An inclusive early intervention program for infants and toddlers with autism.
Our Felton Early Autism Program (FEAP) helps families by offering early identification, proven therapies, and community resources for children with autism. FEAP is the first inclusive, center-based program of its kind in San Francisco.
The program uses the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), a play-based therapy for very young children with autism that combines behavioral and developmental strategies. ESDM is highly effective for supporting children’s learning, communication, and social skills, and it is integrated throughout daily classroom activities.
What to Expect in the Program
Children in FEAP learn alongside their typically developing peers in a natural, inclusive environment. Families can access parent groups, workshops, advocacy programs, mental health services, Felton’s weekly Farmers Market, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
Children attend the program 5 days a week, for 3 hours each day. They receive intervention from staff that are trained and/or certified in Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) under a 1:2 staff-to-child ratio.
Rooted in Felton’s Legacy of Early Childhood Excellence
FEAP is run through Felton Institute’s Family Developmental Center (FDC), San Francisco’s largest licensed subsidized early care and education program. The program builds on over 45 years of Felton’s leadership in serving infants and toddlers with developmental challenges in an inclusive setting.
FEAP serves children birth to 3 years old who have autism or exhibit autistic-like behaviors.
What makes our program unique?
- Access to a high-quality intervention program for children with autism
- Targeted and individualized intervention delivered within an inclusive early care and education setting, with typically developing peers
- Access to community-based resources and supports
- Access to an on-site multidisciplinary Early Intervention team
- Access to staff with formal training in early childhood education and certification in the Early Start Denver Model
About ESDM
The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is a comprehensive, evidence-based early intervention for children with autism as young as 18 months. It supports supports education across a wide range of learning styles and abilities and is integrated into daily classroom activities. [Click here to learn more about ESDM]
Services: FEAP delivers treatment in an enriched educational environment where children with autism and typically developing children play and learn together.
Families and children may receive:
- 1:1 individualized instruction
- Home visits
- Speech and language therapy
- Feeding therapy
- Daily nurse monitoring and care
- Mental health consultations
- Referrals to other community-based programs
Support: Families and teaching staff receive continuous guidance and training from the on-site multidisciplinary early intervention team located at Felton’s Family Developmental Center (FDC).
Our Early Intervention Team includes:
- Early Childhood Educators
- Early Interventionists
- Early Childhood Special Educators
- Speech and Language Pathologists
- A Pediatric Registered Nurse
- A Mental Health Consultant
Children are referred for services directly by the Golden Gate Regional Center (GGRC) Early Start program.
Children who live in the city and county of San Francisco may be eligible for FEAP if they fall into one of the following categories:
- An infant or toddler (up to 36 months old) with a developmental delay
- An infant or toddler with an established risk condition that could lead to a developmental delay
- An infant or toddler at high risk of developmental disability due to a combination of biomedical factors
Eligibility is NOT dependent on
- Family income
- Immigration status
Learn more about eligibility and applying for GGRC services, including Felton’s FEAP program, on the GGRC website.
GENERAL CONTACT INFORMATION
Hours (Mon-Fri): 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Service Area: City and County of San Francisco
Evening programming by appointment only.
Felton Early Autism Program (FEAP)
Main Office Address: 2730 Bryant Street, 1st Floor, San Francisco, CA 94110
Main Office Phone: (415) 282-1090, ask for the FEAP program
Fax: (415) 282-1735
Program Email: feap@felton.org
For more information, please contact:
Yohana I. Quiróz, Ed.D., Felton Institute Chief Operations Officer (COO),
Division Director of Children, Youth, Family and Transitional Age Youth Services (CYFTAY)
Email: yquiroz@felton.org