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Q&A About ABA Therapy for Children with Autism

FAQ for Caregivers

Was your child recently diagnosed with autism? Are you beginning to navigate treatment for your child? Before you get started, check out these FAQs about ABA therapy.

What is the goal of ABA therapy?

ABA therapy is designed to support autistic individuals and their families, achieve their identified goals, and improve their quality of life. ABA-based interventions are supported by decades of research and enhance social, communication, play, and adaptive skills. Services incorporate the needs and interests of the autistic individual and their caregiver(s). A behavior analyst delivers the ABA services with the help of behavior technicians, who often provide direct care to the autistic individual. Services are tailored to the individual’s unique needs, with their feedback, and evolve over time. Services for children may look quite different than services for adults, given the individuals’ needs differ over time.

What is “contemporary ABA” therapy?

At LEARN, we refer to our approach as “contemporary ABA.” It is an evolved approach to ABA therapy that promotes individualized treatment, naturalistic and play-based teaching, and is person-centered. LEARN provides a contemporary approach that acknowledges the evolution of ABA, values the individual and their family, and creates space for individuality. Practicing contemporary ABA therapy means that our behavior analysts deeply understand their responsibility to positively and meaningfully impact the lives of the individuals served.

How many hours of ABA therapy will my child receive?

Your child’s hours will be determined between you and your behavior analyst. Your behavior analyst recommends hours based on assessing your child’s needs, other therapies received, and your feedback as the parent/caregiver. Focused programs range from 10-25 hours per week, and comprehensive programs range from 30-40 hours weekly. At LEARN, we provide home-based, center-based, and community-based services, and you can reach out to your local clinical director to find out which services are available in your area. Check out this video to learn about the number of hours clinically recommended for your child.

Are your ABA therapy services individualized?

Absolutely! Each autistic person we serve is unique, and we believe that should be celebrated. Our goal is to promote individual interests and incorporate those into ABA therapy. Behavior analysts make individualized recommendations for services, including hours based on the child and customized goals that fit their needs. Behavior therapists receive training on how to understand the preferences of their clients and include those in sessions to make them fun, rewarding, and engaging.

How is neurodiversity integrated into your approach to ABA therapy?

Listening to the perspective of autistic folks has informed our approach to ABA therapy and led us to incorporate neurodiversity into our practice. Our goal is to elevate the autistic voices in our community, including the individuals we serve, our neurodivergent employees, and the greater neurodivergent community. We’re deeply committed to person-centered ABA therapy practices and promote assent-based care, meaning we validate the identities and experiences of neurodivergent folks and create space for autistic voices to be heard and upheld. Learn more about our commitment to neurodiversity here.

Will my child be required to do discrete trials and sit at a table?

Not all autistic folks benefit from discrete trials or table-top work. For example, a two-year-old child with lots of energy may benefit more from a play-based approach with the therapist sitting on the floor and embedding learning opportunities in play with their favorite toy. Behavior analysts overseeing the treatment plan take time to assess the individual’s needs and work collaboratively with the family to identify an approach to treatment that will work best for the child.

What if someone doesn’t want ABA therapy?

We understand that not everyone seeks ABA therapy, feels it’s the best fit, or perhaps, thinks it’s the right time to try. As with other medical services, the patient (along with their caregiver, if a child) has the right to decide when, if, and what treatment is right for them. Not all ABA therapy providers have the same approach, either, and LEARN supports a family’s right to choose a provider that meets their needs and is a good match for their treatment goals. We want families and our clients to be excited about services and encourage collaboration on our journey together.

Reviewed by Dr. Ashley Williams, PhD, LABA, BCBA-D, Sr. Clinical Director

To learn more about ABA, visit our website. You can also search our locations here.

Autism Spectrum Therapies (AST) Opens New Learning Center in Bakersfield, CA

With over 20 years of experience providing compassionate, contemporary ABA Therapy to children with autism, we’re delighted to share that we opened a new AST Learning Center this December in Bakersfield, CA. The new center held an open house that included an official ribbon-cutting with their local Chamber of Commerce and opportunities for families to tour the facility, speak with the leadership team, and participate in fun activities. This new location offers a supportive, learning-rich environment where children with autism can work on individual skills in a group setting.

