Chat Program
Turn Everyday into Teachable Moments
Learn how to help families turn everyday moments into powerful opportunities for connection, communication and growth through this program in caregiver-led NDBI (Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention) for children under six.
Empower Parents
Families of young autistic and neurodivergent children need practical, everyday support that fits their everyday life. The Chat program teaches you to coach caregivers how to intervene with their children in a fun and natural way to help them build language, social skills, play and emotional connection during daily routines.
The Chat Program introduces clinicians to Chat, a Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) designed for young children with developmental delays. Learners explore early child development, naturalistic teaching strategies and caregiver coaching while building skills to create everyday environments that support early language, play and social-emotional development. By the end of the program, clinicians are prepared to implement Chat with parents and caregivers in natural routines and interactions.
Upon completion of the Chat Program, clinicians are able to apply core Chat strategies with caregivers to support early language, play, and social-emotional development in everyday routines. Learners demonstrate an introductory understanding of the Chat framework and gain practical tools to begin using naturalistic, caregiver-mediated strategies in clinical practice to be able to implement a Chat assessment and treatment. Successful completion of the program results in the designation or title of Chat Trained Clinician.
The Chat Program is a primarily asynchronous, online program that learners complete at their own pace. Coursework focuses on learning the elements of Chat and how to apply them throughout assessment, and treatment. The program culminates in a live, virtual capstone session centered on applied learning, followed by a fidelity assessment in which learners develop and submit mock client goals for review to support accurate and consistent implementation.
Chat is a Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) designed for parents and caregivers of young children with delays in language and social-emotional development. As a parent-mediated approach, Chat focuses on coaching caregivers to create supportive, developmentally appropriate environments that promote learning through play and everyday interactions. The Chat Program introduces clinicians to these core principles and strategies, providing a foundation for language and play.
Who should take this program?
This program is designed for clinicians whose scope of practice includes providing care to young children with developmental disabilities. Intended audiences include mental health therapists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, behavior analysts, and psychologists.
Prerequisites
- A master’s degree or higher in a related field.
Who will you support?
Ages
- Children six and under
Treatment Format
- Weekly or twice weekly sessions with parents/caregivers.
- Sessions with child present or recorded videos for review.
What's Included?
- Chat Caregiver Workbook
- Chat Program Manual
- Various resources to support implementation
Office Hours
We provide Office Hour sessions for learners who have completed a certificate program. These 1:1 consultations let you discuss topics from your completed program with designated instructors.
Capstone Session
A 1.5-hour virtual session with an instructor that includes final course content, Q&A and applied discussion. It’s the final step in completing your Catalight certificate program.
Brianna Fitchett, MPH, MA, BCBA
Developer
Degrees/Credentials
- Masters Public Health: Healthcare Administration, National University
- BCBA, Florida Institute of Technology
- MA, Special Education, Moderate/Severe Disabilities, Notre Dame de Namur University
- BA, San Francisco State University
Current Position
- Vice President of Clinical Impact, Catalight
Programs
- Chat Program
- Compass-Behavioral Program
- Everyday ABA Workshop
Jennifer Ikola, BCBA
Developer and Instructor
Degrees/Credentials
- MS, Psychology with emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis, Kaplan University
- BS, Health Sciences emphasis in Pre-Medicine, California Baptist University
Current Position
- Clinical Manager, Catalight
Programs
- Chat Program
- Calibrate ABA Program
- Compass-Behavioral Program
- Everyday ABA Program
- Everyday ABA Workshop
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