ABA Therapy

What is ABA therapy?

ABA stands for “applied behavior analysis.” It is a proven, effective therapy for children diagnosed with an autism-spectrum disorder or other developmental delays. ABA combines educational, psychological and developmental techniques, and focuses on the individual needs of each child.

Applied behavior analysis is an evidence-based approach that has been called a “best practice” by the American Psychological Association. It is flexible, goal-oriented, and designed to help each learner to achieve their best possible outcome.

Why is ABA effective?

If your child can benefit from Pediatric Therapy Clinic’s ABA therapy program, he or she will be matched with a team including a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) and 4-6 Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) who work with your child to maximize their abilities. ABA is very effective because it is an intense therapy. This means your child has ABA therapy up to 8 hours a day either at home, in the clinic, at school, in the community or a combination of locations. If allowed by your child’s school, the RBT can also accompany your child into the classroom to assist him or her academically, socially and behaviorally.

How can ABA help?

ABA therapy can help your child:

Improve communication abilities.
Interact more positively with other children, friends, and family.
Gain personal care skills, such as dressing or bathing.
Develop better fine motor skills.
Overcome feeding problems.
Decrease maladaptive behaviors such as aggressive behavior towards self, others or objects, tantrums/meltdowns, spitting, or biting.

How does ABA work?

Applied behavior analysis uses a variety of techniques to help your child meet his or her specific goals. For example, our therapists can help your child learn simple tasks at first and, over time, help them tackle more complex skills. Our therapists making learning fun through play and positive reinforcement to motivate your child and shape behavior.

What's involved in ABA therapy?

The ABA program at Pediatric Therapy Clinic integrates multiple types of therapies based on your child’s specific needs. Our ABA program works cooperatively with our speech, occupational and physical therapists, following their lead and expertise when working with communication, feeding, fine and gross motor skills, visual processing skills and many others. All children who attend our ABA program receive speech and occupational therapy to ensure all of their needs are being met. One of the most important aspects of ABA therapy, however, is ensuring that your child and his or her team pair well with each other, which means that your child enjoys and wants to work with all the members of his or her team. At Pediatric Therapy Clinic, we make every effort to build rapport and trust with all the children and families that we work with.

Where does ABA therapy take place?

Your child’s needs will determine exactly how much time they spend with their ABA therapist, and where that therapy takes place. Research shows that during the first years of intervention, 35-40 hours per week may be most beneficial.

Your Board Certified Behavior Analyst, or BCBA, will develop your child’s plan and take into account the best locations for treatment, including your home, our clinic, out in the community or in school. Based on your school’s policies and those of your insurance company, the therapist may even be able to accompany your child into the classroom to help with behaviors, social skills, and communication.

What Will My Treatment Look Like?

The hallmark of a high quality ABA program is oversight by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). When choosing ABA services, it is important to consider whether or not your provider is Board Certified. Board Certification helps to ensure that your provider is providing evidence-based, ethical, high quality services for your child.

BCBA’s are specialized behavioral health providers with graduate and/or post-graduate degrees and are credentialed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. BCBA’s may oversee and supervise Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT).

BCBAs must engage in continuing education to ensure they are expanding their behavior analytic skills beyond the initial requirements and to stay up to date with current developments in the profession (BACB, 2020). Continuing education units may include topics such as research, evidence-based interventions, ethics, cultural considerations and many more.

At Pediatric Therapy Clinic, your child’s treatment team will be led by a BCBA or BCaBA (sometimes referred to as the “programmer”) who will conduct initial and ongoing assessments, make treatment recommendations, analyze and design programming, conduct ongoing parent education and train and oversee members of your child’s direct treatment team. These activities will occur both during and outside of your child’s sessions. Your BCBA will make individualized recommendations regarding the amount of supervision your child’s program requires. You can expect to have regular communication with your child’s BCBA regarding goals, interventions and teaching strategies, progress and any questions or concerns you may have.

Additionally, the BCBA or BCaBA oversees the Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), who deliver the majority of your child’s direct therapy hours. RBTs are paraprofessionals who assist in providing behavior analysis services under close, ongoing supervision by a BCBA or BCaBA. RBTs must pass an exam, receive ongoing supervision, adhere to the ethical code and renew their certification annually.

This team of certified professionals and paraprofessionals will work together to ensure your child receives the highest quality services available.

For more information on certification, please refer to bacb.com

Other Services We Offer

Occupational Therapy

Pediatric Physical Therapy

Pediatric Speech Therapy

ABA Therapy