Tag Archive for: Applied Behavior Analysis

self-contained classroom setup

Classroom Boundary Markers for Autistic Students

Boundary markers for autistic students are essential environmental supports that help clarify expectations and minimize confusion in the classroom. Children with autism thrive in a structured and predictable environment. Implementing boundary markers for autistic students helps establish routines early on and maintains consistency. In a world that is constantly changing, these routines provide comfort and support to students on the autism spectrum.

We will be covering

 

What is a boundary marker?

Boundary markers for autistic students are physical or environmental supports that help those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) understand expectations for various activities and settings. Boundary markers can be either:

  1. Color-Coded Areas use different colors to signify various activities within the same space or,
  2. Sectioned-Off Areas indicate where students should be during activities promoting organization and focus or a combination of both.

boundary markers

Examples of boundary markers

Some common, effective examples of boundary markers include:

  1. Visual Cues: Implement pictures, charts, or timers to signal when a boundary is established, aiding comprehension for autistic students.
  2. Colored Tape or Rugs: Use colored tape or rugs to delineate specific areas on the floor, guiding students on where they should be.
  3. Name Tags: Employ name tags or tape to designate seating arrangements, making it clear where each student is expected to sit.
  4. Colored Tablecloths: Utilize colored tablecloths to differentiate between various activities when multiple tasks are being conducted in the same space.
  5. Break Cards: Provide break cards that allow students to request a pause from activities, tasks, or social interactions, empowering them to manage their needs.
  6. Line-Up Markers: Use visual floor markers to help students remember where to stand when lining up, promoting organization and structure.

classroom boundary markers

Boundary Marker for Autistic Students Best Practices

Educators and specialists agree on several strategies when creating boundary markers as part of a learning environment for autistic students.

To further assist autistic students in navigating boundaries, consider these best practices:

  • Clear Communication that focuses on necessary tasks: Use simple language to ensure instructions are easily understood. Prioritize what needs to be accomplished, aiding clarity for students.
  • Consistent Rules: Maintain stable rules and consequences to foster a predictable environment.
  • Set Outer Limits: Clearly define the boundaries within which students can operate.
  • Respect Personal Space: Be mindful of personal boundaries, which can greatly benefit autistic students.
  • Social Stories and Role-Playing: Incorporate social stories and role-playing to prepare students for different scenarios.
  • Positive Reinforcement: Encourage and reinforce positive behavior to motivate students.
  • Modeling Behavior: Demonstrate appropriate behavior to provide a clear example for students to follow.
  • Flexibility: Be willing to adjust boundaries as needed to accommodate individual student needs.
  • Involve Students: Engage students in boundary-setting to promote understanding and ownership.
  • Create Household Goals: Establish goals for the entire household to foster consistency.
  • Allow Time for Learning and Growth: Provide students the time they need to adapt and thrive within established boundaries.

When boundaries and markers begin to show effectiveness with students with ASD, rewards for appropriately following the supports should be utilized. That is, when a student correctly follows them, they should be provided with social praise or other types of rewards.

self-contained classroom setup

Boundary Markers in a Self-Contained Classroom

When considering boundary markers for autistic students, incorporating best practices in a self-contained classroom allows educators to design the space with the specific needs of these students in mind. This more intensive educational environment helps personalize learning while increasing social interaction and creating a sense of belonging for students with diverse needs.

A self-contained classroom is generally explained as a classroom for special learners in which all members are students with special needs. The classroom may be part of a general education school building or a separate facility for students with special needs. Some classrooms operate as fully self-contained and have students stay in the room for the entire day. On the other hand, other self-contained classroom models have instruction in the room but then go to lunch, specials, recess, etc., with their general education peers.

Self-contained classes usually have no more than ten students and are typically led by a certified teacher. Students in the class are often assisted by a Para-educator who is also there to provide additional support during instruction. These classes enhance students’ ability to learn by limiting the class size and addressing their special needs with smaller groups, individualized instruction, and a flexible but nurturing environment.

When preparing a self-contained classroom, the following strategies help incorporate boundary markers for autistic students:

  • Structure Your Day: Children with autism thrive in a structured and predictable environment. Establish routines early and maintain consistency. Clearly define routines and review them daily. If deviations from the schedule are necessary, provide warnings as soon as possible to help students adjust.
  • Use Visuals: A picture speaks a thousand words! Incorporate visuals whenever possible, as they greatly enhance learning for autistic students. Use visuals to illustrate what to expect during activities such as getting on the bus, arriving at a destination, planning activities, and returning to school. Whenever possible, provide written instructions instead of verbal, highlighting, or underlining important text for emphasis.
  • Implement Schedules: Students with autism appreciate order and detail, feeling more secure when they know what to expect. Using schedules helps students understand what lies ahead. Picture schedules are particularly effective, as they allow students to visualize actions. Schedules can be broad or detailed, catering to individual needs. Some students may require a personal daily schedule, while others may only need a classroom schedule.
  • Minimize Distractions: As you set up your classroom, consider seating arrangements for your autistic students. Avoid placing them near windows, hallways, or high-traffic areas that may cause distractions. Aim to seat them where they have an unobstructed view of your teaching. Assess classroom walls for any distracting elements and remove anything that doesn’t support learning.
  • Create a Calming Space: Stress, anxiety, and misunderstandings can arise in any classroom situation. Prepare by establishing a calming area for your autistic students. This space doesn’t need to be large; a small corner with a chair or beanbag, noise-canceling headphones, and fidget toys can be effective. Practice using this area when the child is calm and happy, and encourage its use during tasks that may cause frustration.

Implementing classroom boundary markers for autistic students is a crucial strategy for creating a supportive and effective learning environment. By clearly defining spaces within the classroom, educators can help these students navigate their surroundings with greater confidence and ease.

LeafWing Center emphasizes the importance of understanding the unique needs of autistic individuals and offers practical strategies for incorporating boundary markers effectively. Please contact us today to see how we can help.

Related Glossary Terms

Other Related Articles

Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy

What is ABA Therapy used for?

ABA-based therapy can be used in a multitude of areas. Currently, these interventions are used primarily with individuals living with ASD; however, their applications can be used with individuals living with pervasive developmental disorders as well as other disorders. For ASD, it can be used in effectively teaching specific skills that may not be in a child’s repertoire of skills to help him/her function better in their environment whether that be at home, school, or out in the community.  In conjunction with skill acquisition programs, ABA-based interventions can also be used in addressing behavioral excesses (e.g., tantrum behaviors, aggressive behaviors, self-injurious behaviors). Lastly, it can also be utilized in parent/caregiver training.

In skill acquisition programs, a child’s repertoire of skills is assessed in the beginning phase of the services in key adaptive areas such as communication/language, self-help, social skills, and motor skills as well.  Once skills to be taught are identified, a goal for each skill is developed and then addressed/taught by using ABA-based techniques to teach those important skills. Ultimately, an ABA-based therapy will facilitate a degree of maintenance (i.e., the child can still perform the learned behaviors in the absence of training/intervention over time) and generalization (i.e., the learned behaviors are observed to occur in situations different from the instructional setting).  These two concepts are very important in any ABA-based intervention.

In behavior management, the challenging behaviors are assessed for their function in the beginning phase of the services. In this phase, the “why does this behavior happen in the first place?” is determined. Once known, an ABA-based therapy will be developed to not just decrease the occurrence of the behavior being addressed, but also teach the child a functionally-equivalent behavior that is socially-appropriate.  For example, if a child resorts to tantrum behaviors when she is told she cannot have a specific item, she may be taught to accept an alternative or find an alternative for herself. Of course, we can only do this up to a certain point—the offering of alternatives.  There comes a point when a ‘no’ means ‘no’ so the tantrum behavior will be left to run its course (i.e., to continue until it ceases).  This is never easy and will take some time for parents/caregivers to get used to, but research has shown that over time and consistent application of an ABA-based behavior management program, the challenging behavior will get better.

In parent training, individuals that provide care for a child may receive customized “curriculum” that best fit their situation.  A typical area covered in parent training is teaching responsible adults pertinent ABA-based concepts to help adults understand the rationale behind interventions that are being used in their child’s ABA-based services.  Another area covered in parent training is teaching adults specific skill acquisition programs and/or behavior management programs that they will implement during family time.  Other areas covered in parent training may be data collection, how to facilitate maintenance, how to facilitate generalization of learned skills to name a few.

There is no “one format” that will fit all children and their families’ needs. The ABA professionals you’re currently working with, with your participation,  will develop an ABA-based treatment package that will best fit your child’s and your family’s needs. For more information regarding this topic, we encourage you to speak with your BCBA or reach out to us at [email protected].

Who Can Benefit From ABA Therapy?

There is a common misconception that the principles of ABA are specific to Autism. This is not the case. The principles and methods of ABA are scientifically backed and can be applied to any individual. With that said, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association consider ABA to be an evidence based practice. Forty years of extensive literature have documented ABA therapy as an effective and successful practice to reduce problem behavior and increase skills for individuals with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Children, teenagers, and adults with ASD can benefit from ABA therapy. Especially when started early, ABA therapy can benefit individuals by targeting challenging behaviors, attention skills, play skills, communication, motor, social, and other skills. Individuals with other developmental challenges such as ADHD or intellectual disability can benefit from ABA therapy as well. While early intervention has been demonstrated to lead to more significant treatment outcomes, there is no specific age at which ABA therapy ceases to be helpful.

Additionally, parents and caregivers of individuals living with ASD can also benefit from the principles of ABA. Depending on the needs of your loved one, the use of specified ABA techniques in addition to 1:1 services, may help produce more desirable treatment outcomes. The term “caregiver training” is common in ABA services and refers to the individualized instruction that a BCBA or ABA Supervisor provides to parents and caregivers. This typically involves a combination of individualized ABA techniques and methods parents and caregivers can use outside of 1:1 sessions to facilitate ongoing progress in specified areas.

ABA therapy can help people living with ASD, intellectual disability, and other developmental challenges achieve their goals and live higher quality lives.

What does ABA Therapy look like?

Agencies that provide ABA-based services in the home-setting are more likely to implement ABA services similarly than doing the same exact protocols or procedures. Regardless, an ABA agency under the guidance of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst follows the same research-based theories to guide treatment that all other acceptable ABA agencies use.

ABA-based services start with a functional behavior assessment (FBA). In a nutshell, a FBA assesses why the behaviors may be happening in the first place. From there, the FBA will also determine the best way to address the difficulties using tactics that have been proven effective over time with a focus on behavioral replacement versus simple elimination of a problem behavior. The FBA will also have recommendations for other relevant skills/behaviors to be taught and parent skills that can be taught in a parent training format to name a few. From there, the intensity of the ABA-based services is determined, again, based on the clinical needs of your child. The completed FBA is then submitted to the funding source for approval.

One-on-one sessions between a behavior technician and your child will start once services are approved. The duration per session and the frequency of these sessions per week/month will all depend on how many hours your child’s ABA services have been approved for—usually, this will be the number recommended in the FBA. The sessions are used to teach identified skills/behaviors via effective teaching procedures. Another aspect of ABA-based services in the home-setting is parent training. Parent training can take many forms depending on what goals have been established during the FBA process. The number of hours dedicated for parent training is also variable and solely depends on the clinical need for it. If a 1:1 session is between a behavior technician and your child, a parent training session or appointment is between you and the case supervisor and with and without your child present, depending on the parent goal(s) identified. Parent training service’s goal is for you to be able to have ample skills/knowledge in order for you to become more effective in addressing behavioral difficulties as they occur outside of scheduled ABA sessions. Depending on the goals established, you may be required to participate in your child’s 1:1 sessions. These participations are a good way for you to practice what you have learned from the case supervisor while at the same time, having the behavior technician available to you to give you feedback as you practice on those new skills.

As mentioned in the beginning, no two ABA agencies will do the same exact thing when it comes to providing ABA services; however, good agencies will always base their practice on the same empirically-proven procedures.

How do I start ABA Therapy?

In most cases, the first item required to start ABA therapy is the individual’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis report. This is typically conducted by a doctor such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or a developmental pediatrician. Most ABA therapy agencies and insurance companies will ask for a copy of this diagnosis report during the intake process as it is required to request an ABA assessment authorization from the individual’s medical insurance provider.

