Heersma Autism Center

Heersma Autism Center (HAC) is Great Lakes Center for Autism Treatment and Research’s first outpatient center-based facility.  It shares a building with the Intensive Residential Treatment Program.  HAC offers Applied Behavior Analysis  (ABA) services for children up through 12 years of age.  The facility includes individual treatment rooms, a small group room, and a large treatment room for group activities and social skills.  HAC also includes an observation room and Functional Analysis suite.  Social skills groups are offered during the summer based on number of participants available.

Intensive Residential Treatment Program is a Michigan-licensed child caring institution serving youth ages 6-17 with a diagnosis of autism and other developmental disabilities. Through the uses of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and in coordination with medical educational, and psychiatric supports, we aim to reduce problem behaviors and teach adaptive skills to prepare children to transition back to their home. Examples of service goals include: increasing functional communication skills, learning to wait, accepting “no”, working successfully in the classroom, participating in a group, decreasing challenging behavior, building self-care and adaptive living skills, and improving social skills.