I. What is it?
ABA Therapy is a research based procedure that utilizes positive reinforcement procedures to change behavior. ABA therapy can be used with anyone in need of behavioral change, but is most often used with individuals diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. Throughout treatment, data are collected on behaviors. This enables the clinicians to actively analyze whether or not what they are doing is working and if it is not working, to use something else. There are over 250 research based procedures within ABA therapy that clinicians can use for change.
II. How does it work?
Step 1. "Assessment" - Prior to beginning therapy, your clinician/therapist will want to know specific information about the behavior you want to work on. This will include asking questions (to you and anyone else who sees/experiences the behavior) and observing the behavior in its natural environment. This is called a "Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)". By seeing the behaviors in action and collecting data on them, it enables your clinician/therapist to better apply appropriate procedures to change those behaviors. This also supplies your clinician/therapist with "baseline" data on behaviors. By establishing baseline levels, your clinician/therapist will be able to compare treatment to baseline to determine how effective their treatment is on the behavior targeted for change.
Step 2. "Treatment Plan" - Now that your clinician/therapist has baseline levels they can write up a treatment plan. A treatment plan is also called a "Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)". A treatment plan consists of very specific information about the behavior (including data that were collected during the assessment), what research based procedure should be used to treat the behavior, who will be implementing the plan, how data will be collected, and who will be supervising the treatment. The treatment plan is typically written by the supervising Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). A BCBA typically has completed a masters degree or higher in psychology or a related field, has completed coursework requirements, field supervision (at least 2000 hours under another BCBA's supervision), and passed an exam set by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). For more information about BCBAs, the BACB, and how the process works for credentialing, please visit www.bacb.com.
Step 3. "Treatment"/"ABA Therapy" - ABA therapy is customized to the needs of the individual client. The nature of the therapy is defined in the treatment plan. The general things that are important to know about ABA therapy are:
1. Positive reinforcement works! Your therapist/clinician will want to know about you/the client's interests/favorites including favorite foods, favorite activities, favorite people, favorite times of the day, favorite teachers, etc. By understanding you/the client's interests, the therapist/clinician can create a motivational system using positive reinforcement. This may entail earning to play a game after completing an assignment or earning a piece of candy for completing a very difficult task. This varies from client to client and is individualized. Without motivation it is difficult to make progress. As a behavior therapist, we do not assume that motivation is internal but that we can build strong motivation by using external reinforcers (interests/favorites/likes). Over time, with repeated practice and learning, individuals require less external reinforcers and can fade into natural learning experiences.
2. Data! Your therapist/clinician will collect data regularly on the things you are working on. This will enable the therapist/clinician to understand how you learn, how quickly you learn, and if a particular procedure is effective or not.
3. Trials! Your therapist/clinician will present "trials", or repeated practice opportunities, to help you understand what you need to learn. This is done in the most natural way possible so that learning does not become robotic, monotonous, and boring.
4. Ongoing regular supervision! In order to make sure you/your child's treatment is doing what it needs to do and that your therapist/clinician are implementing the treatment plan appropriately, your therapy must be supervised by a BCBA (see treatment plan for more information) on a regular basis. This must be at a minimum of 1.5 hours a month. Typically, BCBAs prefer to check in at least once a week, but 1.5 hours a month can suffice.
5. A typical session will consist of the following general sequence:
ABA Therapy is a research based procedure that utilizes positive reinforcement procedures to change behavior. ABA therapy can be used with anyone in need of behavioral change, but is most often used with individuals diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. Throughout treatment, data are collected on behaviors. This enables the clinicians to actively analyze whether or not what they are doing is working and if it is not working, to use something else. There are over 250 research based procedures within ABA therapy that clinicians can use for change.