The second item required to start ABA therapy is a funding source. In the United States, and in cases where Medi-Cal or Medicare insurances are involved, there is a legal requirement for ABA services to be covered when there is a medical necessity (ASD diagnosis). Medi-Cal and Medicare cover all medically necessary behavioral health treatment services for beneficiaries. This typically includes children diagnosed with ASD. Since Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence based and effective treatment for individuals with ASD, it is considered a covered treatment when medically necessary. In many cases, private insurance will also cover ABA services when medically necessary, however in these cases, it is best to speak directly with your medical insurance provider to determine the specifics of the coverage and to ensure that ABA is in fact, a covered benefit. Additionally, some families opt to pay for ABA services out-of-pocket.

The next step to starting ABA therapy is to contact an ABA provider whom you are interested in working with. Depending on your geographic location, ABA agencies exist in many cities across the United States. Your insurance carrier, local support groups, and even a thorough online search can help you find reputable and properly credentialed ABA agencies near you. Our organization, LeafWing Center, is based in southern California and is recognized for aiding people with ASD achieve their goals with the research based on applied behavior analysis.

Once you have identified the ABA provider with whom you wish to work, they should help you facilitate the next steps. These will include facilitating paperwork and authorizations with your funding source. Once the assessment process begins, a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or qualified Program Supervisor should get in contact with you to arrange times in which interviews with parents/caregivers and observations of your loved one can be conducted. This will help in the process of gathering important clinical information so that with your collaboration, the most effective treatment plans and goals can be established for your loved one. This process is referred to as the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and is elaborated on in different blog posts on our website. With regard as to what can be expected once ABA therapy begins, please read our blog post titled: When You Start an ABA program, What Should You Reasonably Expect from Your Service Provider?

self-contained classroom setup

Classroom Boundary Markers for Autistic Students

Boundary markers for autistic students are essential environmental supports that help clarify expectations and minimize confusion in the classroom. Children with autism thrive in a structured and predictable environment. Implementing boundary markers for autistic students helps establish routines early on and maintains consistency. In a world that is constantly changing, these routines provide comfort and support to students on the autism spectrum.

We will be covering

 

What is a boundary marker?

Boundary markers for autistic students are physical or environmental supports that help those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) understand expectations for various activities and settings. Boundary markers can be either:

  1. Color-Coded Areas use different colors to signify various activities within the same space or,
  2. Sectioned-Off Areas indicate where students should be during activities promoting organization and focus or a combination of both.

boundary markers

Examples of boundary markers

Some common, effective examples of boundary markers include:

  1. Visual Cues: Implement pictures, charts, or timers to signal when a boundary is established, aiding comprehension for autistic students.
  2. Colored Tape or Rugs: Use colored tape or rugs to delineate specific areas on the floor, guiding students on where they should be.
  3. Name Tags: Employ name tags or tape to designate seating arrangements, making it clear where each student is expected to sit.
  4. Colored Tablecloths: Utilize colored tablecloths to differentiate between various activities when multiple tasks are being conducted in the same space.
  5. Break Cards: Provide break cards that allow students to request a pause from activities, tasks, or social interactions, empowering them to manage their needs.
  6. Line-Up Markers: Use visual floor markers to help students remember where to stand when lining up, promoting organization and structure.

classroom boundary markers

Boundary Marker for Autistic Students Best Practices

Educators and specialists agree on several strategies when creating boundary markers as part of a learning environment for autistic students.

To further assist autistic students in navigating boundaries, consider these best practices:

  • Clear Communication that focuses on necessary tasks: Use simple language to ensure instructions are easily understood. Prioritize what needs to be accomplished, aiding clarity for students.
  • Consistent Rules: Maintain stable rules and consequences to foster a predictable environment.
  • Set Outer Limits: Clearly define the boundaries within which students can operate.
  • Respect Personal Space: Be mindful of personal boundaries, which can greatly benefit autistic students.
  • Social Stories and Role-Playing: Incorporate social stories and role-playing to prepare students for different scenarios.
  • Positive Reinforcement: Encourage and reinforce positive behavior to motivate students.
  • Modeling Behavior: Demonstrate appropriate behavior to provide a clear example for students to follow.
  • Flexibility: Be willing to adjust boundaries as needed to accommodate individual student needs.
  • Involve Students: Engage students in boundary-setting to promote understanding and ownership.
  • Create Household Goals: Establish goals for the entire household to foster consistency.
  • Allow Time for Learning and Growth: Provide students the time they need to adapt and thrive within established boundaries.

When boundaries and markers begin to show effectiveness with students with ASD, rewards for appropriately following the supports should be utilized. That is, when a student correctly follows them, they should be provided with social praise or other types of rewards.

self-contained classroom setup

Boundary Markers in a Self-Contained Classroom

When considering boundary markers for autistic students, incorporating best practices in a self-contained classroom allows educators to design the space with the specific needs of these students in mind. This more intensive educational environment helps personalize learning while increasing social interaction and creating a sense of belonging for students with diverse needs.

A self-contained classroom is generally explained as a classroom for special learners in which all members are students with special needs. The classroom may be part of a general education school building or a separate facility for students with special needs. Some classrooms operate as fully self-contained and have students stay in the room for the entire day. On the other hand, other self-contained classroom models have instruction in the room but then go to lunch, specials, recess, etc., with their general education peers.

Self-contained classes usually have no more than ten students and are typically led by a certified teacher. Students in the class are often assisted by a Para-educator who is also there to provide additional support during instruction. These classes enhance students’ ability to learn by limiting the class size and addressing their special needs with smaller groups, individualized instruction, and a flexible but nurturing environment.

When preparing a self-contained classroom, the following strategies help incorporate boundary markers for autistic students:

  • Structure Your Day: Children with autism thrive in a structured and predictable environment. Establish routines early and maintain consistency. Clearly define routines and review them daily. If deviations from the schedule are necessary, provide warnings as soon as possible to help students adjust.
  • Use Visuals: A picture speaks a thousand words! Incorporate visuals whenever possible, as they greatly enhance learning for autistic students. Use visuals to illustrate what to expect during activities such as getting on the bus, arriving at a destination, planning activities, and returning to school. Whenever possible, provide written instructions instead of verbal, highlighting, or underlining important text for emphasis.
  • Implement Schedules: Students with autism appreciate order and detail, feeling more secure when they know what to expect. Using schedules helps students understand what lies ahead. Picture schedules are particularly effective, as they allow students to visualize actions. Schedules can be broad or detailed, catering to individual needs. Some students may require a personal daily schedule, while others may only need a classroom schedule.
  • Minimize Distractions: As you set up your classroom, consider seating arrangements for your autistic students. Avoid placing them near windows, hallways, or high-traffic areas that may cause distractions. Aim to seat them where they have an unobstructed view of your teaching. Assess classroom walls for any distracting elements and remove anything that doesn’t support learning.
  • Create a Calming Space: Stress, anxiety, and misunderstandings can arise in any classroom situation. Prepare by establishing a calming area for your autistic students. This space doesn’t need to be large; a small corner with a chair or beanbag, noise-canceling headphones, and fidget toys can be effective. Practice using this area when the child is calm and happy, and encourage its use during tasks that may cause frustration.

Implementing classroom boundary markers for autistic students is a crucial strategy for creating a supportive and effective learning environment. By clearly defining spaces within the classroom, educators can help these students navigate their surroundings with greater confidence and ease.

LeafWing Center emphasizes the importance of understanding the unique needs of autistic individuals and offers practical strategies for incorporating boundary markers effectively. Please contact us today to see how we can help.

Related Glossary Terms

Other Related Articles

Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy

What is ABA Therapy used for?

ABA-based therapy can be used in a multitude of areas. Currently, these interventions are used primarily with individuals living with ASD; however, their applications can be used with individuals living with pervasive developmental disorders as well as other disorders. For ASD, it can be used in effectively teaching specific skills that may not be in a child’s repertoire of skills to help him/her function better in their environment whether that be at home, school, or out in the community.  In conjunction with skill acquisition programs, ABA-based interventions can also be used in addressing behavioral excesses (e.g., tantrum behaviors, aggressive behaviors, self-injurious behaviors). Lastly, it can also be utilized in parent/caregiver training.

In skill acquisition programs, a child’s repertoire of skills is assessed in the beginning phase of the services in key adaptive areas such as communication/language, self-help, social skills, and motor skills as well.  Once skills to be taught are identified, a goal for each skill is developed and then addressed/taught by using ABA-based techniques to teach those important skills. Ultimately, an ABA-based therapy will facilitate a degree of maintenance (i.e., the child can still perform the learned behaviors in the absence of training/intervention over time) and generalization (i.e., the learned behaviors are observed to occur in situations different from the instructional setting).  These two concepts are very important in any ABA-based intervention.

In behavior management, the challenging behaviors are assessed for their function in the beginning phase of the services. In this phase, the “why does this behavior happen in the first place?” is determined. Once known, an ABA-based therapy will be developed to not just decrease the occurrence of the behavior being addressed, but also teach the child a functionally-equivalent behavior that is socially-appropriate.  For example, if a child resorts to tantrum behaviors when she is told she cannot have a specific item, she may be taught to accept an alternative or find an alternative for herself. Of course, we can only do this up to a certain point—the offering of alternatives.  There comes a point when a ‘no’ means ‘no’ so the tantrum behavior will be left to run its course (i.e., to continue until it ceases).  This is never easy and will take some time for parents/caregivers to get used to, but research has shown that over time and consistent application of an ABA-based behavior management program, the challenging behavior will get better.

In parent training, individuals that provide care for a child may receive customized “curriculum” that best fit their situation.  A typical area covered in parent training is teaching responsible adults pertinent ABA-based concepts to help adults understand the rationale behind interventions that are being used in their child’s ABA-based services.  Another area covered in parent training is teaching adults specific skill acquisition programs and/or behavior management programs that they will implement during family time.  Other areas covered in parent training may be data collection, how to facilitate maintenance, how to facilitate generalization of learned skills to name a few.

There is no “one format” that will fit all children and their families’ needs. The ABA professionals you’re currently working with, with your participation,  will develop an ABA-based treatment package that will best fit your child’s and your family’s needs. For more information regarding this topic, we encourage you to speak with your BCBA or reach out to us at [email protected].

Who Can Benefit From ABA Therapy?

There is a common misconception that the principles of ABA are specific to Autism. This is not the case. The principles and methods of ABA are scientifically backed and can be applied to any individual. With that said, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association consider ABA to be an evidence based practice. Forty years of extensive literature have documented ABA therapy as an effective and successful practice to reduce problem behavior and increase skills for individuals with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Children, teenagers, and adults with ASD can benefit from ABA therapy. Especially when started early, ABA therapy can benefit individuals by targeting challenging behaviors, attention skills, play skills, communication, motor, social, and other skills. Individuals with other developmental challenges such as ADHD or intellectual disability can benefit from ABA therapy as well. While early intervention has been demonstrated to lead to more significant treatment outcomes, there is no specific age at which ABA therapy ceases to be helpful.

Additionally, parents and caregivers of individuals living with ASD can also benefit from the principles of ABA. Depending on the needs of your loved one, the use of specified ABA techniques in addition to 1:1 services, may help produce more desirable treatment outcomes. The term “caregiver training” is common in ABA services and refers to the individualized instruction that a BCBA or ABA Supervisor provides to parents and caregivers. This typically involves a combination of individualized ABA techniques and methods parents and caregivers can use outside of 1:1 sessions to facilitate ongoing progress in specified areas.

ABA therapy can help people living with ASD, intellectual disability, and other developmental challenges achieve their goals and live higher quality lives.

What does ABA Therapy look like?

Agencies that provide ABA-based services in the home-setting are more likely to implement ABA services similarly than doing the same exact protocols or procedures. Regardless, an ABA agency under the guidance of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst follows the same research-based theories to guide treatment that all other acceptable ABA agencies use.

ABA-based services start with a functional behavior assessment (FBA). In a nutshell, a FBA assesses why the behaviors may be happening in the first place. From there, the FBA will also determine the best way to address the difficulties using tactics that have been proven effective over time with a focus on behavioral replacement versus simple elimination of a problem behavior. The FBA will also have recommendations for other relevant skills/behaviors to be taught and parent skills that can be taught in a parent training format to name a few. From there, the intensity of the ABA-based services is determined, again, based on the clinical needs of your child. The completed FBA is then submitted to the funding source for approval.

