PlayDate: Changing Behaviors Through Superheroes and Positive Intervention

Hey little buddy, listen to your mommy: what would SuperFlex® do instead of having a meltdown? And who is SuperFlex®? He is the super-flexible superhero who is the heart of the curriculum that PlayDate Behavioral Interventions uses!

PlayDate is a nonprofit organization that provides a wide scope of therapies to children with disabilities, including Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). It also provides respite care 24/7 to its families. Its mission is: “To provide high-quality intervention to children with autism and other disabilities while educating the community, regardless of the family’s ability to pay for services.”

Serving from birth to eighteen, PlayDate has groups and one-on-one services at the center or in the family’s home, to best cater to the individual child’s needs. Perhaps the most amazing part of PlayDate’s story is that it provided $294,000.00 worth of services in 2013 to families through pro bono services and the Anderson Scholarship Program.

Early Intervention

Early intervention is something PlayDate believes is key. Studies show that the earlier a child who has, or is suspected of having, a disability receives services, the better the child’s chances to reach his or her full potential. PlayDate offers this type of early intervention therapy—most of the time in the family’s home. Therapists also give the parents training by sharing the tools to use in the child’s daily life.

ABA Services at PlayDate

As a method with a strong scientific basis, ABA therapy can replace a negative behavior with a positive one. Children’s behaviors are their way of communicating with our world. The key is to figure out what the child is attempting to express, and help the child express this in a different, positive fashion.

PlayDate uses Superflex®: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum.

This program honestly can be used with any child, not just one with special needs. Superflex® is a fun and motivating comic book character who fights the Unthinkables. Unthinkables are bad characters who represent unwanted behaviors. What would Superflex® do to defeat these Unthinkables?

Tween & Teen Groups

These programs build social skills for children with disabilities while introducing them to peers. The children have a lot of fun! Frequently, the small groups take outings to various places in the community, and even up to parts of Denver. This not only is great for the children, but raises community awareness about children with disabilities.

Educational Assistance

PlayDate offers educational services as well. Sometimes PlayDate is an alternative placement (to the public school) for a child. PlayDate follows the child’s IEP and develops a program for the child. PlayDate can also support a child through Extended School Year (ESY) for the summer months. Staff at PlayDate are equipped to provide training for teachers or other professionals who need guidance on how best to interact with certain individuals with disabilities.

PlayDate is strongly committed to helping families in all areas. It has a Family Support Program, where it teaches the program tools to parents as well as providing a safe place to share feelings and experiences. It even has a van that provides transportation for its various programs. PlayDate is unstoppable!

As you consider how to best meet your child’s needs, PlayDate Behavior Interventions may be a good option.

Play­Date Behav­ioral Interventions

3361 N. Acad­emy Blvd

Col­orado Springs, CO 80917
Office Line (719) 465‑3989
Respite Line (719) 439‑4155
Fax Line (719) 375‑8499