We offer focused and efficient science-based support for children and teens, expertly addressing anxiety, ADHD, school and homework problems, anger, challenging family dynamics, and more.
Serving the Palm Beaches, and families throughout Florida and in most other US states!
Family Satisfaction with Services
McGinnis Behavioral keeps close tabs on quality and customer satisfaction. Immediately following case closure and averaging all responses, families of young children, and of teens, tell us:
The primary concern that prompted services is now GREATLY IMPROVED
My child’s general functioning is GREATLY IMPROVED
I feel EXTREMELY POSITIVE about the general approach used
The level of knowledge and expertise Dr. McGinnis exhibited was VERY HIGH
The level of professionalism Dr. McGinnis exhibited was VERY HIGH
The level of responsiveness Dr. McGinnis exhibited when I needed something was VERY HIGH
Dr. McGinnis made me feel comfortable to talk to him at any time about any concerns I had or challenges I faced: VERY TRUE
Our overall experience with McGinnis Behavioral was EXTREMELY POSITIVE
I feel these services were well worth the investment given the results: VERY TRUE
How likely are you to refer others to McGinnis Behavioral: EXTREMELY LIKELY
AAP-Recommended ADHD Treatment
McGinnis Behavioral provides the American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended and most effective therapy approach for ADHD.
Our approach offers more durable effects than medication and can make medication unnecessary and lower dosages possible. The AAP additionally recommends families seek this approach when ADHD is suspected with children under age 6 before an ADHD diagnosis is made.**
Many factors contribute to an ADHD presentation. We look to identify and address any and all such factors (e.g., getting enough sleep is a big one!) in order to make the child and family much more successful and his or her behavior likely to no longer satisfy diagnostic criteria.
School accommodations are popular for children with an ADHD diagnosis. These are typically offered through a 504 Plan or IEP. However, we believe many if not most such accommodations hurt more than help, particularly for behavioral tendencies amenable to behavioral intervention. We routinely offer parents guidance on what accommodations make sense given the case, and what accommodations are likely to maintain the problems we are all trying to solve.
What Makes Our Approach Unique
Most forms of therapy for children are not as effective for most clinical problems as commonly believed.* This is largely because traditional talk and play therapies, as well as many newer approaches like neurofeedback, generally fail to engineer the child’s social and physical environment for success. Even the “gold standard” therapy approach, cognitive-behavioral therapy (or “CBT”), is relatively ineffective in treating ADHD for this reason.
What does work well? The short answer: for every case to be a “family therapy” case. That is, parents should be supported just as much as, or more than, the child or teen is; parents are seen as invaluable members of the therapy team, not simply the ones who drive the child to therapy. A longer answer would have to include discussion of behavior science, which is somehow rarely found in practice but represents the conceptual core of primary care behavioral pediatrics.
Primary care behavioral pediatrics is provided by specially-trained physicians, behavioral psychologists, and clinical behavior analysts and represents high-quality, science-based care geared for effectiveness, efficiency, durability, and acceptability. Whereas traditional mental health services hold that emotions and behavior are a product of proposed mental disorders residing within the person, we know that mental health diagnosis has only ever represented a label for, and not the cause of, the problems at hand. Our services therefore hold the following, and more, to be more appropriate and useful considerations:
Fundamental temperament (individual differences)
Historical experiences (learning history)
Present circumstances (triggers, goodness of fit with temperament)
Lifestyle factors (such as sleep quantity and quality, and media use)
Habits (what responses and sequences are practiced)
Skills (might there be better ways to solve a problem when encountered?)
Thus, our approach is not about finding fault in your child’s brain or in your parenting, but instead about optimizing certain lifestyle factors, teaching new skills, and bringing out the best in everyone within the family based on behavior science, so the best is practiced to the point of habit. The approach is therefore positive, supportive, and empowering, often taking fewer than 10 sessions for lasting improvement. It’s no-nonsense and about engineering everything for sustained success!
Dr. McGinnis is a leading voice in this science-based approach and is the author of the Amazon Bestseller in pediatrics, Introduction to Primary Care Behavioral Pediatrics: A Guide for Behavior Analysts, published by Routledge in 2024, available anywhere books are sold.