One-on-one sessions between a behavior technician and your child will start once services are approved. The duration per session and the frequency of these sessions per week/month will all depend on how many hours your child’s ABA services have been approved for—usually, this will be the number recommended in the FBA. The sessions are used to teach identified skills/behaviors via effective teaching procedures. Another aspect of ABA-based services in the home-setting is parent training. Parent training can take many forms depending on what goals have been established during the FBA process. The number of hours dedicated for parent training is also variable and solely depends on the clinical need for it. If a 1:1 session is between a behavior technician and your child, a parent training session or appointment is between you and the case supervisor and with and without your child present, depending on the parent goal(s) identified. Parent training service’s goal is for you to be able to have ample skills/knowledge in order for you to become more effective in addressing behavioral difficulties as they occur outside of scheduled ABA sessions. Depending on the goals established, you may be required to participate in your child’s 1:1 sessions. These participations are a good way for you to practice what you have learned from the case supervisor while at the same time, having the behavior technician available to you to give you feedback as you practice on those new skills.

As mentioned in the beginning, no two ABA agencies will do the same exact thing when it comes to providing ABA services; however, good agencies will always base their practice on the same empirically-proven procedures.

How do I start ABA Therapy?

In most cases, the first item required to start ABA therapy is the individual’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis report. This is typically conducted by a doctor such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or a developmental pediatrician. Most ABA therapy agencies and insurance companies will ask for a copy of this diagnosis report during the intake process as it is required to request an ABA assessment authorization from the individual’s medical insurance provider.

The second item required to start ABA therapy is a funding source. In the United States, and in cases where Medi-Cal or Medicare insurances are involved, there is a legal requirement for ABA services to be covered when there is a medical necessity (ASD diagnosis). Medi-Cal and Medicare cover all medically necessary behavioral health treatment services for beneficiaries. This typically includes children diagnosed with ASD. Since Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence based and effective treatment for individuals with ASD, it is considered a covered treatment when medically necessary. In many cases, private insurance will also cover ABA services when medically necessary, however in these cases, it is best to speak directly with your medical insurance provider to determine the specifics of the coverage and to ensure that ABA is in fact, a covered benefit. Additionally, some families opt to pay for ABA services out-of-pocket.

The next step to starting ABA therapy is to contact an ABA provider whom you are interested in working with. Depending on your geographic location, ABA agencies exist in many cities across the United States. Your insurance carrier, local support groups, and even a thorough online search can help you find reputable and properly credentialed ABA agencies near you. Our organization, LeafWing Center, is based in southern California and is recognized for aiding people with ASD achieve their goals with the research based on applied behavior analysis.

Once you have identified the ABA provider with whom you wish to work, they should help you facilitate the next steps. These will include facilitating paperwork and authorizations with your funding source. Once the assessment process begins, a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or qualified Program Supervisor should get in contact with you to arrange times in which interviews with parents/caregivers and observations of your loved one can be conducted. This will help in the process of gathering important clinical information so that with your collaboration, the most effective treatment plans and goals can be established for your loved one. This process is referred to as the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and is elaborated on in different blog posts on our website. With regard as to what can be expected once ABA therapy begins, please read our blog post titled: When You Start an ABA program, What Should You Reasonably Expect from Your Service Provider?

Child with light bulb thought

Why Does ABA Help Children With Autism?



Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a child perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior. The term “spectrum” in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity.

Many families ask similar questions when considering treatment options for their child who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

  • What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, and is it an effective treatment for children with autism?
  • What makes ABA therapy effective in helping improve the lives of those affected with autism?
  • How does ABA therapy involve the family? Is ABA therapy the right treatment for my child with autism?

The professional ABA therapists at LeafWing Center will provide you and your child with the support and therapy required to ensure your child is receiving the highest quality autism care.

We will discuss:

ABA therapy for children with autism: Early childhood development

We all know that typically developing children learn throughout all waking hours, even when they are not being formally taught. Typically developing children watch other children, watch adults, watch TV, learn from school, and incorporate what they have learned into their repertoire.

Oftentimes they only need to see something once or twice before it comes easily to them. Parents are often amazed at their children’s learning and frequently ask, “Where did you learn to do that?” When children learn to speak, they often begin to ask questions of others in their environment. From the basic “why” question that parents so often get asked to more elaborate questions about “How this thing works, or how that thing works.” They become their own self-contained information seekers.

Learning is different for children with autism. Children with autism learn much less from their environment. They are deficient in what’s called observational learning or learning via imitation. In other words, children with autism aren’t as skilled at learning by watching others do something and imitating what they see without specific instruction.

Children with autism typically have decreased language skills, understand less of what is said to them, and ask fewer questions of others. For most children with autism, you cannot expect to put them in a classroom setting and have them learn and absorb what the teacher is saying, mainly as a direct result of the characteristics of autism.

ABA therapy for children

ABA therapy is designed to help treat children with autism

ABA therapy programs are effective in treating children with autism because they create very structured environments where conditions are optimized for learning. Over time, these very structured environments are systematically changed so that the environment mimics what a child could expect if and when they are placed in the classroom.

Essentially, an ABA therapy program works with a learner by creating a somewhat unnatural or atypical learning environment for the child, such as teaching them in a distraction-free, one-to-one environment in their home. The structured environment makes it more conducive for the child to learn.

The learning environment will change over time so that it more closely resembles a typical classroom environment – an environment the child will encounter when they are of age to attend school or are reintegrated into a typical classroom setting. It is important to note that the main premise of an ABA program is teaching a child, “how to learn,” so that they will no longer need such structured and specialized services.

The ultimate goal of ABA therapy is for the learner to gain independence by learning and developing new skills resulting in an increase in positive behavior while reducing the frequency of negative behaviors.

Other reasons ABA therapy works for children with autism

ABA therapy programs are also highly individualized and account for a learner’s difficulty transitioning from one learning environment to another. A child with autism may not necessarily practice a skill at school just because they learned it at home.

How an ABA therapy program can be effective depends on several factors, including, but not limited to, the learner’s individual needs, frequency of treatment, specific interventions, and the environment in which services are implemented. With ABA therapy, the earlier the intervention, the better.

ABA therapy effectively treats children with autism

ABA therapy effectively treats children with autism

Autism affects every child differently, and while cases of autism may be similar, no two cases are ever the same. Some children with autism may be mildly or moderately impacted, while others may be profoundly impacted. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is a type of therapy that can improve social, communication, and learning skills through positive reinforcement of those children diagnosed with autism. Most experts consider ABA to be the gold-standard treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder. ABA therapy benefits both the autistic child and their family:

  1. ABA therapy is more fully supported by scientific research than any other treatment option
  2. ABA therapy helps both the learner and the parent(s)/caregiver
  3. ABA therapy teaches skills necessary for socialization
  4. Parents and teachers can capitalize on the strengths and skills of the learner
  5. Children are better positioned if they can function independently
  6. ABA therapy can prepare children to advocate for themselves

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) has been shown to help a wide range of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) learn skills that increase their independence and improve their quality of life into adulthood. Children with autism each have their own diverse life experiences; therefore, each child requires individualized assessment and treatment services.

Let LeafWing Center assist in helping to improve your child’s overall quality of life by targeting problematic behavior and encouraging healthier alternatives. Call us today!

Related Glossary Terms

Other Related Articles

Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy

What is ABA Therapy used for?

ABA-based therapy can be used in a multitude of areas. Currently, these interventions are used primarily with individuals living with ASD; however, their applications can be used with individuals living with pervasive developmental disorders as well as other disorders. For ASD, it can be used in effectively teaching specific skills that may not be in a child’s repertoire of skills to help him/her function better in their environment whether that be at home, school, or out in the community.  In conjunction with skill acquisition programs, ABA-based interventions can also be used in addressing behavioral excesses (e.g., tantrum behaviors, aggressive behaviors, self-injurious behaviors). Lastly, it can also be utilized in parent/caregiver training.

In skill acquisition programs, a child’s repertoire of skills is assessed in the beginning phase of the services in key adaptive areas such as communication/language, self-help, social skills, and motor skills as well.  Once skills to be taught are identified, a goal for each skill is developed and then addressed/taught by using ABA-based techniques to teach those important skills. Ultimately, an ABA-based therapy will facilitate a degree of maintenance (i.e., the child can still perform the learned behaviors in the absence of training/intervention over time) and generalization (i.e., the learned behaviors are observed to occur in situations different from the instructional setting).  These two concepts are very important in any ABA-based intervention.

In behavior management, the challenging behaviors are assessed for their function in the beginning phase of the services. In this phase, the “why does this behavior happen in the first place?” is determined. Once known, an ABA-based therapy will be developed to not just decrease the occurrence of the behavior being addressed, but also teach the child a functionally-equivalent behavior that is socially-appropriate.  For example, if a child resorts to tantrum behaviors when she is told she cannot have a specific item, she may be taught to accept an alternative or find an alternative for herself. Of course, we can only do this up to a certain point—the offering of alternatives.  There comes a point when a ‘no’ means ‘no’ so the tantrum behavior will be left to run its course (i.e., to continue until it ceases).  This is never easy and will take some time for parents/caregivers to get used to, but research has shown that over time and consistent application of an ABA-based behavior management program, the challenging behavior will get better.

In parent training, individuals that provide care for a child may receive customized “curriculum” that best fit their situation.  A typical area covered in parent training is teaching responsible adults pertinent ABA-based concepts to help adults understand the rationale behind interventions that are being used in their child’s ABA-based services.  Another area covered in parent training is teaching adults specific skill acquisition programs and/or behavior management programs that they will implement during family time.  Other areas covered in parent training may be data collection, how to facilitate maintenance, how to facilitate generalization of learned skills to name a few.

There is no “one format” that will fit all children and their families’ needs. The ABA professionals you’re currently working with, with your participation,  will develop an ABA-based treatment package that will best fit your child’s and your family’s needs. For more information regarding this topic, we encourage you to speak with your BCBA or reach out to us at [email protected].

Who Can Benefit From ABA Therapy?

There is a common misconception that the principles of ABA are specific to Autism. This is not the case. The principles and methods of ABA are scientifically backed and can be applied to any individual. With that said, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association consider ABA to be an evidence based practice. Forty years of extensive literature have documented ABA therapy as an effective and successful practice to reduce problem behavior and increase skills for individuals with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Children, teenagers, and adults with ASD can benefit from ABA therapy. Especially when started early, ABA therapy can benefit individuals by targeting challenging behaviors, attention skills, play skills, communication, motor, social, and other skills. Individuals with other developmental challenges such as ADHD or intellectual disability can benefit from ABA therapy as well. While early intervention has been demonstrated to lead to more significant treatment outcomes, there is no specific age at which ABA therapy ceases to be helpful.

Additionally, parents and caregivers of individuals living with ASD can also benefit from the principles of ABA. Depending on the needs of your loved one, the use of specified ABA techniques in addition to 1:1 services, may help produce more desirable treatment outcomes. The term “caregiver training” is common in ABA services and refers to the individualized instruction that a BCBA or ABA Supervisor provides to parents and caregivers. This typically involves a combination of individualized ABA techniques and methods parents and caregivers can use outside of 1:1 sessions to facilitate ongoing progress in specified areas.

ABA therapy can help people living with ASD, intellectual disability, and other developmental challenges achieve their goals and live higher quality lives.

What does ABA Therapy look like?

Agencies that provide ABA-based services in the home-setting are more likely to implement ABA services similarly than doing the same exact protocols or procedures. Regardless, an ABA agency under the guidance of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst follows the same research-based theories to guide treatment that all other acceptable ABA agencies use.

ABA-based services start with a functional behavior assessment (FBA). In a nutshell, a FBA assesses why the behaviors may be happening in the first place. From there, the FBA will also determine the best way to address the difficulties using tactics that have been proven effective over time with a focus on behavioral replacement versus simple elimination of a problem behavior. The FBA will also have recommendations for other relevant skills/behaviors to be taught and parent skills that can be taught in a parent training format to name a few. From there, the intensity of the ABA-based services is determined, again, based on the clinical needs of your child. The completed FBA is then submitted to the funding source for approval.

