Therapy can take place in the home, group home, community, or school setting depending on what is appropriate for each child.

ABA therapy programs are comprehensive and cover a variety of areas the child needs to be successful. Skills are broken down into small steps. These steps are then arranged into a clear and logical hierarchy and taught one small step at a time. These areas include:

• Language skills
• Behavioral skills
• Cognitive/Academic skills
• Social skills
• Self Help/Daily Living skills
• Motor skills
• Play/Leisure skills.

The overall goal for a good ABA program should always be that the child is learning to learn!

ABA therapy is used all over the world to help people overcome all types of social and behavioral problems. ABA has been used to help smokers quit smoking, address personality disorders and relationship counseling, and treat obsessive compulsive disorders.  Behavioral principles became a treatment option for children with autism in the late 1960’s. Studies are available that support the use of ABA programming with children affected by a number of different disabilities including Downs’ Syndrome, CP, Emotional Disorders, General Developmental Delay, etc.

ABA falls under the jurisdiction of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB)

A Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) is a person that holds a master’s degree and is certified by the BACB.

A Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) is a person that hold a bachelor’s degree and is certified by the BACB but also receives on going monthly supervision by a BCBA.  Both professionals are able to develop and oversee your child’s program

Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA’s) or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst are responsible for assessing the child’s skill level and behavior functioning using specific assessments and data collection tools. From here, the analyst creates an individualized curriculum that will best allow for that specific child’s success. Once services start, the analyst is responsible for continuing to analyze data, adjust programs as needed to ensure progress is being made, continue communication with the family (including progress reports and re-evaluations), and ensure the  Registered Behavior Technicians are continually supervised and supported to ensure successful outcomes.

RBT’s work under BCBAs and BCaBA’s and responsible for implementing the specific programming and behavior plans that are developed for the child. RBT’s complete a rigorous training program to ensure they are confident in the implementation of skill acquisition programs and behavior plans. RBT’s work directly with the child in homes, group homes, schools, and clinics to ensure that progress is being made across different environments.

Over the past 40 years, a number of peer-reviewed studies have been completed evaluating the effects of using a specific group of ABA techniques in a “comprehensive, individualized, intensive early intervention program for children with autism,” achieving extremely positive results.  “Comprehensive” refers to the fact that intervention addressees all types of skills; “Early” means that intervention began before the age of four for most children in many of the studies; and “Intensive” referred to the number of hours / week received by the children (ranges between 25-40 hours per week).

The amount of ABA therapy needed will need depend on a variety of factors.  After completing an initial assessment, your Behavior Analyst will be able to assess your child’s strengths and weaknesses, developing a comprehensive plan tailored to your child’s needs. The analyst will then determine how many hours per week will be needed to ensure your child successfully benefits from ABA therapy.

Yes! A strong ABA program is one where the parents/caregivers are highly involved.  We train parents/caregivers to teach ABA therapy techniques to their child in addition to the specific programs their child will be learning.  This allows for improved consistency and communication about the child’s program and progress.