Mountainside ABA

06/02/2026

Ain't no thing like a chicken wing. 🍗🐓🐔

Hey, on June 3, have you heard that you can help us raise money for sensory-friendly toys and adaptive materials to do the best possible ABA therapy with our clients??

Carry out or dine-in ... we don't care, just as long as you pick up some wings (or a burger, or dessert, or a salad or tater tots lol, you get the idea) and 15 percent of your bill will go to Mountainside ABA's Buckhannon center (excluding alcoholic beverages).

Just show this flyer or tickets on your phone digitally or print it out and present it when you order BETWEEN 4-9 PM WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3.

06/02/2026

At Mountainside ABA, one of our core values is caring.

To us, caring means therapy should feel supportive, meaningful, and engaging for each child and family we serve. On a day-to-day basis, it means creating a safe space where kids and teens can learn through connection, play, encouragement, and trust.

We care about the well-being of the child and the whole family -- not just progress in a session, but confidence, comfort, and support along the way.

06/01/2026

Eloping (also called wandering) is a huge concern with many autistic children, and for individuals with profound autism at any age.
Eloping is when an autistic individual leaves a safe environment like their home, classroom, or school yard without anyone knowing, or when they run away from their parent or caregiver.
It can be very dangerous, especially for someone who cannot speak or communicate effectively, or has no awareness of danger. They risk injury, abduction, exposure to the elements, being struck by traffic, or drowning.

Many families have safety plans to prevent eloping and keep their child safe, like childproof locks on the doors, alarm systems, GPS trackers, safety harnesses, and fenced in yards.

Our local police department has a registry for vulnerable people who are at risk of eloping. Wesley is on that registry. In case he ever goes missing, they have his photo, vital medication information, contact info, and a safety plan for how to keep him safe when they find him. If anyone ever sees Wesley wandering around, realizes he can’t speak, and calls the police for help, they can quickly check the registry to ID him.
If your child is at risk of eloping, I recommend calling your local police department to see if they have a similar program.

-Wesley’s Mama
(An autistic autism mom)

06/01/2026

THIS Wednesday is the day!

On June 3, SKIP the cooking and support a great cause at the Buckhannon Buffalo Wild Wings, 4 Northridge Dr. in Buckhannon.

DATE: Wednesday, June 3, 2026
TIME: 4-9 p.m. -- DINE-IN or CARRYOUT!
TICKETS: Present these tickets printed out or in digital form on your phone!

Join us for our Mountainside ABA "Eat Wings, Raise Funds" fundraiser and enjoy great food while helping support the kids at Mountainside ABA's Buckhannon Center.

Funds raised will go directly toward purchasing toys, sensory materials, adaptive equipment, and other items that help our clients learn, play, and thrive every day.

Come enjoy great food, bring your friends and family, and help us make a meaningful impact for local kids.

06/01/2026

Sharing for any families in the Elkins or Randolph County area who are interested!

Baby Pantry Day for June is set! 👶🌞

05/29/2026

Cooking and baking are GREAT chances to teach key life skills -- and they're usually always rewarding because there's something delicious to eat at the end! (Who doesn't love macaroni and cheese and pepperoni rolls?!)

Clients at our Elkins center recently practiced a slew of important skills while making mac 'n cheese and pepperoni rolls.

While making a favorite recipe, kids, tweens, and teens can practice:

--Following directions
--Measuring and counting
--Fractions and very basic math concepts
--Fine motor skills
--Waiting and patience
--Problem-solving
--Sequencing and planning
--Task initiation and completion
--Sharing materials + working cooperatively with others
--Celebrating a finished product together!

These everyday activities help our clients hone important life skills, but in a natural and meaningful way.



--

05/29/2026

Last Saturday, The New York Times published “Short Naps, Long Hours: How Autism Clinics Squeeze Medicaid Dollars Out of Preschoolers,” an article on applied behavior analysis (ABA) services for children with autism. It highlighted evidence of abuse by individual providers, as well as raised questions about organizations prioritizing profits over care. The article also presented a misleading picture of the evidence base supporting ABA’s efficacy.

Read CASP's statement: https://www.casproviders.org/news/casp-responds-to-new-york-times-articles

05/29/2026

Sharing this for our friends at the Marion County Family Resource & Support Network!

Our next Circle of Parents meeting will be Thursday, June 4th from 5:30-6:30pm. Come learn all about how to have free and low-cost summer fun with the whole family and share your own tips!

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/cKNxUfTn3xGX4cao6

05/29/2026

Free fun for everyone!!

We have had something special cooking up for Season 14 of Festival Fridays, hosted by Create Buckhannon.

The Davisson Brothers are bringing their Appalachian country-rock sound to Festival Fridays at Jawbone Park on June 5! 🔥🎸

Come spend your Friday evening with:
🍗 Great food
🛍️ Local vendors
🎈 Kids activities
🎵 Live music and hometown vibes

⏰ Grayson Samples kicks things off from 5–6 PM, followed by an unforgettable night with the Davisson Brothers from 6:30–8:30 PM!

Grab your crew, your lawn chairs, and get ready for a night of live music under the summer sky in downtown Buckhannon! 🌅

📍 Jawbone Park, Buckhannon, WV
🍽️ Chicken dinner preorder available here: https://form.jotform.com/festivalfridayswv/June5chickendinner
Cost is $15 for 1/4 chicken and two delicious sides (baked potato and baked beans). Pay online via PayPal or pay the night of pick-up. Please preorder your dinner, even if you plan to pay in person. :)

05/28/2026

At Mountainside ABA, sometimes internships result in job placements .... and every once in a while, they can even result in a book! 🙂

That's what happened recently when a Fairmont State University student, Dustin Grandstaff, completed an internship with our Mountainside ABA center in Fairmont and loved it so much, he applied to join the Mountainside team as an RBT.

As part of his internship and practicum class at FSU, Dustin wrote and illustrated this book about his experience interning in Fairmont.

We love this book so much, we will be sharing 5-page excerpts of it over the next week in hopes that you will enjoy it and maybe even learn something about ABA therapy in the process!

This is installment number 4!