One-on-one sessions between a behavior technician and your child will start once services are approved. The duration per session and the frequency of these sessions per week/month will all depend on how many hours your child’s ABA services have been approved for—usually, this will be the number recommended in the FBA. The sessions are used to teach identified skills/behaviors via effective teaching procedures. Another aspect of ABA-based services in the home-setting is parent training. Parent training can take many forms depending on what goals have been established during the FBA process. The number of hours dedicated for parent training is also variable and solely depends on the clinical need for it. If a 1:1 session is between a behavior technician and your child, a parent training session or appointment is between you and the case supervisor and with and without your child present, depending on the parent goal(s) identified. Parent training service’s goal is for you to be able to have ample skills/knowledge in order for you to become more effective in addressing behavioral difficulties as they occur outside of scheduled ABA sessions. Depending on the goals established, you may be required to participate in your child’s 1:1 sessions. These participations are a good way for you to practice what you have learned from the case supervisor while at the same time, having the behavior technician available to you to give you feedback as you practice on those new skills.

As mentioned in the beginning, no two ABA agencies will do the same exact thing when it comes to providing ABA services; however, good agencies will always base their practice on the same empirically-proven procedures.

How do I start ABA Therapy?

In most cases, the first item required to start ABA therapy is the individual’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis report. This is typically conducted by a doctor such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or a developmental pediatrician. Most ABA therapy agencies and insurance companies will ask for a copy of this diagnosis report during the intake process as it is required to request an ABA assessment authorization from the individual’s medical insurance provider.

The second item required to start ABA therapy is a funding source. In the United States, and in cases where Medi-Cal or Medicare insurances are involved, there is a legal requirement for ABA services to be covered when there is a medical necessity (ASD diagnosis). Medi-Cal and Medicare cover all medically necessary behavioral health treatment services for beneficiaries. This typically includes children diagnosed with ASD. Since Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence based and effective treatment for individuals with ASD, it is considered a covered treatment when medically necessary. In many cases, private insurance will also cover ABA services when medically necessary, however in these cases, it is best to speak directly with your medical insurance provider to determine the specifics of the coverage and to ensure that ABA is in fact, a covered benefit. Additionally, some families opt to pay for ABA services out-of-pocket.

The next step to starting ABA therapy is to contact an ABA provider whom you are interested in working with. Depending on your geographic location, ABA agencies exist in many cities across the United States. Your insurance carrier, local support groups, and even a thorough online search can help you find reputable and properly credentialed ABA agencies near you. Our organization, LeafWing Center, is based in southern California and is recognized for aiding people with ASD achieve their goals with the research based on applied behavior analysis.

Once you have identified the ABA provider with whom you wish to work, they should help you facilitate the next steps. These will include facilitating paperwork and authorizations with your funding source. Once the assessment process begins, a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or qualified Program Supervisor should get in contact with you to arrange times in which interviews with parents/caregivers and observations of your loved one can be conducted. This will help in the process of gathering important clinical information so that with your collaboration, the most effective treatment plans and goals can be established for your loved one. This process is referred to as the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and is elaborated on in different blog posts on our website. With regard as to what can be expected once ABA therapy begins, please read our blog post titled: When You Start an ABA program, What Should You Reasonably Expect from Your Service Provider?

Autism learner

ABA Therapy at Home

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy can be effectively implemented at home with proper planning and guidance, often involving behavior technicians who come to your home at specified times to work with your child. The length of the therapy sessions will be determined based on recommended treatment hours.

Let’s discuss some considerations and steps of ABA therapy in a home setting:


ABA Therapy at Home

Considerations of ABA Therapy Services at Home

ABA therapy at home services provides an invaluable resource for children and families who are looking to benefit from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) interventions. ABA is a type of therapy that focuses on using positive reinforcement and other behavior modification techniques to achieve desired behavioral changes in children. When considering ABA therapy services at home, there are a few important points to consider:

Consultation with a Professional: It is advisable to consult with a qualified behavior analyst who has experience and specializes in ABA therapy. They can assess your child’s unique needs, develop an individualized treatment plan, and provide the necessary guidance throughout the process.

Create a Structured Environment: It is helpful to establish a structured and organized environment at home to support the progress of therapy. This can include designated areas for different activities, visual schedules, and clear boundaries. However, this can also vary in treatment if the professional you are working with wishes to work on the generalization of therapy by varying the location in your home. That being said, whatever area is used for therapy, that area should be conducive to therapy.

Identify Goals: Work with the behavior analyst to identify specific target behaviors or skills you want to address through ABA therapy. These can be related to communication, social interaction, daily living skills, or reducing challenging behaviors.

Develop a Reinforcement System: ABA therapy uses positive reinforcement to encourage desired behaviors. Create a system of rewards or reinforcers that motivate your child. This can include verbal praise, tokens, small treats, or access to preferred activities or toys.

Implement Teaching Procedures: ABA therapy often uses discrete trial training (DTT) or naturalistic teaching strategies to teach new skills. These methods involve breaking down skills into small, manageable steps and providing repeated practice and reinforcement.

Treatment Consistency: Consistency is crucial in ABA therapy. Implementing the therapy techniques consistently across different caregivers and environments over time will yield the best results. Repetition can be necessary to ensure that a skill is learned and helps solidify skills, so your Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) will ensure regular practice and review sessions are planned for.

Data Collection: Keep track of your child’s progress by collecting data on their behaviors and skill acquisition or perhaps your treatment team will also handle this. The data that is collected helps evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy so that the therapy team can make necessary adjustments to the treatment plan as needed.

Collaboration and Training: Involve other family members or caregivers in the therapy process. For example, grandparents, adult children, and others who have or have had a hand in raising your child. The BCBA will collaborate with those individuals to ensure consistency among everyone and provide them with training on ABA techniques so that they can follow the treatment plan and support your child’s progress.

Generalization and Maintenance: The Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and the treatment therapy team will help your child generalize the skills learned during therapy to other settings and situations (e.g., the grocery store). The BCBA will develop a plan to practice the learned skills in different contexts and gradually fade prompts and supports to promote independence and maintenance of skills.

Ongoing Communication with Professionals: Regularly communicate with the behavior analyst or therapist to discuss progress, address challenges, and receive guidance. They can provide ongoing support and adjust the therapy plan as needed. Additionally, if you also have your child receiving speech therapy or occupational therapy, all of those professionals should be communicating about therapy.

Remember that ABA therapy should be personalized to meet your child’s specific needs and should be implemented in a compassionate and supportive manner. The field of ABA is moving to an even more positive treatment approach. Working closely with your ABA professional and maintaining open communication to help ensure the effectiveness and success of ABA therapy your loved one receives at home.

Behavior Therapist at In-Home Service

Benefits of LeafWing’s ABA Therapy at Home for your child with autism

ABA therapy at home, provided by LeafWing Center, offers a variety of benefits for children with autism. ABA, or Applied Behavioral Analysis, is an evidence-based approach to helping children with autism develop essential skills and behavior management techniques. With LeafWing’s ABA Therapy at Home program, caregivers can have the support and guidance of an experienced ABA therapist in their own homes.

Here are just a few benefits of In-Home ABA Therapy:

Familiar Environment: In-home services may be more beneficial for children who struggle in large settings and could benefit from the familiar environment of their home. Meeting the therapy team in a comfortable space can make it easier for some to adapt to therapy and reduce distractions during skill-building.

Observe daily routines: The behavior technician can gain valuable insight into family systems, dynamics, and routines when they work with your child from home. This understanding of the natural home life can support caregivers in creating goals and building impactful skills for the child and family.

Experience personalized support in the comfort of your own home: Behavior technicians can provide care in the home, allowing them to address skills and behavior strategies in the child’s real-life settings. Home settings offer more opportunities for training in independent daily living skills and can help children function more independently and generalize those skills quicker than learning in a center.

Addressing challenging behaviors that occur exclusively at home: Children may exhibit different behaviors at home compared to daycare or preschool. For example, they might wander or act aggressively only at home. They may also struggle when certain individuals are present, like their dad or grandma. In these cases, offering in-home support allows us to identify the underlying causes and directly address these behaviors.

Stronger bonds with loved ones: By serving in the home, technicians can spend more time with siblings and facilitate family interactions to help children strengthen their social skills.

An emphasis on behavior intensity: In certain cases, when a child’s behaviors are extremely intense and impede progress at the centers, in-home therapy may be a more appropriate choice. This allows the technician to collaborate with caregivers and develop a plan to address the behaviors before focusing on acquiring other skills.

Boost motivation: In-home therapy has the benefit of using familiar spaces, toys, and family members as reinforcers. For example, therapists can use backyard play as reinforcement, which is not typically available in a center setting. Additionally, therapists can teach caregivers to understand and use reinforcers as motivators. By coaching caregivers on how to use items at home for reinforcement effectively, it becomes easier for them to increase motivation on their own.

Advantages of ABA Therapy at Home Services for Parents

Advantages of ABA Therapy at Home Services for Parents

ABA therapy programs are effective in providing training to the learner’s parent or caregiver.

Easier access to caregiver training and coaching: Autism therapy impacts the whole family. LeafWing’s programs offer caregiver training and family education. Therapists can come into the home and involve caregivers in daily routines. They can also teach strategies for addressing behavioral issues. This helps with relational skills development and success.

Convenience: Our in-home service options provide convenient therapy without the need for travel, saving time for our families. This is particularly beneficial for caregivers who work from home.

Flexible, tailored hours: Leafwing Center customizes the in-home therapy schedule, considering medical recommendations. They offer comprehensive full-day programs as well as focused part-time therapy.

Insurance Coverage

How to Get Started

The first step to receiving home-based ABA therapy is to obtain an official autism diagnosis from a healthcare provider. Contact any of our locations to schedule an assessment.

Insurance Coverage for ABA Therapy

LeafWing Center works with an ever-growing number of insurance providers who cover ABA therapy for the treatment of autism. Here are just a few of the providers with whom we work with:

  • Aetna
  • Anthem Blue Cross of California
  • Beacon Health Options
  • Beacon Health Strategies
  • Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois
  • Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas
  • Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Washington
  • Blue Shield of California
  • Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plans
  • CalOptima Direct (Orange office only)
  • CIGNA
  • Comprehensive Care Corp./Advanzeon Solutions Incorporated
  • Comprehensive Behavioral Care Incorporated
  • LA Care (Sherman Oaks office only)
  • Magellan
  • MHN Managed Health Network Incorporated
  • Molina Healthcare of California
  • Health Plus aka Multiplan
  • Magna Care aka Multiplan
  • Managed Health Network Incorporated aka MHN
  • Meritain Health
  • Optum UBH
  • Optum Health Behavioral Solutions
  • Pacific Care Behavioral Health
  • SCS-UBH aka Optum/UBH
  • United Medical Resources
  • United Health Care
  • Windstone Behavioral Health

If your insurance provider is not on the list, we recommend you contact them directly to learn more about their coverage. Please contact LeafWing Center if you have any questions about whether or not your provider offers insurance coverage for ABA therapy to treat autism.

After the assessment is complete, and your funding source has authorized ABA services, your provider will assign a team for your child. This team will include a supervisor and one or several Behavior Technicians. Expect to receive a schedule of services before the beginning of each month. Additionally, expect your ABA provider to reach out to you to receive your availability for services and to create a schedule that best fits your loved one’s needs.

Our team of healthcare professionals assists parents with every step of the process, including insurance verification and creating a weekly therapy schedule.

Unlock your child’s potential! Here at the LeafWing Center, we provide personalized care in the comfort of your own home, allowing us to address crucial skills and behavior strategies within your child’s natural environment. From getting dressed to participating in family mealtime, our experts will help your child thrive independently and quickly generalize their newfound abilities. Say goodbye to simulations and hello to real-life progress!

Related Glossary Terms

Other Related Articles

Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy

What is ABA Therapy used for?

