About ABA Therapy

Understanding Applied Behavior Analysis

What Is ABA Therapy?

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy is a scientific and evidence-based approach that helps people with autism learn and develop skills to improve and manage their behaviors. While anyone of any age can benefit from ABA therapy, it’s an excellent early intervention approach for kids with autism. ABA therapy lets kids acquire skills they will use for the rest of their lives. Through ABA therapy, children with autism can learn to communicate and interact with others as they develop skills that help them become more independent. ABA therapy is an excellent solution when you want to help your child become more self-sufficient and prepared for the world.

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At Behavioral Innovations, you will find:

  • Clinicians driven by compassion and drive to provide best-in-class ABA therapy
  • Over 20 years of experience driving treatment plans, personalized for each child in our care
  • A place for parents to play a pivotal role in their child’s ABA treatment
  • Other autism services like assessments and social skills training

Definition of Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA Therapy

To help give you a better idea of what ABA means, let’s consider its formal definition.

The science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify the variables responsible for the improvement in behavior.

Breaking that definition of ABA apart, we can understand applied behavior analysis and how ABA therapy can be beneficial for improving quality of life. Applied behavior analysis is the science behind using the principles of behavior to help people with autism understand their behaviors and how to improve them. The principles of behavior focus on four attributes of behavior:

  • Reinforcement strengthens or increases behavior
  • Consequences control behavior
  • Punishment weakens or decreases behavior
  • The environment affects behavior

Want to learn more about ABA therapy? Check out our video to learn more about how ABA therapy can help you or your loved ones.

How Does ABA Therapy Work?

ABA provides a engaging and effective way to help kids with autism understand the effects of their actions and behaviors. With a combination of evidence-based techniques, positive reinforcement, and experimentation, ABA can help kids with autism learn, develop, and act in a way that’s best for them.

  • ABA uses evidence-based, individualized techniques to address behaviors
  • Targets specific challenges kids with autism may face
  • Positive reinforcement & consequences teach kids about good & bad behaviors
  • Experimentation with ABA to determine which treatment methods work best for each individual
  • Reinforcing skill-learning until children are comfortable with it

7 Dimensions of ABA

ABA therapy addresses seven core concepts that are pertinent to ensuring children with autism receive help based on meaningful research and treatment. The concepts are known as the seven dimensions of ABA, and regardless of which ABA services your child receives, they will address these characteristics in some way.

The seven dimensions of ABA include:

Generalization

The generalization concept of ABA involves children using what they learn during ABA therapy sessions in various settings and situations. The skills are durable and applicable enough to use in different ways and may address multiple behaviors. When children with autism learn to generalize their behaviors and skills, their ABA therapist runs them through various simulations to see how their new skills can help them when interacting with diverse and multiple people, in different settings and during specific times.

Understanding the generalization of ABA helps children with autism become more successful in their daily lives.

Effective

Effectiveness is another concept of ABA. It is the preferred outcome of interventions. When ABA therapy is effective, it means the interventions and services worked. ABA providers want the best for their patients, so they ensure the methods they use work to help children with autism acquire skills. If one way is less effective, the ABA therapist switches to another so that the child can practice something that is effective for them.

Technological

The technological aspect of ABA therapy for autism centers on having clearly written treatment plans so intervention is possible, and multiple people, like the child’s therapist or an assistant, can follow through with intervention. A clear plan ensures everyone is on the same page and can work toward making the treatment effective.

Even if the current plan isn’t working, your child’s therapist can modify the plan and keep the same goals for your child to accomplish.

psychologist playing blocks with little child with autism syndrome

Applied

With ABA focusing on helping children with autism gain socialization and basic living skills, there is a time when what they learn needs to be applied. The applied dimension focuses on implementing socially significant skills that children with autism can use to function within their environments and societies.

Your child’s ABA therapist will work with you to identify goals that are important and meaningful to your child based on their needs.

toddlers playing games in a classroom

Conceptually Systematic

ABA therapy is conceptually systematic because it bases its foundations on a collective understanding of the science behind behavior principles. There is a collection of ideas that therapists, specialists and scientists use to all agree on specific yet different and effective ways to help people with autism acquire necessary skills.

