Our organization
VIVA Therapeutic Services (formerly Autism Intervention Services) was founded by Danielle Pelletier, CEO, in 2005. Our mandate is to provide autistic preschool-aged children a high quality, evidence-based service aimed at teaching skills and improving day to day life. At VIVA, our programs are based on behavioural and developmental approaches, and are highly individualized to meet the needs of the child and family. As a result of our program’s success, we have gained the confidence of the NB Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and currently serve over 500 families across the province of New Brunswick.
At VIVA we value teamwork, integrity, quality, dignity, diversity and joy! To be more specific, we love what we do! We focus on solutions and celebrate each child’s learning. We work together as a close team; we care about each other and support one another to reach our personal and professional goals. We do the right thing for the well-being of our clients… being honest, accountable, and showing up every day! We seek open feedback, stay current with the research, and continuously strive to offer excellence in our programs. We respect individuality in all children and understand they have unique needs. We aim to learn more about each other, and to act with compassion and kindness.
Our name
We are excited to announce that we have a new name, VIVA Therapeutic Services (VIVA)!
To us, VIVA represents life and growth and celebration. We celebrate the evolution of the organization over the last 17 years, as well as our ongoing commitment to quality supported by continuous growth and learning. We celebrate the professional development of our employees who show up every day and dedicate themselves to gaining new skills to better support their learners. We celebrate the growth and accomplishments of our learners every day, whether this is a new food tried, a new word learned, or a new friend made.
We also celebrate diversity. VIVA is about not just accepting, but celebrating, each unique person just as they are.
Our name describes the experience of our employees, families, and learners. VIVA is about the therapeutic experience, about learning and growth for everyone, and finding joy as we help each child flourish.
Why rebrand?
Our field is going through a shift in thinking and in practice. Our organization is committed to staying up to date with best practices. We recognize that best practices are informed by the scientific literature, but also, most importantly, by the community we serve. Since 2020, we have been evolving our practices to be more compassionate, to be trauma-assumed, and to be affirming of neurodiversity. We are rebranding and changing our name to better represent our organization’s values and practices in 2022.
We strive to have our learners and their families feel heard, and for future clients and community partners to understand our values and what type of services they can expect from us.
Our new name better represents our culture as we embrace an approach that melds naturalistic, behavioural, and developmental methods to teaching skills and supporting our clients.
Our purpose
At VIVA, focusing on each child’s dignity and joy is our top priority. The evolution in the field of supports and services for people with autism is an exciting and much-needed step forward. Evidenced-based practices have, and always will be, our gold standard. An exciting part of staying on top of cutting-edge research is that the evidence-base from which we pull is constantly evolving. We embrace positive new practices in the field to ensure we are reflecting current knowledge and person-centered care.
We believe that every child’s unique self is valuable, and we don’t seek to change that. We aim to help each child excel in their lives, in their own ways. We believe that every child should feel heard, understood and be free to express themselves. Children are our best teachers when we listen and do what works for them.
Our core values
Teamwork: We are one team. We care about each other and support one another to reach our personal and professional goals.
Integrity: We do the right thing for the well-being of our clients and our employees…being honest, accountable, and showing up every day!
Quality: We seek open feedback, stay current with the research, and continuously strive to offer excellence in our programs.
Dignity: We respect individuality in all people and understand they have unique learning needs.
Diversity: We aim to learn more about each other, and to act with compassion and kindness.
Joy: We love what we do! We focus on solutions and celebrate learning.
VIVA’s commitment to quality
- Focusing on each child’s dignity and joy is our top priority
- Empowering parents and caregivers
- Teaching in the natural environment
- Providing services informed by developmental and behavioural approaches
VIVA Strategic Plan
VIVA Strategic Plan – Year 1 in review and Year 2 priorities