We couldn’t be more excited to support more families in the communities we serve. To learn more about where our services are located, find a location.

Trellis Opens New Learning Center in Forest Hill, MD

With over 20 years of experience providing compassionate, contemporary ABA therapy to children with autism, we’re delighted to share that we opened a new Trellis Learning Center this fall in Forest Hill, Maryland. The new center held an open house that included an official ribbon-cutting with their local Chamber of Commerce and opportunities for families to tour the facility, speak with the leadership team, and participate in fun activities. This new location offers a supportive, learning-rich environment where children with autism can work on individual skills in a group setting.

We couldn’t be more excited to support more families in the communities we serve. To learn more about where our services are located, find a location.

Autism Spectrum Therapies (AST) Opens 5 New Learning Centers

With over 20 years of experience providing compassionate, contemporary ABA therapy to children with autism, we’re delighted to share that we opened five new AST Learning Centers this past summer and fall in Fresno and San Marcos, California; Goodyear, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Clackamas, Oregon. Each new center held an open house that included an official ribbon-cutting with their local Chamber of Commerce and opportunities for families to tour the facility, speak with the leadership team, and participate in fun activities. These new locations offer a supportive, learning-rich environment where children with autism can work on individual skills in a group setting.  

We couldn’t be more excited to support more families in the communities we serve. To learn more about where our services are located, find a location.  

Wisconsin Early Autism Project (WEAP) Opens 2 New Learning Centers

With over 25 years of experience providing compassionate, contemporary ABA therapy to children with autism, we’re delighted to share that we opened two new WEAP Learning Centers this past summer and fall in West Bend and Janesville, Wisconsin. Each new center held an open house that included an official ribbon-cutting with their local Chamber of Commerce and opportunities for families to tour the facility, speak with the leadership team, and participate in fun activities. These new locations offer a supportive, learning-rich environment where children with autism can work on individual skills in a group setting.

We couldn’t be more excited to support more families in the communities we serve. To learn more about where our services are located, find a location.

BACA Opens New Learning Center in Indianapolis, IN

With over 10 years of experience providing compassionate, contemporary ABA therapy to children with autism, we’re delighted to share that we opened a new BACA Learning Center this fall in Indianapolis, IN. The new center held an open house that included an official ribbon-cutting with their local Chamber of Commerce and opportunities for families to tour the facility, speak with the leadership team, and participate in fun activities. This new location offers a supportive, learning-rich environment where children with autism can work on individual skills in a group setting.

We couldn’t be more excited to support more families in the communities we serve. To learn more about where our services are located, find a location.

SPARKS Opens New Learning Center in Manassas, VA

With over 10 years of experience providing compassionate contemporary ABA therapy to children with autism, we’re delighted to share that we opened a new SPARKS Learning Center this fall in Manassas, Virginia. The new center held an open house that included an official ribbon-cutting with their local Chamber of Commerce and opportunities for families to tour the facility, speak with the leadership team, and participate in fun activities. This new location offers a supportive, learning-rich environment where children with autism can work on individual skills in a group setting.

We couldn’t be more excited to support more families in the communities we serve. To learn more about where our services are located, find a location.

What is Contemporary ABA?

RONIT MOLKO, PH.D., BCBA-D
STRATEGIC ADVISOR, LEARN BEHAVIORAL

It has been said that history is written by the victors. The colonists won the American Revolution, and so the war has been cast as a noble struggle to escape the yolk of tyranny. Had the British won, history books today would memorialize the conflict as the empire’s rescue from the clutches of ungrateful rebels.

Likewise, able-bodied people comprise the dominant culture in America; thus, we define “normal” along the contours of able-bodied activities. We consider, for example, an autistic mind or a visual impairment that enhances other senses to be of diminished value. In fact, they may simply be different ways of understanding and interacting with the world.

For many of the 60+ million Americans who have some kind of disability, this is a challenge. They are forced to fit their round life into the square hole of able-bodied culture despite the ease with which culture could accommodate everyone, including those with disabilities.

Ableism and Ableist Misconceptions

The inability of the able-bodied to recognize that not everyone is like them has given rise to a new label – ableism. This is the equivalent of the racism White Americans exhibit by failing to recognize the advantages they have versus people of color. We must be attentive to eliminating assumptions that reflect an able-bodied view of the world that does not pertain to everyone.

