The Institute of Professional Practice, Inc. - MA

The agency in Massachusetts serves over 150 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and co-occurring mental health diagnoses.

We have created environments where these adults can:

• Learn skills and thrive through meaningful participation at home and in their neighborhoods
• Learn new behaviors that replace old responses to non-nurturing environments
• Acquire the self-confidence that comes from success and personal competence
• Develop new interests and experience new kinds of social, work and civic opportunities
• Achieve increased proficiency in academic, communicative, social, vocational and daily living skills
• Maintain close relationships with family and friends
• Expand their social networks

In Massachusetts adults with special challenges resulting from conditions such as deafness, blindness, deaf-blindness, Lennox-Gastaut and Landau-Kleffner syndromes, Fragile X, CHARGE syndrome, Angelman’s disorder, trauma, pica, and polydipsia benefit from our individualized assessments and treatments that recognize their uniqueness and reflect our compassion and respect for that uniqueness.

The provision of intense clinical supports based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), is a vital component of our service delivery model. Within the framework of the philosophy of Positive Behavior Support (PBS), multi-tiered interventions are available for those who require additional supports to be successful in the environment.

Our first residential programs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts opened in the fall of 1986 in northern Worcester County. At the request of the Commonwealth’s Commissioner of The Department of Developmental Services, our initial projects were developed to support individuals with the most challenging behavior, because these individuals had no alternatives to treatment except through large state-run training schools. Because of our success in helping people acquire new skills in communication and behavioral modulation within community-based homes, our specialized array of supports expanded to include more varied support options for adults with a broad range of social-emotional and behavioral needs.

During our tenure in the Commonwealth, we have become one of the leaders in providing clinical services and consultation, residential and day options, vocational supports, and staff training focusing on the needs of adults. We have service contracts with the Commonwealth’s Departments of Developmental Services, Department of Mental Health, and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.

In alignment with our history of responsiveness to the changing needs of the human services community, we expanded our service delivery in 2018 to include services for individuals with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and insurance based in-home services for children and adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The Institute is fully licensed by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS).