Your Family, is Our Family
We believe ABA should be implemented compassionately, inclusively, and with heart. Relationships are of the utmost importance, and autism services should be provided naturalistically, focusing on improving our clients’ and their families’ overall quality of life.
We strive to help clients reach their greatest potential using data-driven, evidence-based, and developmentally appropriate practices to create and promote a difference in our community and the world.
What is ABA?
ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis and is a medical service.
It is a scientific method to study, improve, and teach behavior based on the environment. It involves an intense level of service and commitment, but can produce significant gains in a short period of time. Over time, therapy can be faded as progress is made.
For autism, ABA is a package intervention proven effective as a service with specific criteria.
What is a Package Intervention?
This means that ABA is comprised of multiple services, including:
- Direct therapy
- Supervision
- Caregiver training
All aspects are required by insurance, and participation in all three will provide the most benefit to your loved one for long-term outcomes.
Let’s break down each word in the acronym.
Applied
Settings, skills, and services delivered in the natural environment is the long-term goal to reach and then fade out of for independence.
Goals are socially significant to the client and their stakeholders (caregivers, teachers)
Behavior
Behavior services are designed to specifically address observable and measurable behaviors (both unwanted and wanted behaviors – aka skills)
Analysis
Data is collected on goals and frequently analyzed with updates to intervention based on progress.
Services are designed based on a BCBA’s assessment.
We Help Those With Autism Who Struggle With:
- Self-management Skills
- Daily Routines
- Daily Living Skills
- Tantrums
- Bedtime Routines
- School Schedules
- Playdates
- Destructive and Self-injurious Behaviors
- Communication
- Social Skills
- Toileting
- Eating
- New Environment Transitions
As providers, we only have your child for a small portion of their week. However, as a parent, you are a significant player in the progress your child can make. Parents must be entirely on board with our approach and be involved in their child's ABA sessions for steady and meaningful progress. Our number one goal as providers is to work ourselves out of a job. As much as we love your child, we cannot always be there; as a parent, you must learn the basics of ABA so that progress continues even when we are not there.
Parent and caregiver training is an integral part of your child's treatment and is often an insurance provider requirement for authorization of ABA. Therefore, your child's treatment and parent/caregiver training will include goals and reporting to meet insurance requirements.
While we may be experts in ABA therapy, no one knows more about your child, and their needs, than you. At times, one of our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) may recommend an intervention that has worked for our staff, only to learn that this intervention isn't feasible for the child or parent. When this happens, only open communication with your BCBA will resolve the issue. Furthermore, suppose your treatment priorities change, or a new area of need presents itself. In that case, we can modify treatment to ensure our work remains meaningful and continues to impact your family positively.
- Use of a formal ABA parent training curriculum
- In-person and virtual parent training webinars and workshops
- On-site, in-home, and virtual parent support and coaching
- Social Worker support
- Parent Liaison
- Ongoing clinical team support