The Home Program was founded by Donna Calado and Veronica McTiernan in 1994. It is a community-based organization, dedicated to helping parents manage their children’s challenging behaviors in positive, healthy ways.
Ms. Calado graduated from Adelphi University with a double Master’s Degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis and Experimental Psychology. Ms McTiernan is a graduate of Fordham University where she earned her Master’s in Social Work, with a concentration in clinical practice (families and children).
The two women worked together from 1989 with an in-home therapy program supervised by Ms. Calado. During this time, they became aware of how difficult it was for parents of adult children to adopt a proactive approach after years of “putting out fires.” On the other end of the spectrum, they witnessed how quickly challenging behaviors decreased when parents started positive reinforcement and consistency at an earlier period in a child’s development. The women also knew the importance of working with families and professionals in the natural setting, where challenges most often occurred.
