Our Services | Autism & Behavioral Consultants

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an evidence-based approach to creating meaningful or socially significant behavior change first introduced by B.F. Skinner.

Novel behaviors are taught while problematic behaviors are reduced. ABA's focus is on behaviors that are both observable and measurable, with respect to events that occur directly before and after the target behavior.

More About ABA

ABA utilizes reinforcement, providing rewards as a consequence to increase skills that are functional and socially significant throughout the child’s daily life.

ABA also promotes maintenance of the skills across time and generalization of the skill across different people, materials, instructions, and environments. While increasing socially acceptable behaviors, ABA also serves to reduce socially inappropriate behaviors, such as tantrums, aggression, echolalia, or stereotypy (hand flapping, spinning, etc.).

Individualized Circa
Are Developed

Individualized curricula are developed to facilitate learning and develop appropriate programming for each child depending on the individual child’s need:

Functional Communication: Communicating needs/wants to others effectively
Independent Play: Playing without assistance
Social Skills: Interacting with others appropriately
Imitation: Imitating behaviors or vocalizations of others
Gross/Fine Motor Skills: Control over balance and body movement
Listener Responding: Attending and responding to spoken words
Visual/Perceptual Skills: Interpreting things he/she sees visually
Self-help Skills: Skills such as dressing, grooming, feeding, toilet training

Types of Services

Multi-Family session
2+:1 group sessions
1:1 sessions
Parent Training sessions

Functional Behavior

Assessment

This assessment is conducted face-to-face with a BCBA or BCaBA.

The BCBA will conduct verbal interviews and direct observation with individuals involved in the child’s life regarding the behavior in question. During the assessment, the environment may be manipulated to determine the function of the behavior.

Once the function has been determined, a plan can be written in which parents will receive recommendations for services and parent training. Training includes modeling of the plan interventions, observation of implementation, and feedback.

Parent Training

In order for therapy to have lasting effects, parents will need to assist their child in their natural environments.

This may include making changes to the physical environment, changing familial interaction patterns with the child, and practicing rewarding skills learned during therapy throughout their daily lives.

Parents will participate in parent education related to their child’s individualized programming. Participation by parents and significant family members is expected for any program to be successful.

Teaching Methodologies

ABC, Inc. incorporates a variety of teaching methodologies within the field of ABA to enhance the teaching of skills and decreasing problem behavior.

The methodology used will be determined by how the child best learns. Methodologies include, but are not limited to, Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT), Incidental Teaching, Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), and Verbal Behavior. DTT allows us to break the skill down into very small units of learning and provide repetition to increase correct responding and ensure success.

DTT is very common in “traditional” ABA approaches to learning. Incidental Teaching allows us to capture and contrive opportunities to learn throughout the day. PRT involves teaching the child “pivotal” behaviors that create opportunities for the child to learn other more complex behaviors. The Verbal Behavior Approach is also utilized throughout each child’s program to increase functional communication.