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About AIDE Consulting
Committed to Education
Our founder, Samona received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Howard University in Washington DC and master’s degree in applied behavior analysis with a focus on autism intervention from the University of South Florida. Since 2013, she has received extensive training and experience working with both adults and children with autism and related developmental disorders in research, clinical, and education settings namely at the University of California, San Diego, Children’s National Medical Center in DC, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. She has been reliably trained on several assessments considered gold standards in autism assessment and diagnosis and authored research publications related to the neuroscience of autism. Since her return to Trinidad in 2018, Samona’s work in special education fueled her passion for clinical work, where she saw the need to provide quality services to individuals with autism and their families. She is dedicated to using her skills and expertise to provide the highest quality of care and services to families in need.
Our AIDE Consulting team consists of qualified professionals trained in behavioral intervention and special education. Supervised by Samona, they are equipped and ready to assist your young learners to reach their fullest potential.
Our Philosophy
At AIDE Consulting, we understand that each of our learners has individual wants and needs. We believe that learning can only be fostered from a feeling of mutual respect and compassion, and we maintain those values in everything we do. Our unique approach provides learners with the proper support system that will help lead them to a successful path.
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We believe in using evidence-based practices, individualized interventions and monitoring progress to teach new skills and manage challenging behaviors. We do not use punishment but rather reinforcement to do this. The use of reinforcement (a reward or action that reduces discomfort) increases the likelihood of the behavior or skill occurring in the future, as the individual is motivated to engage in the behavior. The aim is to make the learning experience as interesting, fun, and enjoyable as possible for the learner, using their interests and preferences to establish motivation.
We also encourage active family participation. Research has repeatedly shown the significant benefit of parental involvement during therapy and has been crucial for desired outcomes. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to follow through with goals and recommendations to the best of their ability. Parents are provided support in learning how to modify routines and activities based on goals to take advantage of naturally occurring learning opportunities.
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