From learning to brush their teeth correctly to sleeping through the night to improving pre-academic skills, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy improves outcomes for many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Considered the gold standard of ASD treatment, ABA is considered a best-practice treatment by the US Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association.
How Does ABA Work?
ABA incorporates a variety of techniques for understanding and changing behavior, with positive reinforcement being a key ingredient. Therapists identify a desired behavior and provide a reward each time that behavior or skill is used successfully. Positive reinforcement encourages meaningful change over time. ABA also helps and trains parents to support their child, teach skills, and measure progress.
A Collaborative Approach
ABA therapy is always supervised by a qualified and trained board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) who designs and oversees the program. Every program is adapted to meet the child’s—and family’s—specific needs and may be provided in multiple locations (home, school, and community).
How ABA Therapy Can Help
ABA is an intensive, long-term therapy that can increase helpful behaviors and decrease harmful or unproductive behaviors. Treatment goals are based on the age and ability level of each individual. ABA is designed to improve a variety of skill sets, including:
- Language and communication skills
- Social skills including play skills
- Academic skills such as attention, focus and memory
- Self-care skills including brushing teeth, toileting, bathing, and dressing
- Self-control and self-monitoring skills
ABA also aims to decrease harmful skills and help the individual generalize skills across different people and environments.
Proven ABA Therapy Close to Home
At BRAINS, each child’s program is designed by our Program Director and other Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA). Our BCBAs collaborate with families in the development of the program, supervise ongoing therapy, and provide families with regular formal progress reviews. ABA therapy programs involve 10-35 hours per week of one-on-one therapy in the client
To learn more about the BRAINS ABA program, submit the form on this page or call us at (616) 365-8920.
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