About FEAT-Houston
History
FEAT-Houston was founded in July 1995 by a half dozen families of children with autism spectrum disorders. It is a non-profit organization committed to families and others interested in assisting children with autism to learn through applied behavioral techniques.
Intensive programming using ABA (applied behavior analysis) is the primary, scientifically validated treatment methodology for early autism intervention. When FEAT-Houston was established, there were no local resources for obtaining an intensive 30-40 hour per week treatment program for a child diagnosed with autism, nor were there local consulting resources to establish such a program for a child in the home. Parents found that sharing information and support was essential to creating solid in-home ABA programs with the help of regular visits from consultants based in other parts of the state or country.
Today, there are a growing number of private programs providing intensive ABA-based treatment for individuals with autism. There also are board certified professionals to assist families in managing in-home programs. ABA programming in public schools is developing slowly, and FEAT-Houston provides and supports training for teachers working with children with developmental disabilities throughout the Greater Houston area.
While there are several other autism support groups for families in Houston, no other group focuses on providing significant support or information regarding the applied behavioral techniques and intensive programming shown to be so successful in treating and educating individuals with autism. FEAT-Houston’s mission is to serve the community in providing that needed support through networking opportunities, informational meetings and the encouragement of professional growth in the field.
Mission
To improve the quality of life of those affected by developmental disabilities by increasing resources and providing information about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
Core Values
We believe that all children with Autism Spectrum Disorder have the right to reach their potential.
The Core Values of FEAT-Houston are:
- Dedication to improving the life of children and families with autism.
- Promoting empirically validated treatment.
- Efficiently utilizing resources.
- Partnering with professionals in the community.
- Integrity, honesty and transparency in everything we do
Vision
Our vision is to expand our activities and partner with other organizations throughout the community to meet the needs of families and professionals for training services that enable them to support the rapidly growing population of children, teens and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities as they seek meaningful lives throughout the Greater Houston area.
FEAT-Houston is a non-profit 501(c) (3) corporation, which is governed by a Board of Directors that manages the organization’s support activities, including regular meetings for families and professionals, seminars, a parent-manned telephone information line, and an e-newsletter.
