Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital

KidsConnect Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

KidsConnect at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA is a short-term integrated day treatment program for young children who have been diagnosed with, or may have, autism, developmental disabilities, and behavior disorders:

  • evaluates and treats children in a structured, individualized program
  • develops individual educational, behavioral, and social intervention plans for each child
  • provides family intervention to assist parents in understanding their child’s needs and manage their child’s behavior
  • communicates with school districts and regional centers to facilitate the child’s transition into appropriate educational placements and community services

In this website, there is a summary of the program and its facilities, its suitability and benefits to both children and family, how to register and guidelines on eligibility for health insurance cover.

KidsConnect program

KidsConnect is a five-day a week, six-hour a day program. All aspects of the program are fully integrated and coordinated to create an individualized, comprehensive, consistent, interdisciplinary, and therapeutic environment.

KidsConnect will provide your child with:

  • comprehensive assessment in all developmental areas (e.g. cognitive, speech and language, occupational skills, recreational skills, self-help, social, emotional, behavioral)
  • diagnostic assessments if necessary
  • individual comprehensive educational plan
  • a specific behavior program written to address your child’s needs.
  • a structured cognitive-developmental program
  • speech and language therapy (usually two or three times a week)
  • occupational therapy (usually two times a week)
  • recreation therapy (usually one to two times a week)
  • self-help skills training
  • social skills
  • medication evaluation and intervention

Ideal referral candidates:

Children ages 2-6 with ASD, developmental disabilities, or behavioral disorders.  Children/families currently enrolled in KidsConnect are eligible to participate in research. We do not recruit outside of the clinic.

Availability: 

Mon - Fri 09:00 - 15:00

Location

For more parking and transportation information, please visit www.semel.ucla.edu/maps

Our hospital and parking lots are big, and can be very disorienting, so please give yourself and extra 15 minutes to find us.  After you park, go to the Semel Institute, the tall brick building on the northeast corner of Westwood and Stein Plazas.  Enter at 740 Westwood Plaza; KidsConnect is located on the 7th floor.

Semel Institute/NPI Building
760 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095
United States

Phone:  (310) 206-2695
Fax:  (310) 825-0676

Faculty and staff

Director: Tanya Paparella, Ph.D.
Director: Stephanny Freeman, Ph.D.

Application process

If you would like to register your child so that he or she can be placed on our waitlist, please print out and complete the Registration Form and the Child’s History/Information questionnaire.  Return the completed forms along with copies of the most recent reports, evaluations, and documents:

  • Regional Center assessments and Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individual Program Plan (IPP).
  • School district evaluations and Individual Education Plan (IEP).
  • Any other relevant reports and evaluations, such as psychological, behavioral, neurological, speech and language, occupational therapy, floor time, social skills or whatever you may have at this time.
  • Health insurance card, front and back.
  • Optional:  If you have an extra picture of your child, feel free to send that along as well.

Please Email or MAIL all of the above information to:
Annette Lovato
KidsConnect
Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA, Room 78-215
760 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90024.

Email: [email protected]

We will confirm with a week of receiving within 1 week of receipt of your registration packet. We will process all registration packets in the order received.  At that time your child will be added to our waitlist. While you are waiting to join KidsConnect, it is important that you obtain services for them within the community.

 There are some suggestions summarized below:

Registration form

Child HX Questionnaire (PDF)

Child HX Questionnaire (Word)

Gifting

Thank you for your interest in supporting KidsConnect at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.

KidsConnect is an internationally recognized model for the treatment of children from two-to-six years of age with autism, related developmental disabilities, and behavioral disorders. Established in 1993, KidsConnect provides state-of-the-art intervention for both children and their parents. The impact of this fully integrated, interdisciplinary, 12 to 14-week intensive treatment program goes far beyond the UCLA campus.

There is increasing demand for the unparalleled services provided by KidsConnect. The waiting list for admissions can be as long as two years – vital time stolen from the critical first six years of a child’s intellectual and social development. Those early years represent a developmental window that is the best opportunity to make meaningful changes to essential areas of development in children with autism: language, early social skills and intellectual abilities. For many children, receiving early intensive intervention is the most important factor in changing the course of their development. We need your help to ensure that this vital community need is met and that we achieve our goal.

To make a donation, please click here.

Frequently asked questions about KidsConnect

While your child is on the waitlist for KidsConnect, it is important that you obtain services for him or her within the community. There are some suggestions summarized below:

  • Have your child evaluated by the UCLA Autism Evaluation Clinic (310) 794-4008 for diagnostic clarification and/or treatment recommendations.
  • Have your child evaluated by the Regional Center.  The Regional Center can do diagnostic evaluations and provide services (such as in-home behavioral intervention, respite care, social skills group, after-school program) at no charge. Below is a list of Regional Centers that serve the Southern California area:
  • If your child is approaching 3 years of age, or older, have him or her evaluated by your local school district.  If appropriate, get an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in place so they can provide appropriate educational interventions for your child.
  • Don’t hesitate to get your child on any and all waitlists you may encounter as you are pursuing services.
  • Look at the Autism Society of America's website.

Complete the registration forms, that can be downloaded from this site, and post hard copies, along with supporting documentation to KidsConnect - see Registration pages for more information.

  • comprehensive assessment in all developmental areas (e.g. cognitive, speech and language, occupational skills, recreational skills, self-help, social, emotional, behavioral)
  • individual comprehensive educational plan
  • a specific behavior program written to address your child’s needs.
  • a structured cognitive-developmental program
  • speech and language therapy (usually two or three times a week)
  • occupational therapy (usually two times a week)
  • recreation therapy (usually one to two times a week)
  • self-help skills training
  • social skills
  • medication evaluation and intervention
  • regular opportunities to observe your child in the program and meet with specialists
  • regular meetings with a case coordinator and/or co-directors
  • regular meetings with a social worker and nurse for parent education
  • parent support through a weekly parent group
  • the most updated information about autism and related developmental disorders
  • opportunities to access other medical referral sources (e.g. neurology, genetics)
  • a case conference that brings together resources at KidsConnect with your family and community service providers.
  • assistance with transition back into the school and community
  • a full multidisciplinary report with specific and individualized recommendations (e.g. for IEPs, IFSP, etc.)

Most of all, KidsConnect will provide your family with peace of mind that you are doing everything that needs to be done for your child.  We don’t utilize just one approach.  Instead, we systematically determine which approach works best for your child.  Your child will be better prepared in all areas of development and adaptive behavior.  You will be armed with knowledge about your child and the school and community systems -- you will be your child’s best advocate.

The KidsConnect specializes in treatment for:

  • toddlers and preschool children from two to six years of age who would benefit from a structured early childhood environment.
  • children who are on the autism spectrum and/or present with developmental disabilities or other severe behavior problems requiring intensive treatment.
  • children who have tried less intensive outpatient treatment and been unsuccessful, or do not have access to these services in their community.
  • Parents who are willing to actively participate in the program and transport their child to UCLA.

Current opportunities to participate in treatment

  • Cognitive Behavior Treatment for children with ASD ages 4-6
    Flyer
  • Online dance classes for children with ASD ages 8-12
    Flyer