ABA Therapy
What is ABA Therapy?
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a science which involves the application of the principles of behavior (i.e., reinforcement, motivation, extinction, punishment, stimulus control, conditioned reinforcement, and schedules of reinforcement) to build socially significant behavior in real world, every day settings in order to improve the lives of our children and their families. ABA involves defining target behaviors, recording data on those behaviors, and analyzing the data to make changes to treatments that are not effective. The field of ABA is well-established with a large supporting body of scientific research and standards for evidence-based practice.
Intake
To begin ABA therapy with POSS, the parents/caregivers must provide documentation of diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), provide a prescription from a medical doctor for ABA treatment and provide proof of insurance. Our services begin with an intake with a member of our administrative team. This is a time when the family may discuss primary areas of concern and determine if ABA can meet those needs. During this process, our team will determine eligibility for services and navigate the insurance process. The family will be asked to fill out an enrollment form.
Assessment
The next step is to assess your child’s skill level which is necessary to guide the development of an individualized treatment plan. The functional behavior assessment will be conducted by one of POSS’ licensed Board-Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) and will include the use of various assessment tools. Typically, assessments are conducted in the home setting.
Reports and Treatment Planning
Once the assessment has been conducted, the POSS BCBA will evaluate the data collected to guide the development of a treatment plan. Our BCBA will comprise a report of the assessment findings as well as a specific treatment plan. A preliminary treatment meeting will be scheduled with the family and the treatment team in order to review the assessment results, proposed service type(s), treatment plan goals and objectives, recommended duration and length of treatment, and discharge plan. Authorization periods usually last for 6 months. A progress report and an updated treatment plan will be composed for each authorization period.
Service Delivery
At POSS, the BCBA will also have bi-weekly meetings to provide parent training and treatment planning. A trained therapist will come to your home each week and provide home-based ABA therapy for your child using techniques such as discrete trial instruction, verbal behavior, fluency-based instruction, and incidental teaching.