It is important before you start an in home program to have it planned out. For example, know where they will do the therapy, intervention or tutoring. Consult with your IEP team to put together the best program, know the time requirements involved and be sure that everyone understands what you expect from them. Sometimes you can work with special education teachers in the local colleges and the students could receive credit. Also, you could hire your team. A good rate of pay is 8.00 an hour.
This requires planning in the beginning. But once you have your volunteers or your paid employees then all you have to do is open the door. Also, you can make this program as simple or complex as you want it. You may get a college student that would be willing to do the majority of planning of what they will do in the program. Maybe they are doing research for a paper, and they are committed to developing strategies to work with children that experience autism.
There are a good number of resources that you can use for your therapy room. On our curriculum page we talk about how to modify the curriculum to fit your needs. On the resource page we talk about using resources and toys to draw out communication and imaginative play. Here is a product that will help you get started.
Quick tips
- Know what your goals are
- Have therapy room set in place
- Hire your therapists to help train the volunteers
- Train the volunteers, be flexible
- Lay out what you expect from the volunteers and what you do not expect from them
- Give them a short summary sheet to fill out at the end of every session so they can write about what happened, and also if you need to replenish any supplies.
- Do not ever leave while your volunteers are there. They are not baby sitters, and should not be treated in that manner.