Adorable little african american boy with curly hair having fun at pediatric specialist appointment, happy child drawing with female therapist, exercises for children with autism.

Analytic

While the methods for ABA are based on science, analytics play a crucial role in ensuring effective interventions. The analytic dimension of ABA focuses on ABA providers making sure their services work with collected data.

therapist and child laughing while looking at computer

Behavioral

ABA aims to help people with autism manage their behaviors through skill acquisition and socializing. The last dimension of ABA, behavioral, is crucial because behavioral analysts who work with your child observe and measure the behaviors they see to create effective treatment plans for your child.

While a significant portion of ABA involves addressing the outward behavior of an individual, it also helps people with their internal thoughts and emotions. The seven dimensions of ABA are crucial for those receiving ABA services because they are concepts proven to work. They also preserve the integrity of treatment plans for those in ABA therapy, providing more meaningful and substantial changes for kids with autism, especially as they get older.

older child reading to a younger child

social skills

Skills ABA Therapy Can Help Address

Children with autism will benefit from attending ABA therapy sessions because they will build and acquire skills to help them succeed. The skills ABA providers teach children with autism help them function at home, in school or while visiting other places like the grocery store or park.

Common skills your child can acquire while undergoing ABA therapy for autism include:

  • Social
  • Daily living
  • Self-care
  • Language
  • Safety
  • Academic
  • Behavioral
  • Self-management
  • Stress management
  • Play
  • Attention
  • Emotional development and understanding
  • Interacting with other people
  • Participating in activities

If necessary, your child’s ABA therapist can also teach your child ways to help them manage their aggression and self-injury tendencies. ABA providers want the best for your child, just like you do, so they ensure your child receives practical methods and compassionate care to help them develop new skills.

Transitioning into ABA Therapy

To help prepare your family and child with autism for regular ABA therapy sessions, we offer the Bright Beginnings initiative, a program specifically designed to guide and support families as they transition into ABA therapy and await their start dates. Through our carefully crafted program, we ensure your child is prepared for the structure of sessions and gets started with learning skills ahead of time.

Bright Beginnings has several offerings that will help your child and family prepare for ABA therapy, including:

  • Foundational skill building to help your child get a head start on the skills they’ll learn during ABA therapy.
  • Building familiarization with the center before starting ABA therapy sessions, thereby helping them feel more comfortable.
  • Weekly sessions consisting of one-hour meetings with a BCBA to train and answer questions.

Once your child starts ABA therapy, their time in the Bright Beginnings program ends, giving your child a head start in their ABA journey.

older child reading to a younger child
Autism awareness concept with colorful hands on blue background. Top view

Teaching Life Skills to Children With Autism

When kids with autism are in ABA therapy, they learn many new things. In addition to the social skills your child learns during their sessions, ABA therapists also help children learn valuable life skills.

ABA therapy uses various techniques to help children develop their basic skills for a successful life. The work ABA therapists do with your child during sessions, combined with the practice at home will help them improve their skills so they become the basis for their actions as they grow older.

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Examples of Life Skills Taught in ABA Therapy

  • Potty training
  • Self-care and self-grooming skills
  • Routine adherence, such as morning or bedtime routines
  • Age-appropriate basic chores
  • Initiating conversations or respond appropriately
  • Connecting with other children their age

We Help Your Child Achieve Milestone Moments!

ABA therapy for autism is your best solution to help your child succeed. Behavioral Innovations provides quality ABA therapy in Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado. Our ABA treatment plans are tailored to your child’s unique challenges and needs, and one-on-one sessions with their committed therapist will help them reach their goals.

Enroll Today!

Ready to provide your child with more support and resources as they receive ABA therapy treatment for autism? Connect with an intake advocate to learn more about our services and enroll your child in ABA therapy at Behavioral Innovations today.

Get Started  855-782-7822