WHAT IS ABA?

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a set of principles of human behavior. ABA is founded on decades of research indicating that behavior change can occur if we make changes to the environment based on what occurs immediately before and immediately after a behavior.

The US Surgeon General has identified ABA as a best practice in teaching new skills and decreasing problem behavior for people with Autism.

BENEFITS OF ABA

• Improves communication and social skills
• Focuses on reinforcement procedures
• Provides clarity in understanding problem behaviors
• Reduces problem behavior
• Provides strategies to build new skills and address problem behaviors in the home

INITIAL ASSESSMENT

A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) will assess your child’s social skills, communication skills, and repetitive/restrictive behaviors.

The assessment will include observation, direct testing, and parent interview.

GOALS AND TARGETS

The BCBA will create a plan that includes long-term goals, short-term targets, and, if necessary, a behavior intervention plan to address problem behaviors. The BCBA will also recommend the number of hours of services per week based on your child’s needs and schedule.

DIRECT CARE SESSIONS

Once services have been authorized by your insurance company, direct care services will begin. A Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) will provide these sessions and implement the goals, targets, and interventions identified in the initial assessment. The RBT is supervised by the BCBA for a minimum of 1 out of every 10 hours of direct care.

DATA COLLECTION

The RBT will collect data on your child’s progress in each session.

This data is used to determine if teaching strategies and interventions are actually working. A key standard in the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts is the client’s right to effective treatment. Collecting and reviewing data helps us to ensure that we are meeting this standard.

PARENT TRAINING

The BCBA will meet with you weekly to review progress and provide instruction and feedback on parent training goals. Parent training goals focus on teaching you specific strategies that you can use in a variety of situations with your child, or on helping you implement specific interventions or teaching targets identified as priorities.

• When ABA is provided through insurance, it is usually provided in the home setting, though in some instances they may be provided in school, community, or center settings.

• ABA services are built into the child’s/family’s daily schedule. It is not a single appointment, but a process of teaching new skills and addressing problem behaviors to improve the quality of life for your child and the family as a whole.