II. How does it work?
Step 1. "Assessment" - Prior to beginning therapy, your clinician/therapist will want to know specific information about the behavior you want to work on. This will include asking questions (to you and anyone else who sees/experiences the behavior) and observing the behavior in its natural environment. This is called a "Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)". By seeing the behaviors in action and collecting data on them, it enables your clinician/therapist to better apply appropriate procedures to change those behaviors. This also supplies your clinician/therapist with "baseline" data on behaviors. By establishing baseline levels, your clinician/therapist will be able to compare treatment to baseline to determine how effective their treatment is on the behavior targeted for change.
Step 2. "Treatment Plan" - Now that your clinician/therapist has baseline levels they can write up a treatment plan. A treatment plan is also called a "Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)". A treatment plan consists of very specific information about the behavior (including data that were collected during the assessment), what research based procedure should be used to treat the behavior, who will be implementing the plan, how data will be collected, and who will be supervising the treatment. The treatment plan is typically written by the supervising Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). A BCBA typically has completed a masters degree or higher in psychology or a related field, has completed coursework requirements, field supervision (at least 2000 hours under another BCBA's supervision), and passed an exam set by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). For more information about BCBAs, the BACB, and how the process works for credentialing, please visit www.bacb.com.
Step 3. "Treatment"/"ABA Therapy" - ABA therapy is customized to the needs of the individual client. The nature of the therapy is defined in the treatment plan. The general things that are important to know about ABA therapy are:
1. Positive reinforcement works! Your therapist/clinician will want to know about you/the client's interests/favorites including favorite foods, favorite activities, favorite people, favorite times of the day, favorite teachers, etc. By understanding you/the client's interests, the therapist/clinician can create a motivational system using positive reinforcement. This may entail earning to play a game after completing an assignment or earning a piece of candy for completing a very difficult task. This varies from client to client and is individualized. Without motivation it is difficult to make progress. As a behavior therapist, we do not assume that motivation is internal but that we can build strong motivation by using external reinforcers (interests/favorites/likes). Over time, with repeated practice and learning, individuals require less external reinforcers and can fade into natural learning experiences.
2. Data! Your therapist/clinician will collect data regularly on the things you are working on. This will enable the therapist/clinician to understand how you learn, how quickly you learn, and if a particular procedure is effective or not.
3. Trials! Your therapist/clinician will present "trials", or repeated practice opportunities, to help you understand what you need to learn. This is done in the most natural way possible so that learning does not become robotic, monotonous, and boring.
4. Ongoing regular supervision! In order to make sure you/your child's treatment is doing what it needs to do and that your therapist/clinician are implementing the treatment plan appropriately, your therapy must be supervised by a BCBA (see treatment plan for more information) on a regular basis. This must be at a minimum of 1.5 hours a month. Typically, BCBAs prefer to check in at least once a week, but 1.5 hours a month can suffice.
5. A typical session will consist of the following general sequence:
- Your therapist/clinician will arrive at your home, will greet you, check in, and ask you how you are doing.
- After the greeting, your therapist/clinician will ask you to direct them to the space you have designated as the learning space. There, the clinician will need approximately 5-15 minutes to set up their data and materials. During that time, you can relax or play a game.
- When session is ready to begin, your therapist/clinician will start with something fun (a game, a song, an interesting activity, etc.).
- Once your child/you are relaxed and comfortable, your therapist/clinician will start "running trials." What this means is that your therapist will be presenting instruction to help your child/you reach your goals. This may include repeating the same commands, or mixing up commands in a variable and unpredictable manner.
- Sessions last between 1 and 4 hours, depending on what is prescribed for you by your BCBA. Don't worry, you/your child will be given regular breaks to relax and decompress in between learning trials. Sessions will NEVER go straight through from start to finish. Breaks are a necessary component of productivity.
- During the last half hour of you/your child's session, your therapist/clinician will start to wrap up by ending on a positive note. This may include playing a game, or earning something that you/your child has been working towards throughout the session.
- Your therapist/clinician will need about 10-15 minutes at the end of your session to wrap up their notes including reviewing and totaling data and writing session notes.