ABA-based therapy can be used in a multitude of areas. Currently, these interventions are used primarily with individuals living with ASD; however, their applications can be used with individuals living with pervasive developmental disorders as well as other disorders. For ASD, it can be used in effectively teaching specific skills that may not be in a child’s repertoire of skills to help him/her function better in their environment whether that be at home, school, or out in the community.  In conjunction with skill acquisition programs, ABA-based interventions can also be used in addressing behavioral excesses (e.g., tantrum behaviors, aggressive behaviors, self-injurious behaviors). Lastly, it can also be utilized in parent/caregiver training.

In skill acquisition programs, a child’s repertoire of skills is assessed in the beginning phase of the services in key adaptive areas such as communication/language, self-help, social skills, and motor skills as well.  Once skills to be taught are identified, a goal for each skill is developed and then addressed/taught by using ABA-based techniques to teach those important skills. Ultimately, an ABA-based therapy will facilitate a degree of maintenance (i.e., the child can still perform the learned behaviors in the absence of training/intervention over time) and generalization (i.e., the learned behaviors are observed to occur in situations different from the instructional setting).  These two concepts are very important in any ABA-based intervention.

In behavior management, the challenging behaviors are assessed for their function in the beginning phase of the services. In this phase, the “why does this behavior happen in the first place?” is determined. Once known, an ABA-based therapy will be developed to not just decrease the occurrence of the behavior being addressed, but also teach the child a functionally-equivalent behavior that is socially-appropriate.  For example, if a child resorts to tantrum behaviors when she is told she cannot have a specific item, she may be taught to accept an alternative or find an alternative for herself. Of course, we can only do this up to a certain point—the offering of alternatives.  There comes a point when a ‘no’ means ‘no’ so the tantrum behavior will be left to run its course (i.e., to continue until it ceases).  This is never easy and will take some time for parents/caregivers to get used to, but research has shown that over time and consistent application of an ABA-based behavior management program, the challenging behavior will get better.

In parent training, individuals that provide care for a child may receive customized “curriculum” that best fit their situation.  A typical area covered in parent training is teaching responsible adults pertinent ABA-based concepts to help adults understand the rationale behind interventions that are being used in their child’s ABA-based services.  Another area covered in parent training is teaching adults specific skill acquisition programs and/or behavior management programs that they will implement during family time.  Other areas covered in parent training may be data collection, how to facilitate maintenance, how to facilitate generalization of learned skills to name a few.

There is no “one format” that will fit all children and their families’ needs. The ABA professionals you’re currently working with, with your participation,  will develop an ABA-based treatment package that will best fit your child’s and your family’s needs. For more information regarding this topic, we encourage you to speak with your BCBA or reach out to us at [email protected].

Who Can Benefit From ABA Therapy?

There is a common misconception that the principles of ABA are specific to Autism. This is not the case. The principles and methods of ABA are scientifically backed and can be applied to any individual. With that said, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association consider ABA to be an evidence based practice. Forty years of extensive literature have documented ABA therapy as an effective and successful practice to reduce problem behavior and increase skills for individuals with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Children, teenagers, and adults with ASD can benefit from ABA therapy. Especially when started early, ABA therapy can benefit individuals by targeting challenging behaviors, attention skills, play skills, communication, motor, social, and other skills. Individuals with other developmental challenges such as ADHD or intellectual disability can benefit from ABA therapy as well. While early intervention has been demonstrated to lead to more significant treatment outcomes, there is no specific age at which ABA therapy ceases to be helpful.

Additionally, parents and caregivers of individuals living with ASD can also benefit from the principles of ABA. Depending on the needs of your loved one, the use of specified ABA techniques in addition to 1:1 services, may help produce more desirable treatment outcomes. The term “caregiver training” is common in ABA services and refers to the individualized instruction that a BCBA or ABA Supervisor provides to parents and caregivers. This typically involves a combination of individualized ABA techniques and methods parents and caregivers can use outside of 1:1 sessions to facilitate ongoing progress in specified areas.

ABA therapy can help people living with ASD, intellectual disability, and other developmental challenges achieve their goals and live higher quality lives.

What does ABA Therapy look like?

Agencies that provide ABA-based services in the home-setting are more likely to implement ABA services similarly than doing the same exact protocols or procedures. Regardless, an ABA agency under the guidance of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst follows the same research-based theories to guide treatment that all other acceptable ABA agencies use.

ABA-based services start with a functional behavior assessment (FBA). In a nutshell, a FBA assesses why the behaviors may be happening in the first place. From there, the FBA will also determine the best way to address the difficulties using tactics that have been proven effective over time with a focus on behavioral replacement versus simple elimination of a problem behavior. The FBA will also have recommendations for other relevant skills/behaviors to be taught and parent skills that can be taught in a parent training format to name a few. From there, the intensity of the ABA-based services is determined, again, based on the clinical needs of your child. The completed FBA is then submitted to the funding source for approval.

One-on-one sessions between a behavior technician and your child will start once services are approved. The duration per session and the frequency of these sessions per week/month will all depend on how many hours your child’s ABA services have been approved for—usually, this will be the number recommended in the FBA. The sessions are used to teach identified skills/behaviors via effective teaching procedures. Another aspect of ABA-based services in the home-setting is parent training. Parent training can take many forms depending on what goals have been established during the FBA process. The number of hours dedicated for parent training is also variable and solely depends on the clinical need for it. If a 1:1 session is between a behavior technician and your child, a parent training session or appointment is between you and the case supervisor and with and without your child present, depending on the parent goal(s) identified. Parent training service’s goal is for you to be able to have ample skills/knowledge in order for you to become more effective in addressing behavioral difficulties as they occur outside of scheduled ABA sessions. Depending on the goals established, you may be required to participate in your child’s 1:1 sessions. These participations are a good way for you to practice what you have learned from the case supervisor while at the same time, having the behavior technician available to you to give you feedback as you practice on those new skills.

As mentioned in the beginning, no two ABA agencies will do the same exact thing when it comes to providing ABA services; however, good agencies will always base their practice on the same empirically-proven procedures.

How do I start ABA Therapy?

In most cases, the first item required to start ABA therapy is the individual’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis report. This is typically conducted by a doctor such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or a developmental pediatrician. Most ABA therapy agencies and insurance companies will ask for a copy of this diagnosis report during the intake process as it is required to request an ABA assessment authorization from the individual’s medical insurance provider.

The second item required to start ABA therapy is a funding source. In the United States, and in cases where Medi-Cal or Medicare insurances are involved, there is a legal requirement for ABA services to be covered when there is a medical necessity (ASD diagnosis). Medi-Cal and Medicare cover all medically necessary behavioral health treatment services for beneficiaries. This typically includes children diagnosed with ASD. Since Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence based and effective treatment for individuals with ASD, it is considered a covered treatment when medically necessary. In many cases, private insurance will also cover ABA services when medically necessary, however in these cases, it is best to speak directly with your medical insurance provider to determine the specifics of the coverage and to ensure that ABA is in fact, a covered benefit. Additionally, some families opt to pay for ABA services out-of-pocket.

The next step to starting ABA therapy is to contact an ABA provider whom you are interested in working with. Depending on your geographic location, ABA agencies exist in many cities across the United States. Your insurance carrier, local support groups, and even a thorough online search can help you find reputable and properly credentialed ABA agencies near you. Our organization, LeafWing Center, is based in southern California and is recognized for aiding people with ASD achieve their goals with the research based on applied behavior analysis.

Once you have identified the ABA provider with whom you wish to work, they should help you facilitate the next steps. These will include facilitating paperwork and authorizations with your funding source. Once the assessment process begins, a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or qualified Program Supervisor should get in contact with you to arrange times in which interviews with parents/caregivers and observations of your loved one can be conducted. This will help in the process of gathering important clinical information so that with your collaboration, the most effective treatment plans and goals can be established for your loved one. This process is referred to as the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and is elaborated on in different blog posts on our website. With regard as to what can be expected once ABA therapy begins, please read our blog post titled: When You Start an ABA program, What Should You Reasonably Expect from Your Service Provider?

Observational Learning and Children with Autism

One of the main obstacles to learning that many children with autism face is a lack of observational learning skills. Observational learning requires the coordination of cognitive functions and the processing of social information. Cognitive functions include the domains of perception, memory, learning, attention, decision-making, and language abilities. We will explore the reasoning behind why children with autism struggle to learn just by using observation.

In this article, we’re going to discuss:


Child copy the same puzzle

What is observational learning?

Observational learning is a method of learning where individuals observe and model another person’s behavior, attitudes, or emotional expressions. According to American psychologist Albert Bandura, it is not necessary for the observer to imitate the behavior; they can simply learn from it. Observational learning is an important aspect of Bandura’s social learning theory.

Four prerequisites for observing behavior:

  • Attention
  • Retention
  • Reproduction
  • Motivation

Prerequisite for observational learning: Attention

To learn from a model, you must pay attention to their behavior. Many things can affect your attention. If you’re tired, sick, or distracted, you won’t learn or imitate the behavior. The characteristics of the model also matter. People pay more attention to attractive, similar, or prestigious models who are rewarded. Athletes and successful adults have a strong influence. However, this can also be used in negative ways. For example, children may imitate gang members if they see them gaining status or money.

Prerequisite for observational learning: Retention

Observational learning plays an important role in helping children with autism learn new skills and behaviors. While some children with autism may be able to imitate behavior they have seen, many are unable to do so due to their limited abilities to remember, process and recall information. This can make it difficult for them to learn through imitation alone.

Prerequisite for observational learning: Reproduction

A person needs to be physically and mentally capable of copying observed behavior. For example, a child watches a basketball player dunk and tries to do the same but can’t reach the hoop. An older child or adult might be able to dunk after practice. A young horse sees another horse jump over a creek and tries but ends up in the water. The horse simply isn’t big or strong enough yet, but with growth and practice, it could eventually jump like the other horse.

Prerequisite for observational learning: Motivation

Observational learning is heavily influenced by motivation. Without a reason to imitate the behavior, attention, retention, and reproduction will not be enough. Bandura identified various motivating factors for imitation. These include the model being reinforced for the behavior, receiving incentives, or witnessing the model being reinforced. These factors can also act as negative motivations. For example, if the observer knows that the model was punished or threatened for the behavior, the likelihood of imitating it decreases.
Boy playing doctor

Observational Learning Examples

The following are instances that demonstrate observational learning has occurred.

  • A child watches their parent folding the laundry. They later pick up some clothing and imitate folding the clothes.
  • A young couple goes on a date to an Asian restaurant. They watch other diners in the restaurant eating with chopsticks and copy their actions to learn how to use these utensils.
  • A child watches a classmate get in trouble for hitting another child. They learn from observing this interaction that they should not hit others.
  • A group of children play hide-and-seek. One child joins the group and is not sure what to do. After observing the other children play, they quickly learn the basic rules and join in.

Influences on Observational Learning

Bandura’s research indicates that there are various factors that can enhance the likelihood of behavior being imitated. We are more likely to imitate:

  • Individuals who are perceived as warm and nurturing
  • Individuals who receive rewards for their behavior
  • Individuals who hold positions of authority in our lives
  • Individuals who share the same age, gender, and interests as us
  • Individuals we look up to or who hold a higher social standing
  • When we have been rewarded for imitating the behavior in the past
  • When individuals have a lack of confidence in their own knowledge or abilities
  • When the situation is unclear or unfamiliar

Observational Learning Science class

Uses for Observational Learning

Observational learning can be used in the real world in a number of different ways. Some examples include:

  • Learning new behaviors: Observational learning is commonly employed as a practical method for teaching individuals new skills. This may involve children observing their parents completing a task or students watching a teacher demonstrate a concept.
  • Strengthening skills: Observational learning is an important method to reinforce and enhance behaviors. For instance, when a student witnesses another student being rewarded for raising their hand in class, they are more inclined to raise their hand themselves when they have a question.
  • Minimizing negative behaviors: Observational learning has a significant impact on reducing undesirable or negative behaviors. For instance, witnessing another student receiving a reprimand for not completing a task on time may increase the likelihood of one finishing their own work promptly.

What learning style do autistic children have?

They tend to have strong visual skills because autistic children tend to focus on details, rather than the whole. Also, autistic children are often visual learners. This might be because visual information lasts longer and is more concrete than spoken and heard information.

What are some challenges that children with autism face when learning?

School activities that may be particularly challenging for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), include social interactions, noisy or disordered environments, intense sensory stimulation, and changes in expected routines.

