About Chileda

Helping individuals reach their full potential for over 50 years

How We Help

Chileda offers a spectrum of services to meet the individual needs of children and adults with cognitive and behavioral challenges. Services are provided on campus in the residential and day school program, and in the community within individual’s homes, schools, and community. Our highly-trained staff continually seek out new strategies to work in conjunction with well-established practices. Chileda’s commitment to these practices strengthens our position as leaders in serving students with autism spectrum disorders, attachment challenges, and other developmental disabilities.

Chileda’s Residential Services provides treatment to children and young adults from across the country. With individualized treatment, educational, and behavioral planning, students increase socially significant behaviors/skills while decreasing challenging behaviors. Chileda offers Transitional Support Services to support students as they transition to less restrictive environments.

Chileda provides support to children and adults through community outreach programs including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services and Mental Health Counseling. Behavior Solutions includes in-home and school behavioral consultations and trainings, daily living skills, peer support groups, SIB shops, and parent/caregiver education. Mental Health Counseling is available to individuals and their families with cognitive and behavioral challenges.

Learn more about our services

Residential Care Adult Family Homes Day School Community Outreach

”Chileda means hope. Chileda was there when we literally ran out of options. It has been the biggest blessing for our son and our entire family. Everyone there is amazing, and the work that is done is inspiring. Chileda and the staff were the light in a very dark tunnel, and we are so happy we found it. Our son is doing amazing, and it is because of the great care and support he receives every day.
Parent

”Chileda means hope and miracles. The progress my stepson has made is miraculous. We’ve had the most wonderful visits lately, visits that have lasted three, four hours or more. The last two visits we were even able to take him overnight. It has been over three years since we were able to do that. We have spent most of the last year or two watching him slip further and further away. Chileda and the staff have restored our hope that our child was still in there. The smiles I have seen in both him and his mother have made all of the struggles, all of the fights, all of the trips to the ER, all the late night phone calls, all the four hour car rides so worth it. Chileda brought our son back to us. We will never be able to repay you for that.
Parent

Our Vision

To be a premier center for transforming the lives and behavior of individuals with extraordinary needs.

Our Values

Safety

Provide an environment that promotes physical and psychological well-being.

Compassion

Demonstrate genuine concern and appreciation for others.

Learning

Acquire new knowledge, skills, behaviors and understanding.

Collaboration

Share Ideas and work together toward a common goal.

Respect

Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Our Philosophical Lenses

Servant Leadership

A Servant Leader consistently takes on the responsibility and commitment to care for the well-being of others and the development of the next generation of leaders.

Trauma Informed Care

A way of thinking and engaging with others that takes the perspective of “what happened to you” versus “what is wrong with you?” Trauma Informed Care emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety of those affected by adverse experience.

Trauma-Informed Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Trauma-Informed ABA is a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and therapeutically approaching behaviors by looking at historical events of the child, what is happening before (antecedents), and what is happening after (consequences) the behavior of interest. This model focuses on self-advocacy and empowers the client to communicate their wants and needs. This approach not only helps clients change their interfering behaviors, but also teaches them new skills to increase their quality of life.

A Timeline

Our History

Chileda was founded in 1973 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, with the mission to serve children with multiple disabilities.

Chileda moved to the Holy Cross Seminary in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1977.

Chileda moves to a new facility on 1020 Mississippi Street in La Crosse.

Chileda is recognized as one of President Bush’s “1000 Points of Light”, an initiative to recognize community organizations making positive change.

Chileda received it’s very first national accreditation by the Accreditation Council on Services for People with Developmental Disabilities.

National Accreditation by the Council on Quality & Leadership

Chileda works with UWL to offer the Autism Spectrum Disorders Certificate Program to the public.

Chileda moved into our current facility at 1825 Victory Street, which was built to meet the unique needs of the individuals we serve.

Chileda received four-year Accreditation from The Council on Accreditation (COA).

Chileda purchased the Development and Learning Center at 3716 Mormon Coulee Rd in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Chileda begins providing behavioral services to the community.

Chileda begins providing mental health services to the community. Chileda is one of the first organizations in the state of Wisconsin to become a Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP).

Opened the new addition at 3716 Mormon Coulee Road to offer on-site programming for Chileda Shine as well as skill building for our Day School and Residential clients.

Chileda Headquarters

Based in La Crosse, Wisconsin

Serving Families Across the USA

Chileda hosts kids from all over the United States and is based in La Crosse, a scenic riverside town nestled between the bluffs of the Coulee Region of Wisconsin.