ABA - or Applied Behavioral Analysis - Therapy is something you have likely heard about if you have a child in your life on the autism spectrum, but it may not be clear as to what exactly ABA Therapy is. Navigating life with autism, especially after a new diagnosis, is often overwhelming and confusing, with a lot of information thrown your way and not always with a lot of guidance. Hopefully this ABA Breakdown will lead to a better understanding of what ABA is and how it can support your child and family.
What is ABA Therapy?
By definition, ABA Therapy is a scientifically-based therapy focused on improving specific behaviors, such as communication, social skills, and daily living skills. It is generally provided for children on the autism spectrum, but can be effective for anyone showing behavioral challenges. At the core, ABA Therapy is built on the principle that behavior can be learned, with goals revolving around teaching new skills, reinforcing positive behavior and reducing behaviors that interfere with social and educational advancement. ABA Therapy is typically applied across multiple settings - home, school, community - to make sure consistency exists across all environments.
The Core Principles of ABA Therapy
The ABCs of ABA include the antecedent, which is basically a trigger that happens before a behavior, the behavior, and the consequence that follows the behavior, which will either reinforce or discourage the behavior. For a simple example, a child who is praised for sharing a toy with a friend is more likely to repeat that behavior in the future.
Positive reinforcement is the backbone of ABA Therapy, meaning that desired behaviors are rewarded with something that child finds motivating, whether that is praise, a treat or a toy. Over time, the positive feedback helps build positive habits and behaviors. Data is collected through sessions by the therapist to measure progress and make adjustments. It’s important that each treatment plan is personalized and tailored to each child’s needs and goals for optimal effectiveness.
The Goals of ABA Therapy
The goal of ABA Therapy is not to change the child, but to develop skills and reduce negative behaviors that interfere with life skills, such as learning or social interaction. Your ABA therapist will work with your child to:
Improve communication skills, whether verbal or nonverbal
Interact with peers cooperatively
Build independence within daily tasks and routines
Manage challenging behaviors by identifying triggers and guiding toward alternative responses
The Process of ABA Therapy
Your journey with ABA Therapy will begin with a comprehensive assessment by a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) to collect information on the child’s strengths, their challenges and what your family’s goals are. This information is used to create a personalized treatment plan with specific goals. Sessions include working the child with prompts, reinforcement and repetition to encourage behavioral changes, with data collected over time to monitor progress and tweak treatment as needed. Parents are expected to be highly involved in ABA Therapy to encourage consistency through daily life at home, incorporating taught techniques for reinforcement. Therapy may take place at home, in the classroom or at various community locations, or most likely through a combination of locations. The amount of ABA Therapy needed varies greatly from child to child as every individual has unique needs.
Contact Bloom Behavioral Healthcare for ABA Therapy
ABA Therapy is an evidence-backed technique geared toward helping your child thrive in their daily environments via improved communication, managed emotions and reactions, and skill mastery. Through consistency and collaboration, you can watch - and play an active role in - as your child blooms.
Bloom Behavioral Healthcare LLC offers ABA Therapy for children ranging from 18 months to 10 years old. Owner Olivia Holt is a credentialed BCBA dedicated to providing compassionate, comprehensive therapy for your child and family. Please reach out if you have any additional questions about the ABA therapy process, including how to get started.
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