History

PALS began as a summer program for children diagnosed under the spectrum of autism. The primary goal of this program is to prepare the children for adulthood through educational, prevocational, life skills and social /recreational activities that foster appropriate behaviors, independence and increased self-esteem. During the summer of 2006 we ran our pilot program which accomodated seven children with two instructors for a month. The program focused mainly on social and life skills. It gave participants the opportunity to enjoy gymnastics, karate, yoga, music, bowling, team sports, and many field trips into the community in a safe and accepting environment. The program was very successful and has continued each summer, in the form of social skills groups, with many returning clients.

 

Staff

Jessica Campbell, M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism, is the Founder and Executive Director of PALS.  She received her Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism from the Sage Colleges.  At PALS she designs and facilitates social skills groups for individuals with autism spectrum disorders.  Jessica consults with families and creates individualized programs, which she implements through 1:1 instruction.  She also provides IEP consultation for families, prior to the meeting, or in the form of representation during the meeting, a school observation, and/or parent teacher conference. 
Jessica is collaborating with Grant a Gift Autism Foundation by designing and providing monthly workshops for typical siblings of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorders.  She is also partnering with The Lovaas Center and Grant a Gift Autism Foundation on the B.U.D.S. program, which provides social and life skills training for children.  She is designing and providing parent training for this program.  Jessica is a member of the Nevada Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorders and participates in state legislative meetings.  She is also a Co-Chair of the Subcommittee on Workforce- University Programs- and Professional Training.
She has worked at the Children’s Hospital Child Care Center as an inclusion specialist assistant. Their caseload consisted of children diagnosed with different levels of autism, which required one-on-one behavioral therapy. Jessica has also participated in Pathways (a social skills program which combines at risk and typical children in a structured play setting), working alongside a team consisting of an occupational therapist, a speech and language pathologist and an inclusion specialist. In addition Jessica has worked as a Child Development Counselor at the San Diego Center for Children, where she administered one-on-one behavioral therapy in a school setting, as well as, life and social skills training in a home setting.