ABA Therapy
What is ABA Therapy?
- ABA therapy is an intensive therapy that focuses on increasing an individual’s ability to be independent within their current environment. ABA seeks to reduce problem behaviors that individuals engage in that might create unsafe situations or limit their ability to learn.
- ABA therapy will analyze why an individual is engaging in these behaviors and teach an individual to engage in a socially appropriate replacement that gives them access to the same things.
- ABA should not seek to change the personality of the individual, but rather look at what will help an individual be more successful in life. Every person has a right to be who they are or want to be, it is our role as ABA therapists to help that person achieve that.
ABA at Associates in Pediatric Therapy
- We recommend somewhere between 2-20 hours for each client (Recommendations are made in block of 2)
- Sessions are two hours long
Two types of ABA-
- Discrete Trial Teaching/Training (DTT): Teacher led, contrived situations, short trials out of context of when they might be used
- Naturalistic Environment Training (NET): Child led, trials occur when the skill is needed
- Initial ABA goals are to provide services in clinic and eventually expand to home/community services if the client needs it.
What type of tools does an ABA use?
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapists use a variety of tools and techniques to implement interventions and support individuals with developmental disorders. Some common tools include:
- Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
- Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) Chart
- Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
- Token Economy Systems
- Visual Supports
- Prompting and Prompt Fading
- Data Collection Tools
- Reinforcement Strategies
- Video Modeling
- Social Skills Training Materials
These tools and techniques are tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual receiving ABA therapy and are implemented within a structured and systematic approach to behavior change.