Social interactions can be difficult for children with autism, since they may have difficulty understanding non-verbal communication cues such as facial expressions and body language. They may also find it difficult to interpret or respond to the tone of someone’s voice, or the inflections that are used when speaking.

Noisy or disordered environments can also be very confusing for students with autism. They may not be able to block out background noise well and may become easily overwhelmed.

Intense sensory stimulation can be a major challenge for children with autism, as they may be easily overwhelmed by loud noises, bright lights, and other environmental factors that can cause an overstimulation response. Observational learning is one strategy that can help children with autism cope with intense sensory stimulation. Through observational learning, the child’s behavior is modeled after another person who is better able to tolerate the sensory and changes in expected routines.

In what kind of learning environments are autistic children most successful?

Children with autism thrive in a structured and predictable environment. Establish routines early on and keep them as consistent as possible. In a world that’s ever-changing, routine and structure provide great comfort and support to a child on the autism spectrum.

Let LeafWing partner with you to ensure that your child achieves their maximum potential. Leafwing takes pride in building a rapport between the learner and the therapy team, especially at the beginning of the ABA therapy program. The staff should work on establishing a positive relationship with your child. This is important not only in the beginning but throughout the program. During the first few weeks, there will be a lot of play and conversation with your child to make them feel comfortable and have fun with the Behavior technician. This creates positive experiences and improves learning rates for better outcomes.

For more information regarding this topic, we do encourage you to speak with an ABA technician or email us at [email protected]

Other Related Articles

Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy

What is ABA Therapy used for?

ABA-based therapy can be used in a multitude of areas. Currently, these interventions are used primarily with individuals living with ASD; however, their applications can be used with individuals living with pervasive developmental disorders as well as other disorders. For ASD, it can be used in effectively teaching specific skills that may not be in a child’s repertoire of skills to help him/her function better in their environment whether that be at home, school, or out in the community.  In conjunction with skill acquisition programs, ABA-based interventions can also be used in addressing behavioral excesses (e.g., tantrum behaviors, aggressive behaviors, self-injurious behaviors). Lastly, it can also be utilized in parent/caregiver training.

In skill acquisition programs, a child’s repertoire of skills is assessed in the beginning phase of the services in key adaptive areas such as communication/language, self-help, social skills, and motor skills as well.  Once skills to be taught are identified, a goal for each skill is developed and then addressed/taught by using ABA-based techniques to teach those important skills. Ultimately, an ABA-based therapy will facilitate a degree of maintenance (i.e., the child can still perform the learned behaviors in the absence of training/intervention over time) and generalization (i.e., the learned behaviors are observed to occur in situations different from the instructional setting).  These two concepts are very important in any ABA-based intervention.

In behavior management, the challenging behaviors are assessed for their function in the beginning phase of the services. In this phase, the “why does this behavior happen in the first place?” is determined. Once known, an ABA-based therapy will be developed to not just decrease the occurrence of the behavior being addressed, but also teach the child a functionally-equivalent behavior that is socially-appropriate.  For example, if a child resorts to tantrum behaviors when she is told she cannot have a specific item, she may be taught to accept an alternative or find an alternative for herself. Of course, we can only do this up to a certain point—the offering of alternatives.  There comes a point when a ‘no’ means ‘no’ so the tantrum behavior will be left to run its course (i.e., to continue until it ceases).  This is never easy and will take some time for parents/caregivers to get used to, but research has shown that over time and consistent application of an ABA-based behavior management program, the challenging behavior will get better.

In parent training, individuals that provide care for a child may receive customized “curriculum” that best fit their situation.  A typical area covered in parent training is teaching responsible adults pertinent ABA-based concepts to help adults understand the rationale behind interventions that are being used in their child’s ABA-based services.  Another area covered in parent training is teaching adults specific skill acquisition programs and/or behavior management programs that they will implement during family time.  Other areas covered in parent training may be data collection, how to facilitate maintenance, how to facilitate generalization of learned skills to name a few.

There is no “one format” that will fit all children and their families’ needs. The ABA professionals you’re currently working with, with your participation,  will develop an ABA-based treatment package that will best fit your child’s and your family’s needs. For more information regarding this topic, we encourage you to speak with your BCBA or reach out to us at [email protected].

Who Can Benefit From ABA Therapy?

There is a common misconception that the principles of ABA are specific to Autism. This is not the case. The principles and methods of ABA are scientifically backed and can be applied to any individual. With that said, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association consider ABA to be an evidence based practice. Forty years of extensive literature have documented ABA therapy as an effective and successful practice to reduce problem behavior and increase skills for individuals with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Children, teenagers, and adults with ASD can benefit from ABA therapy. Especially when started early, ABA therapy can benefit individuals by targeting challenging behaviors, attention skills, play skills, communication, motor, social, and other skills. Individuals with other developmental challenges such as ADHD or intellectual disability can benefit from ABA therapy as well. While early intervention has been demonstrated to lead to more significant treatment outcomes, there is no specific age at which ABA therapy ceases to be helpful.

Additionally, parents and caregivers of individuals living with ASD can also benefit from the principles of ABA. Depending on the needs of your loved one, the use of specified ABA techniques in addition to 1:1 services, may help produce more desirable treatment outcomes. The term “caregiver training” is common in ABA services and refers to the individualized instruction that a BCBA or ABA Supervisor provides to parents and caregivers. This typically involves a combination of individualized ABA techniques and methods parents and caregivers can use outside of 1:1 sessions to facilitate ongoing progress in specified areas.

ABA therapy can help people living with ASD, intellectual disability, and other developmental challenges achieve their goals and live higher quality lives.

What does ABA Therapy look like?

Agencies that provide ABA-based services in the home-setting are more likely to implement ABA services similarly than doing the same exact protocols or procedures. Regardless, an ABA agency under the guidance of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst follows the same research-based theories to guide treatment that all other acceptable ABA agencies use.

ABA-based services start with a functional behavior assessment (FBA). In a nutshell, a FBA assesses why the behaviors may be happening in the first place. From there, the FBA will also determine the best way to address the difficulties using tactics that have been proven effective over time with a focus on behavioral replacement versus simple elimination of a problem behavior. The FBA will also have recommendations for other relevant skills/behaviors to be taught and parent skills that can be taught in a parent training format to name a few. From there, the intensity of the ABA-based services is determined, again, based on the clinical needs of your child. The completed FBA is then submitted to the funding source for approval.

One-on-one sessions between a behavior technician and your child will start once services are approved. The duration per session and the frequency of these sessions per week/month will all depend on how many hours your child’s ABA services have been approved for—usually, this will be the number recommended in the FBA. The sessions are used to teach identified skills/behaviors via effective teaching procedures. Another aspect of ABA-based services in the home-setting is parent training. Parent training can take many forms depending on what goals have been established during the FBA process. The number of hours dedicated for parent training is also variable and solely depends on the clinical need for it. If a 1:1 session is between a behavior technician and your child, a parent training session or appointment is between you and the case supervisor and with and without your child present, depending on the parent goal(s) identified. Parent training service’s goal is for you to be able to have ample skills/knowledge in order for you to become more effective in addressing behavioral difficulties as they occur outside of scheduled ABA sessions. Depending on the goals established, you may be required to participate in your child’s 1:1 sessions. These participations are a good way for you to practice what you have learned from the case supervisor while at the same time, having the behavior technician available to you to give you feedback as you practice on those new skills.

As mentioned in the beginning, no two ABA agencies will do the same exact thing when it comes to providing ABA services; however, good agencies will always base their practice on the same empirically-proven procedures.

How do I start ABA Therapy?

In most cases, the first item required to start ABA therapy is the individual’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis report. This is typically conducted by a doctor such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or a developmental pediatrician. Most ABA therapy agencies and insurance companies will ask for a copy of this diagnosis report during the intake process as it is required to request an ABA assessment authorization from the individual’s medical insurance provider.

The second item required to start ABA therapy is a funding source. In the United States, and in cases where Medi-Cal or Medicare insurances are involved, there is a legal requirement for ABA services to be covered when there is a medical necessity (ASD diagnosis). Medi-Cal and Medicare cover all medically necessary behavioral health treatment services for beneficiaries. This typically includes children diagnosed with ASD. Since Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence based and effective treatment for individuals with ASD, it is considered a covered treatment when medically necessary. In many cases, private insurance will also cover ABA services when medically necessary, however in these cases, it is best to speak directly with your medical insurance provider to determine the specifics of the coverage and to ensure that ABA is in fact, a covered benefit. Additionally, some families opt to pay for ABA services out-of-pocket.

The next step to starting ABA therapy is to contact an ABA provider whom you are interested in working with. Depending on your geographic location, ABA agencies exist in many cities across the United States. Your insurance carrier, local support groups, and even a thorough online search can help you find reputable and properly credentialed ABA agencies near you. Our organization, LeafWing Center, is based in southern California and is recognized for aiding people with ASD achieve their goals with the research based on applied behavior analysis.

Once you have identified the ABA provider with whom you wish to work, they should help you facilitate the next steps. These will include facilitating paperwork and authorizations with your funding source. Once the assessment process begins, a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or qualified Program Supervisor should get in contact with you to arrange times in which interviews with parents/caregivers and observations of your loved one can be conducted. This will help in the process of gathering important clinical information so that with your collaboration, the most effective treatment plans and goals can be established for your loved one. This process is referred to as the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and is elaborated on in different blog posts on our website. With regard as to what can be expected once ABA therapy begins, please read our blog post titled: When You Start an ABA program, What Should You Reasonably Expect from Your Service Provider?

IS ABA therapy covered by my insurance

Applied Behavior Analysis

ABA therapy

ABA is considered an evidence-based best practice treatment by the US Surgeon General and by the American Psychological Association.

A qualified and trained behavior analyst (BCBA) designs and directly oversees the program. They customize the ABA program to each learner’s skills, needs, interests, preferences, and family situation.

The BCBA will start by doing a detailed assessment of each person’s skills and preferences. They will use this to write specific treatment goals. Family goals and preferences may be included, too. There may be parent training involved to be consistent in the child’s progress.

A branch of psychology concerned with employing evidence-supported interventions or instruction forms the basis of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Examples of ABA-centered interventions encompass but are not limited to, Discrete Trial Teaching, Casual Teaching, Central Response Training, and Functional Communication Coaching.

The philosophy behind ABA therapy is:

  • To teach a child how to do something (e.g., prepare for school, behave better, play with others, or do things for himself or herself)
  • To provide interventions to those who may deal with pervasive developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders
  • To break a new skill down into very small steps
  • To provide a reward to a child for each step they do, even if they need help
  • Child friendly, and rewards a child with things or activities they like
  • To personalize the therapy to the level of the ability of the child
  • To measure the child’s skills regularly in order to adjust the teaching level

Some ABA teaching programs include:

Generally, children start receiving ABA treatment between the ages of two and six. If a child is two when beginning treatments, they can use ABA to cultivate superior communication abilities and teach them to obey simple instructions – all in preparation for preschool. For older children, ABA is often used as part of the child’s education, to teach social skills, and daily living skills or to help change problem behaviors.

Additional Articles:

What is ABA therapy?
ABA Therapy Examples
Individualization in the Treatment of Children with Autism

Visual Schedule

How to use Visuals to help Students with Autism

When students with autism are in a classroom setting, they often need visuals to help them navigate their daily tasks and learn appropriate behaviors for certain situations. Sometimes they need additional support than just words to complete tasks in a timely manner. A child with autism tends to struggle more with transitioning between tasks and/or settings. See how visuals can support students with autism in the classroom:

  • The benefit of using Visual Schedules to help students with ASD
  • What is a Visual Activity Completion for a student with autism?
  • Learn how Choice Boards help to foster good choice-making decisions
  • Star charts help to achieve a desirable behavioral result

Each of these visuals aids the student with navigating and completing tasks at school to have a better, more productive day and reduce problematic behavior that gets ignited by change and anxiety.

Visual Schedule

The benefit of using Visual Schedules to help students with ASD

A visual schedule can be helpful in showing a student an overview of their day. It will show activities, tasks, and events and at what times these each occur. Having a visual schedule can make transitioning for students easier and less stressful. Visual schedules allow students to begin practicing the skill of predicting change and being okay with it. Visual schedules also help students with ASD in becoming independent of adult prompts and cues.

