What is ABA Therapy?
Overview
ABA or Applied Behavior Analysis is the application of the science of behavior analysis. Behavior analysis focuses on predictable patterns of behavior as well as how behavior changes over time. Through decades of research, treatment approaches for analyzing and impacting behavior have been developed. Utilizing this research in an applied manner is applied behavior analysis.
While it is often recognized for its use with autistic individuals and those with other developmental and intellectual disabilities it is actually applied to a wide variety of disciplines such as business, health, and education to name a few.
Why is ABA Recommended for ASD?
While ABA has been proven valuable across a variety of areas, much of its research has been dedicated to Autism and other developmental disabilities. Through this research ABA has been proven to be an effective method and is considered an evidence based practice for working with this population. As an evidence based practice, there is research and science that consistently shows its effectiveness in assisting with the development of new skills.
How is ABA Different From Other Common Therapies?
ABA differs in a variety of ways. A few main ones are:
Behavior analysts view behavior as anything that can be seen and measured. With this in mind, ABA focuses on a wide variety of behaviors. This may include challenging behavior, communication or social skills, daily living skills, etc. While many other therapies focus more specifically on one domain of development, ABA covers a wide variety.
Please note that this does not mean that ABA is a solution for everything. Other disciplines often work on the mechanics of a skill while ABA works on the behavioral component of it. This is why ABA therapy works best when in conjunction with other therapists and educators.
The research on ABA shows the greatest effectiveness when there is a high focus on repetition as well as generalization and maintenance. These are some of the reasons that ABA is often recommended at a higher frequency than many other therapies. The number of hours per week should be decided on a case by case basis based on clinical need. It is not uncommon however for 20+ hours per week to be the recommendation.
With a high intensity of hours ABA often uses a tiered model of intervention. While other therapy practices often have their masters level clinicians providing all the direct services, it is not uncommon in ABA for these clinicians to be overseeing the program instead of directly providing services. This typically looks like your highest level staff, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or Board Certified Behavior Analyst - Doctorate (BCBA-D) assessing a client, creating a treatment plan, and providing ongoing training and support to staff and families. The direct staff then are implementing the treatment plan under the supervised direction of the BCBA or BCBA-D.
It is backed by decades of science and has a focus on only utilizing practices that are considered evidence based. While ABA is not the only evidence based practice for ASD (Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, etc.), it is the only one with a focus on skills across global developmental domains. Additionally, there are many non evidence based practices out there that are not backed by science and do not have research displaying their safety and effectiveness.
Since ABA is based in the science of behavior analysis the intervention strategies have been found to be effective when implemented in a variety of ways. This means that the implementation should be individualized for each client. Strategies can be implemented in a more formal or a more play based way and across a variety of settings.
What to Expect When Starting
While exact processes may vary slightly from provider to provider typically you can expect the following:
Speak with a provider to gain information about their services as well provide them the basic information needed to verify insurance and/or get started.
Schedule an assessment (typically varies in length from approximately 2-8 hours). This assessment is different from the one completed when receiving a diagnosis. It focuses on strengths and areas of need in order to determine what goals will be embedded into the treatment plan
Discuss location and recommended hours per week. This recommendation will come from the provider based on the results of the assessment. Locations such as in clinic or in home will vary from provider to provider.
Go through the treatment plan with the provider to understand the goals and procedures that will be used
Start services with a direct care provider under the supervision of a BCBA or BCBA-D.