiding something you don't want. Therefore, built into our behavioral health care program is a continuous level of scheduled reinforcement aimed at skill acquisition and purposeful relationship building with each client. Other behavioral teaching strategies employed which are aimed at capturing motivation include:

• ignoring minor misbehaviors as a form of extinction of them;
• pairing peers and adults with an exisiting reinforcer;
• systematic prompting and fading of prompts;and,
• using shaping to develop new responses and increase independence and social competence.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a data driven program that has shown to be a highly successful intervention for people with Autism and Pervasive Developmental Delays (PDD). This process is not one size fits all, and must be carefully adapted to each child in treatment, and continually reviewed to best provide the specific program needed for that child.

Verbal Behavior (VB) is the specific adaptation of ABA that focuses on the function of language, not just the form. We believe that language can be taught and acquired through reinforcement in an error-less teaching context. Our teaching is guided by The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABBLS), which helps us to develop individualized language objectives, and tracks progress through the curriculum. Whispering Hills is dedicated to providing the best possible care for your child, and we draw upon the best that ABA/VB has to offer.

Whispering Hills has a highly qualified and trained professional staff organization which includes a multidisciplinary team of administrators, directors, school staff, direct care staff, and educational and clinical consultants along with various licensed individual practitioners.

The staff development program at Whispering Hills focuses on creating a "heart-centered" teacher and role model whose presence is powerful. This powerful presence serves as the catalyst for change that replaces limits with assests. All staff receives continual training and work together in a collaborative manner to assure continuous facility and program improvement.