Within an overview visual schedule for the day can be multiple mini-visual task organizers. These mini-task organizers help to break down a task or assignment into steps or parts to be completed by the student. These visual steps help to foster independence by a student being able to complete the task on their own. Make sure the student with autism understands the concept of sequencing activities. This will help to eliminate any meltdowns or confusion about the visual schedule that could occur.

The use of a visual schedule and mini-visual task organizer does not happen overnight. Repetition and reminders are the keys to success with these schedules. A visual tap reminder to the portion of the schedule that is current can help remind a student where and what they should be doing. Having a repetitive and consistent day-to-day schedule also increases the odds of a better time through the use of visual schedules.

What is a Visual Activity Completion for a student with autism?

  • A visual or audio signal to a student with autism that a task is complete or almost complete

As stated above, students with autism can have trouble with transitions between activities or events. Therefore, having a signal came to be a great way to make the transition fun and easy for all involved. Some examples of activity completion signals are:

  • Turning over an icon card
  • Checking off a box on a list of activities
  • Turning on a timer
  • Placing the assignment in a folder or box

No matter which option you pick it is still important to teach students with autism how to respond to the signal. It will take some practice for students to respond appropriately to these signals. Additionally, it is vital to continue to reinforce and reward positive and appropriate behavior from the signal.

Learn how Choice Boards help to foster good choice-making decisions

A choice board incorporates choice into a visual schedule. Any students but especially those with autism thrive and can have more positive behavior when a choice is involved. A choice allows a student to feel in control of their learning and the situation they are currently in. Choice does not mean allowing a student to do what they please, rather it lets a student take ownership in completing a required task. No matter the choices are given, both should result in the same desired outcome.

For example, it’s time for recess and the students need to put on coats and gloves, A choice can be which one they want to put on first. Regardless both will be put on for the desired outcome of being ready for recess, but it lets the student take ownership of getting ready.

In order for choice boards to be successful, the choice needs to be discussed aloud and physically pointing to the choices. This helps the student with autism create a connection and be able to quickly make a choice. Making a choice should not be a lengthy process, there should be a limited number of choices so that the student is not overwhelmed. This makes it easier to make a choice in a minute or less and be able to complete the task.

Star chart

Star charts help to achieve a desirable behavioral result

A star chart, also known as a behavior chart, is a visual reward system for students of all ages. It allows the student to see how close they are to receiving a pre-determined reward. Star charts encourage good behavior and allow for student independence as well. Language delays and problematic behaviors such as physical aggression or self-injury can be effectively addressed using star charts. This type of tool provides the much-needed structure and reassurance for a child with autism requires. The Star chart is the motivation the student with autism needs to keep them focused on the task for their reward. The reward needs to be individualized for that particular student otherwise it may have no benefit for the result you are trying to achieve. Teachers do not have to do anything other than make the chart and tell the student to add to it when they receive a token.

Star charts can be created uniquely for each individual student to their interests such as Pokémon, Mario Cart, My Little Pony, Star Wars, etc. A board is made usually for spots to fit 10 tokens with an engaging background. Then characters or objects within the same theme are created as tokens. Velcro helps to hook the tokens to the chart. As a student exhibits desired behaviors throughout the day, then the teacher can let the student know to add a token to their chart.

The reward should be something that is developmentally appropriate and something that interests the student without being a distraction to others. If a student does not earn the reward for the day, a conversation should be had about behavior changes that can be made for the next day. Star charts should reset after each reward is earned and after each day. In order to be successful, the student has to buy in and feel like they are able to earn the reward so having the highest expectations from the beginning may not work. Having small steps to small wins will be great for everyone involved.

The takeaway from using visuals to help students with autism

The versatility of visuals is a training tool to provide cues or reminders for students with autism to engage in a specific task or a reinforcer to deliver the appropriate behavior. The key is identifying your goal and then letting the chart help you achieve it.

Other Related Articles:

Choice Boards And “Wait” Support For Students With Autism In The Classroom
Supporting Students With Autism In The Classroom With An Assignment Notebook
Strategies For Autism In The Classroom

Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy

What is ABA Therapy used for?

ABA-based therapy can be used in a multitude of areas. Currently, these interventions are used primarily with individuals living with ASD; however, their applications can be used with individuals living with pervasive developmental disorders as well as other disorders. For ASD, it can be used in effectively teaching specific skills that may not be in a child’s repertoire of skills to help him/her function better in their environment whether that be at home, school, or out in the community.  In conjunction with skill acquisition programs, ABA-based interventions can also be used in addressing behavioral excesses (e.g., tantrum behaviors, aggressive behaviors, self-injurious behaviors). Lastly, it can also be utilized in parent/caregiver training.

In skill acquisition programs, a child’s repertoire of skills is assessed in the beginning phase of the services in key adaptive areas such as communication/language, self-help, social skills, and motor skills as well.  Once skills to be taught are identified, a goal for each skill is developed and then addressed/taught by using ABA-based techniques to teach those important skills. Ultimately, an ABA-based therapy will facilitate a degree of maintenance (i.e., the child can still perform the learned behaviors in the absence of training/intervention over time) and generalization (i.e., the learned behaviors are observed to occur in situations different from the instructional setting).  These two concepts are very important in any ABA-based intervention.

In behavior management, the challenging behaviors are assessed for their function in the beginning phase of the services. In this phase, the “why does this behavior happen in the first place?” is determined. Once known, an ABA-based therapy will be developed to not just decrease the occurrence of the behavior being addressed, but also teach the child a functionally-equivalent behavior that is socially-appropriate.  For example, if a child resorts to tantrum behaviors when she is told she cannot have a specific item, she may be taught to accept an alternative or find an alternative for herself. Of course, we can only do this up to a certain point—the offering of alternatives.  There comes a point when a ‘no’ means ‘no’ so the tantrum behavior will be left to run its course (i.e., to continue until it ceases).  This is never easy and will take some time for parents/caregivers to get used to, but research has shown that over time and consistent application of an ABA-based behavior management program, the challenging behavior will get better.

In parent training, individuals that provide care for a child may receive customized “curriculum” that best fit their situation.  A typical area covered in parent training is teaching responsible adults pertinent ABA-based concepts to help adults understand the rationale behind interventions that are being used in their child’s ABA-based services.  Another area covered in parent training is teaching adults specific skill acquisition programs and/or behavior management programs that they will implement during family time.  Other areas covered in parent training may be data collection, how to facilitate maintenance, how to facilitate generalization of learned skills to name a few.

There is no “one format” that will fit all children and their families’ needs. The ABA professionals you’re currently working with, with your participation,  will develop an ABA-based treatment package that will best fit your child’s and your family’s needs. For more information regarding this topic, we encourage you to speak with your BCBA or reach out to us at [email protected].

Who Can Benefit From ABA Therapy?

There is a common misconception that the principles of ABA are specific to Autism. This is not the case. The principles and methods of ABA are scientifically backed and can be applied to any individual. With that said, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association consider ABA to be an evidence based practice. Forty years of extensive literature have documented ABA therapy as an effective and successful practice to reduce problem behavior and increase skills for individuals with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Children, teenagers, and adults with ASD can benefit from ABA therapy. Especially when started early, ABA therapy can benefit individuals by targeting challenging behaviors, attention skills, play skills, communication, motor, social, and other skills. Individuals with other developmental challenges such as ADHD or intellectual disability can benefit from ABA therapy as well. While early intervention has been demonstrated to lead to more significant treatment outcomes, there is no specific age at which ABA therapy ceases to be helpful.

Additionally, parents and caregivers of individuals living with ASD can also benefit from the principles of ABA. Depending on the needs of your loved one, the use of specified ABA techniques in addition to 1:1 services, may help produce more desirable treatment outcomes. The term “caregiver training” is common in ABA services and refers to the individualized instruction that a BCBA or ABA Supervisor provides to parents and caregivers. This typically involves a combination of individualized ABA techniques and methods parents and caregivers can use outside of 1:1 sessions to facilitate ongoing progress in specified areas.

ABA therapy can help people living with ASD, intellectual disability, and other developmental challenges achieve their goals and live higher quality lives.

What does ABA Therapy look like?

Agencies that provide ABA-based services in the home-setting are more likely to implement ABA services similarly than doing the same exact protocols or procedures. Regardless, an ABA agency under the guidance of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst follows the same research-based theories to guide treatment that all other acceptable ABA agencies use.

ABA-based services start with a functional behavior assessment (FBA). In a nutshell, a FBA assesses why the behaviors may be happening in the first place. From there, the FBA will also determine the best way to address the difficulties using tactics that have been proven effective over time with a focus on behavioral replacement versus simple elimination of a problem behavior. The FBA will also have recommendations for other relevant skills/behaviors to be taught and parent skills that can be taught in a parent training format to name a few. From there, the intensity of the ABA-based services is determined, again, based on the clinical needs of your child. The completed FBA is then submitted to the funding source for approval.

One-on-one sessions between a behavior technician and your child will start once services are approved. The duration per session and the frequency of these sessions per week/month will all depend on how many hours your child’s ABA services have been approved for—usually, this will be the number recommended in the FBA. The sessions are used to teach identified skills/behaviors via effective teaching procedures. Another aspect of ABA-based services in the home-setting is parent training. Parent training can take many forms depending on what goals have been established during the FBA process. The number of hours dedicated for parent training is also variable and solely depends on the clinical need for it. If a 1:1 session is between a behavior technician and your child, a parent training session or appointment is between you and the case supervisor and with and without your child present, depending on the parent goal(s) identified. Parent training service’s goal is for you to be able to have ample skills/knowledge in order for you to become more effective in addressing behavioral difficulties as they occur outside of scheduled ABA sessions. Depending on the goals established, you may be required to participate in your child’s 1:1 sessions. These participations are a good way for you to practice what you have learned from the case supervisor while at the same time, having the behavior technician available to you to give you feedback as you practice on those new skills.

As mentioned in the beginning, no two ABA agencies will do the same exact thing when it comes to providing ABA services; however, good agencies will always base their practice on the same empirically-proven procedures.

How do I start ABA Therapy?

In most cases, the first item required to start ABA therapy is the individual’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis report. This is typically conducted by a doctor such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or a developmental pediatrician. Most ABA therapy agencies and insurance companies will ask for a copy of this diagnosis report during the intake process as it is required to request an ABA assessment authorization from the individual’s medical insurance provider.

The second item required to start ABA therapy is a funding source. In the United States, and in cases where Medi-Cal or Medicare insurances are involved, there is a legal requirement for ABA services to be covered when there is a medical necessity (ASD diagnosis). Medi-Cal and Medicare cover all medically necessary behavioral health treatment services for beneficiaries. This typically includes children diagnosed with ASD. Since Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence based and effective treatment for individuals with ASD, it is considered a covered treatment when medically necessary. In many cases, private insurance will also cover ABA services when medically necessary, however in these cases, it is best to speak directly with your medical insurance provider to determine the specifics of the coverage and to ensure that ABA is in fact, a covered benefit. Additionally, some families opt to pay for ABA services out-of-pocket.

The next step to starting ABA therapy is to contact an ABA provider whom you are interested in working with. Depending on your geographic location, ABA agencies exist in many cities across the United States. Your insurance carrier, local support groups, and even a thorough online search can help you find reputable and properly credentialed ABA agencies near you. Our organization, LeafWing Center, is based in southern California and is recognized for aiding people with ASD achieve their goals with the research based on applied behavior analysis.

Once you have identified the ABA provider with whom you wish to work, they should help you facilitate the next steps. These will include facilitating paperwork and authorizations with your funding source. Once the assessment process begins, a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or qualified Program Supervisor should get in contact with you to arrange times in which interviews with parents/caregivers and observations of your loved one can be conducted. This will help in the process of gathering important clinical information so that with your collaboration, the most effective treatment plans and goals can be established for your loved one. This process is referred to as the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and is elaborated on in different blog posts on our website. With regard as to what can be expected once ABA therapy begins, please read our blog post titled: When You Start an ABA program, What Should You Reasonably Expect from Your Service Provider?