People with disabilities tell me that ableist thinking includes a variety of knee-jerk assumptions and misconceptions, including this one: that people with disabilities have no autonomy and constantly need help, even if they don’t ask for it.

Another version of this is the idea that people with disabilities must constantly explain themselves, for example by detailing how they became disabled, or that they have average or superior intelligence even though they do not communicate verbally. It is also an ableist misconception that all disabilities are visible. This perpetuates stigmatization and mistreatment of people with mental illness, which is, after all, no different from physical impairment except that it affects the brain. Taken together, these false ableist impressions accrue as barriers to inclusion and equity for disabled people.

ABA Intervention

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), considered by many to be the gold standard of treatment for autism, has as its ultimate goal providing autistic individuals with the skills to function at their highest potential and live as independently as possible. The field of ABA has decades of empirical evidence to support its efficacy in teaching new and necessary skills and reducing challenging behaviors that interfere with learning.

Recently, ABA has increasingly become the target of much controversy as self-advocates are speaking up about their personal experiences with ABA and the rejection of the notion that teaching autistic individuals the skills we deem necessary without their input and self-determination is erroneous. Some advocates for this community argue that independence without happiness is a hollow goal, and that autistic individuals should decide what outcome they want to achieve. Becoming as much like everyone else as possible may not be it.

ABA, which is essentially the science of good teaching, has a long history and was originally developed in the 1960s by a group of researchers at the University of Washington. ABA was used to treat individuals with developmental disabilities and initially was a rigid, highly-structured and teacher-directed program which led to some of the negative experiences and associations with ABA. Historically, for example, ABA was used to reduce or eliminate “stimming” – repetitive physical movements and sounds that may soothe and reduce anxiety. We now better understand that stimming helps autistic individuals manage their sensory processing and their environments.

 Just like in other areas of medicine and science, the field of ABA has advanced in a significant and meaningful way to become a play-based, naturalistic, family-focused and individualized, contemporary treatment that is tailored to the unique needs and goals of each individual. Another hallmark of a good ABA program is the collection and reporting of data to demonstrate efficacy. Most payors today require providers to demonstrate success, validated by parents, of the participant measured by obtaining and maintaining goals that are developed by the provider and family together. If your service provider is not providing a program that fits this description, you are likely not in the hands of a provider who is adhering to best and current practices.

As the ABA provider community has the opportunity to learn from more adults, something that was not available when this science was first being applied to autism, there are more and more opportunities to adjust and modify services to meet the needs to each individual. The idea that we discard a technology that has successfully treated thousands of individuals because of negative experiences is akin to suggesting that we eliminate an entire specialty of medicine because of some failures of treatment.  Having said that, service should always be informed by the individual receiving them, and their advocates who have their best interests at heart.

Every negative experience is unacceptable and should be heard so that changes can be made to ensure an optimal experience for future clients. Good ABA programs are client-centered and solicit the consent and input of all involved. As you consider treatment for your family member or yourself, do your research and ask your provider the important questions:

o   Will I participate in determining the goals of treatment for myself/ my child?

o   How are your staff trained?

o   How is my child’s program developed? Do all clients receive the same program or are they individualized?

o   Will there be parent goals as part of my child’s program?

o   How often is my child’s program modified or revised?

o   How is data collected and reported? How often will I see data on my child’s progress?

 Your child’s program should be client-centered and future looking which means that your family and relevant caregivers are providing input into your child’s strengths and challenges, and that you and your child are helping to guide the goals of his/her program based on your preferences and needs.

 The science of ABA has a long history with decades of research to support its development and evolution. While ABA is most widely known in its application to autism, ABA was developed, and has been applied, to address many circumstances regarding behavior that matter to society. ABA is applied in many different areas including mental health, animal training, organizational behavior management, marketing, forensics, sports, and physical health, to name a few. Just as other areas of science and medicine advance and application of treatments change, so has the field of ABA. Many lives have been impacted by ABA for the better. It is incumbent upon the professional community to listen, learn, and evolve its practice so that their services are as relevant and effective as possible. After all, the purpose of ABA is to help consumers of these services achieve goals they define as meaningful and helpful.