Back Cover Reviews
"This is THE text every behavior analyst needs to help them effectively conceptualize and treat everyday problems of childhood and become a significant part of standard pediatric practice." - Jon S. Bailey, PhD, BCBA-D, Emeritus Professor, Florida State University
"There is limited training in medical residency on behavioral strategies for children and adolescents. This is a great guide for all pediatricians and should be required reading for all pediatric residents." - Shannon Fox-Levine, MD, FAAP, Pediatrician & President, Palm Beach Pediatric Society
"Dr. McGinnis takes on a topic of critical potential growth for applied behavior analysts and articulates not only why ABA practitioners might want to pursue this nontraditional path, but also the practical considerations of how to get it done with research-informed guidance." - Keith D. Allen, PhD, BCBA-D, Professor of Psychology and Director of Academic Affairs, Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Challenges Addressed
Parents, educators, and multidisciplinary professionals seek our expertise for the following concerns and more for kids of all ages:
Discounts for Active Duty Military and Law Enforcement Officers
McGinnis Behavioral thanks active duty military and police officers and their families and is proud to offer a discount for our services in gratitude for their service.
Our Services are Accessible to Most of the US
Dr. McGinnis offers telehealth services to families residing in most US states and Washington DC.
Those US states include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Health Insurance
If you have out-of-network benefits, your health insurance will likely reimburse you for some or all of the cost of our services; see our Filing Out-of-Network page for more information. And whether not you have such benefits, there are other ways of keeping costs down - a link is included below for more information.
Telehealth Option
A telehealth option is always available for busy families as well as those across the country, and this option works quite well especially for parent-only appointments. The telehealth platform is secure, consistent with HIPAA and HITRUST CSF requirements.
In 2024, Dr. McGinnis obtained authorization from PSYPACT to offer services via telehealth to families residing in 40 US states and counting. Some states not yet participating in PSYPACT, however, may allow telehealth services on a short-term basis by state law.
Other Services
Dr. McGinnis also offers high-quality services for adults and couples, including science-based support for problems related to anxiety, depression, sleep, stress, and relationships. As-needed executive coaching services also are available.
These services are offered in person or via telehealth as desired.
Location
Three Palms Center
2141 S. Alternate A1A, Suite 330
Jupiter, Florida 33477
The Professional Building of Three Palms Center, Jupiter, Florida
References
** American Academy of Pediatrics (2020). Pediatric mental health: A compendium of AAP clinical practice guidelines and policies. American Academy of Pediatrics.
*Cortese, S., Ferrin, M., Brandeis, D., Holtmann, M., Aggensteiner, P., Daley, D., Santosh, P., Simonoff, E., Stevenson, J., Stringaris, A., Sonuga-Barke, E. J. S., & European ADHD Guidelines Group (2016). Neurofeedback for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Meta-analysis of clinical and neuropsychological outcomes from randomized controlled trials. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 55, 444-455.
*Jacobson, N. (2008). The overselling of therapy. In S. O. Lilienfeld, J. Ruscio, & S. J. Lynn (Eds.), Navigating the mindfield: A guide to separating science from pseudoscience in mental health (pp. 525-538). Prometheus.
*Kazdin, A. E. (2000). Psychotherapy for children and adolescents: Direction for research and practice. Oxford.
** Kazdin, A. E. (2005). Parent management training: Treatment for oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. Oxford.
*Knouse, L. E. (2018). Cognitive-behavioral therapies for ADHD. In R. A. Barkley (Ed.), Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment (4th ed.), pp. 757-773. Guilford.
*McGinnis, J. C. (2024). Introduction to primary care behavioral pediatrics: A guide for behavior analysts. Routledge.
*Target, M., & Fonagy, P. (2005). The psychological treatment of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders. In A. Roth & P. Fonagy (Eds.), What works for whom? A critical review of psychotherapy research (2nd ed.). Guilford.
** Wolraich, M. L., Hagan, J. F., Allan, C., Chan, E., Davison, D., Earls, M., Evans, S. W., Flinn, S. K., Froehlich, T., Frost, J., Holbrook, J. R., Lehmann, C. U., Lessen, H. R., Okechukwu, K., Pierce, K. L., Winner, J. D., Zurhellen, W., & Subcommittee on Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (2019). Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 144, e20192528. doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-2528