Tag: aba

This blog was written by Rachel Paugh, our founder:

Liam’s Chance is definitely an unusual name for an ABA company. I know a lot of people hear it and probably wonder where it came from and the meaning behind it.  Here is the story…

In my 20s, I was basically on track to be a lifelong behavior technician. I worked in that capacity for many moons and never really had much of a plan or desire to move up the ladder. I loved working directly with children with special needs and found it rewarding and meaningful. 

When I was 34 I had my son, Liam. I feel like I have created a few cool things in my life, but he is the most amazing thing I ever did. Being in the field for as long as I had been, I suspected that Liam was autistic by the time he was around two. He had speech delay and other classic symptoms, including some behavior issues. Because of my background I knew what signs to look for, and I knew how important early intervention was. I immediately sought a diagnosis and treatment for him.

When you are seeking a diagnosis and resources for treatment as a caregiver for a child with special needs, you feel you have been dropped in the middle of a maze and no matter who you ask, nobody will give you a clue on how to get to the cheese; DSS says call the health department but the Health department says call DSS. It is enough to break the strongest of souls.

By the time Liam was diagnosed with autism, he was four and I was a single mom. Suddenly, my priorities had changed. My values had changed. Liam gave my life purpose and a drive to achieve and provide for him. That is when I decided to take that leap by enrolling in grad school to become a behavior analyst.

Navigating grad school full-time while raising and advocating for a young child with special needs is one of the most challenging things I ever did. Front Royal is an area that was devoid of resources for kids on the spectrum. I was lucky because I had contacts, but I still felt incredibly isolated.. And exhausted, frustrated, sad.. But most of all, I felt lots and lots of guilt. 

When I became a behavior analyst, I immediately decided I wanted to open my own ABA company. And I wanted it to be in Front Royal where I could be a resource to people who were facing the same challenges I had experienced as a parent. These days, as a behavior analyst, highly value my relationships with the caregivers of the children that I treat. I strive to have honest and open dialogue, to support parents through what I call “the impossible tasks”, and to fully include and involve them in treatment. I will always do everything I can to help parents identify and locate support and to be a valued and heard member of their child’s team because I remember what it was like. 

When I formally opened my practice , I wanted to think of a name that expressed the values and mission I have shared in this post. I tossed around a couple of traditional names, but they just weren’t what I wanted. I wanted to honor my son and how much he had inspired me, and wanted the name to have special meaning. 

One day the name Liam‘s Chance just sort of popped into my head. It includes my son’s name, but it also has the name Chance in it. Chance is Liam‘s older half brother who is also autistic and very dear to me. But when you combine the two names, it creates a name that has significant meaning to me. Because the whole story of where this labor of love came from is based on giving Liam a chance; a chance at life, a chance at happiness, a chance at love. 

The mission of Liam‘s Chance is to do that same thing for the children and families that we serve. We want the families and children we serve to have a true shot at the quality of life they deserve and desire. In addition to the families we serve, Liam’s Chance is a company that values its relationships with every member of a child’s team from speech, to OT, to teachers who are working together to improve the quality of life of a child in need. We actively collaborate with the other providers of the children we serve in order to utilize a holistic approach to treatment.

At Liam’s Chance, we value transparency, effective communication, quality of treatment over quantity,  and encouraging growth and independence by fostering and building on the strengths of every child. All of these things combined create the meaning behind our name and represent the core values that drive us. We hope you will join our mission.