About Us
Our Story
Founder of Children’s Developmental Services, Matt Smith, initially developed Aspen Developmental Services in Idaho Falls to meet the needs of children like his grandson, who struggled to find adequate services. Shortly after, Children’s Developmental Services was built in Pocatello to bring behavior intervention services to more children in Idaho.
Children’s Developmental Services (CDS) was founded in order to provide individualized support for children 3 to 17 years old diagnosed with developmental delays and behavioral disorders.
Utilizing principles of Applied behavior analysis (ABA), our staff work with children to extinguish maladaptive patterns and teach prosocial behaviors.
We pride ourselves on being client-centered, meaning that we provide each child with tailored treatment and put their success above all else.
What is Applied Behavior Analysis?
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a scientifically-backed approach focused on understanding and shaping a person’s behavior. ABA explores the relationship between a behavior and the purpose it serves. Our professionals work to learn the purpose a maladaptive behavior might serve and teach the child better ways to achieve the same goal.
ABA is helpful for children and teens diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and others. Our professionals can teach your child appropriate social skills, daily living skills, behavior regulation, and more.
Our Staff
We have gathered a team of professionals who have proven track records of providing effective interventions to children with cognitive delays. Each interventionist must have a combination of education and experience to qualify to be on our team of professionals.
Children’s Developmental Services requires staff to complete 24 hours of ongoing education yearly. This is double the yearly training required by Idaho and goes beyond the industry standards for ongoing education.
Additionally, half of the yearly required ongoing education hours are conducted with the entire Children’s Developmental staff present, exposing each member to a variety of perspectives on various topics.