Teaching Action Labels to Children with Autism

Oftentimes as a parent with a child with autism, it can be difficult when your child is struggling to meet normal child growth and development milestones. One way to help children with autism in the development of words and understanding of the world around them is through action labels. Giving a child with autism a way to communicate using action labels can aid in a more smoothly operating daily routine. These action labels also help to expand a child with autism’s vocabulary and increase their identification skills of people, objects, and actions.

Teaching Action Labels to Children with Autism

What are action labels?

Action labels are a way for a child with autism to communicate and be able to acquire language skills. The goal with action labeling is for the child to be able to label objects, people, and actions correctly as well as have an understanding of what the word means. For example, starting with the 5 senses during a child’s daily routine can help to identify common things they interact with and come in contact with in an everyday setting. When teaching action labels, it is important to reduce background noises and distractions as much as possible so that the child can solely focus on the objects being labeled.

When should you start teaching action labels?

When action labels should be taught is different for each child. However, there is a checklist that once completed is seen as a good time to begin teaching action labels.

Checklist includes:

  • beginning to show an interest and interacting with their environment
  • interacting with other people
  • having a daily routine
  • knows more than a few words or can demonstrate an understanding of more than a few words

A good way to start is using ongoing actions. For example, with the word jump. You would ask the child to show me jumping and they would start jumping. Then have them identify the action on someone or something else. Have mom start jumping, and ask what am I doing and the child would respond with jumping. When you begin teaching action labels it is important to practice over and over again. The correct and consistent use of the label does not happen overnight.


Teaching Action Labels to Children with Autism

Why are action labels important?

Action labels are one method to help children with autism communicate. Since children with autism typically develop language later than their peers, action labels can provide that missing piece to a child with autism. Neurotypical people use words as a form to label objects, actions, people, and concepts. Babies learn this from those around them, acquiring words and understanding what words mean by watching others. However, as stated prior children with autism typically have language deficits which makes learning these everyday word labels difficult. Therefore, teaching them how a label is a vital component to aid the child with their progress of language development and interaction with the world around them and others.

What are common challenges in teaching action labels?

Some common challenges in teaching action labels include a delay in using, limited imitation skills, lack of understanding, and difficulty inconsistent use.

  • Delay in use: As had been said children with autism typically have a delay in language use or use simpler language than the rest of their peers. This delay in language use can cause a delay in the child’s ability to acquire the skill of labeling and using action labels consistently.
  • Limited imitation skills: Most babies and young children acquire language through imitating others around them. When they hear adults using language, they try to repeat back what they said or use it at a later time. However, children with autism typically do not have the developmental interest in focusing on their parents and copying them.
  • Lack of understanding: Once children with autism are taught labels, they may use them through memorization rather than actually understanding what it is that they are labeling. They just use them out of habit or to appease rather than actually connecting what it is they are labeling with a word or action they understand.
  • Difficulty inconsistent use: Unless label teaching is consistent in all places of a child’s life, a child with autism will not be able to consistently use labeling. So, if labeling is taught at school, it should also be reinforced at home and vice versa.

Teaching a child to label correctly can truly expand their view of the world around them. Words are used as a way to communicate within the world, so giving that tool to a child with autism can be extremely vital. Using modeling, prompting, and reinforcement in all aspects and environments of a child’s life increases their consistent use and true understanding of the labels.

Let Leafwing Center help with developing some action labels for your autistic child, so they can be successful in communicating in the world around them. Our ABA therapists are trained in creating personalized plans that match your child’s ability levels.

 

 

Related Articles:

Autism Communication Strategies
Strategies For Autism In The Classroom

Glossary Terms:

Functional Communication Training (FCT)
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy

What is ABA Therapy used for?

ABA-based therapy can be used in a multitude of areas. Currently, these interventions are used primarily with individuals living with ASD; however, their applications can be used with individuals living with pervasive developmental disorders as well as other disorders. For ASD, it can be used in effectively teaching specific skills that may not be in a child’s repertoire of skills to help him/her function better in their environment whether that be at home, school, or out in the community.  In conjunction with skill acquisition programs, ABA-based interventions can also be used in addressing behavioral excesses (e.g., tantrum behaviors, aggressive behaviors, self-injurious behaviors). Lastly, it can also be utilized in parent/caregiver training.

In skill acquisition programs, a child’s repertoire of skills is assessed in the beginning phase of the services in key adaptive areas such as communication/language, self-help, social skills, and motor skills as well.  Once skills to be taught are identified, a goal for each skill is developed and then addressed/taught by using ABA-based techniques to teach those important skills. Ultimately, an ABA-based therapy will facilitate a degree of maintenance (i.e., the child can still perform the learned behaviors in the absence of training/intervention over time) and generalization (i.e., the learned behaviors are observed to occur in situations different from the instructional setting).  These two concepts are very important in any ABA-based intervention.

In behavior management, the challenging behaviors are assessed for their function in the beginning phase of the services. In this phase, the “why does this behavior happen in the first place?” is determined. Once known, an ABA-based therapy will be developed to not just decrease the occurrence of the behavior being addressed, but also teach the child a functionally-equivalent behavior that is socially-appropriate.  For example, if a child resorts to tantrum behaviors when she is told she cannot have a specific item, she may be taught to accept an alternative or find an alternative for herself. Of course, we can only do this up to a certain point—the offering of alternatives.  There comes a point when a ‘no’ means ‘no’ so the tantrum behavior will be left to run its course (i.e., to continue until it ceases).  This is never easy and will take some time for parents/caregivers to get used to, but research has shown that over time and consistent application of an ABA-based behavior management program, the challenging behavior will get better.

In parent training, individuals that provide care for a child may receive customized “curriculum” that best fit their situation.  A typical area covered in parent training is teaching responsible adults pertinent ABA-based concepts to help adults understand the rationale behind interventions that are being used in their child’s ABA-based services.  Another area covered in parent training is teaching adults specific skill acquisition programs and/or behavior management programs that they will implement during family time.  Other areas covered in parent training may be data collection, how to facilitate maintenance, how to facilitate generalization of learned skills to name a few.

There is no “one format” that will fit all children and their families’ needs. The ABA professionals you’re currently working with, with your participation,  will develop an ABA-based treatment package that will best fit your child’s and your family’s needs. For more information regarding this topic, we encourage you to speak with your BCBA or reach out to us at [email protected].

Who Can Benefit From ABA Therapy?

There is a common misconception that the principles of ABA are specific to Autism. This is not the case. The principles and methods of ABA are scientifically backed and can be applied to any individual. With that said, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association consider ABA to be an evidence based practice. Forty years of extensive literature have documented ABA therapy as an effective and successful practice to reduce problem behavior and increase skills for individuals with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Children, teenagers, and adults with ASD can benefit from ABA therapy. Especially when started early, ABA therapy can benefit individuals by targeting challenging behaviors, attention skills, play skills, communication, motor, social, and other skills. Individuals with other developmental challenges such as ADHD or intellectual disability can benefit from ABA therapy as well. While early intervention has been demonstrated to lead to more significant treatment outcomes, there is no specific age at which ABA therapy ceases to be helpful.

Additionally, parents and caregivers of individuals living with ASD can also benefit from the principles of ABA. Depending on the needs of your loved one, the use of specified ABA techniques in addition to 1:1 services, may help produce more desirable treatment outcomes. The term “caregiver training” is common in ABA services and refers to the individualized instruction that a BCBA or ABA Supervisor provides to parents and caregivers. This typically involves a combination of individualized ABA techniques and methods parents and caregivers can use outside of 1:1 sessions to facilitate ongoing progress in specified areas.

ABA therapy can help people living with ASD, intellectual disability, and other developmental challenges achieve their goals and live higher quality lives.

What does ABA Therapy look like?

Agencies that provide ABA-based services in the home-setting are more likely to implement ABA services similarly than doing the same exact protocols or procedures. Regardless, an ABA agency under the guidance of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst follows the same research-based theories to guide treatment that all other acceptable ABA agencies use.

ABA-based services start with a functional behavior assessment (FBA). In a nutshell, a FBA assesses why the behaviors may be happening in the first place. From there, the FBA will also determine the best way to address the difficulties using tactics that have been proven effective over time with a focus on behavioral replacement versus simple elimination of a problem behavior. The FBA will also have recommendations for other relevant skills/behaviors to be taught and parent skills that can be taught in a parent training format to name a few. From there, the intensity of the ABA-based services is determined, again, based on the clinical needs of your child. The completed FBA is then submitted to the funding source for approval.

One-on-one sessions between a behavior technician and your child will start once services are approved. The duration per session and the frequency of these sessions per week/month will all depend on how many hours your child’s ABA services have been approved for—usually, this will be the number recommended in the FBA. The sessions are used to teach identified skills/behaviors via effective teaching procedures. Another aspect of ABA-based services in the home-setting is parent training. Parent training can take many forms depending on what goals have been established during the FBA process. The number of hours dedicated for parent training is also variable and solely depends on the clinical need for it. If a 1:1 session is between a behavior technician and your child, a parent training session or appointment is between you and the case supervisor and with and without your child present, depending on the parent goal(s) identified. Parent training service’s goal is for you to be able to have ample skills/knowledge in order for you to become more effective in addressing behavioral difficulties as they occur outside of scheduled ABA sessions. Depending on the goals established, you may be required to participate in your child’s 1:1 sessions. These participations are a good way for you to practice what you have learned from the case supervisor while at the same time, having the behavior technician available to you to give you feedback as you practice on those new skills.

As mentioned in the beginning, no two ABA agencies will do the same exact thing when it comes to providing ABA services; however, good agencies will always base their practice on the same empirically-proven procedures.

How do I start ABA Therapy?

In most cases, the first item required to start ABA therapy is the individual’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis report. This is typically conducted by a doctor such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or a developmental pediatrician. Most ABA therapy agencies and insurance companies will ask for a copy of this diagnosis report during the intake process as it is required to request an ABA assessment authorization from the individual’s medical insurance provider.

The second item required to start ABA therapy is a funding source. In the United States, and in cases where Medi-Cal or Medicare insurances are involved, there is a legal requirement for ABA services to be covered when there is a medical necessity (ASD diagnosis). Medi-Cal and Medicare cover all medically necessary behavioral health treatment services for beneficiaries. This typically includes children diagnosed with ASD. Since Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence based and effective treatment for individuals with ASD, it is considered a covered treatment when medically necessary. In many cases, private insurance will also cover ABA services when medically necessary, however in these cases, it is best to speak directly with your medical insurance provider to determine the specifics of the coverage and to ensure that ABA is in fact, a covered benefit. Additionally, some families opt to pay for ABA services out-of-pocket.

The next step to starting ABA therapy is to contact an ABA provider whom you are interested in working with. Depending on your geographic location, ABA agencies exist in many cities across the United States. Your insurance carrier, local support groups, and even a thorough online search can help you find reputable and properly credentialed ABA agencies near you. Our organization, LeafWing Center, is based in southern California and is recognized for aiding people with ASD achieve their goals with the research based on applied behavior analysis.

Once you have identified the ABA provider with whom you wish to work, they should help you facilitate the next steps. These will include facilitating paperwork and authorizations with your funding source. Once the assessment process begins, a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or qualified Program Supervisor should get in contact with you to arrange times in which interviews with parents/caregivers and observations of your loved one can be conducted. This will help in the process of gathering important clinical information so that with your collaboration, the most effective treatment plans and goals can be established for your loved one. This process is referred to as the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and is elaborated on in different blog posts on our website. With regard as to what can be expected once ABA therapy begins, please read our blog post titled: When You Start an ABA program, What Should You Reasonably Expect from Your Service Provider?

What not to do with a child with autism

Oftentimes it is suggested what to do with a child with autism. However, equally as important is what not to do. It is necessary to know and understand what not to do in order to be able to provide the best environment for a child with autism.

ABA therapy programs are effective in treating children with autism because they create very structured environments where conditions are optimized for learning. Over time, these very structured environments are systematically changed so that the environment mimics what a child could expect if and when they are placed in other environments.

Here are some key areas that this article will cover:

Let Leafwing professionals educate you and your child on some key components and techniques when raising a child with autism to reach their full potential.

Don'ts of Autism

What not to do with discipling a child with autism

It can be hard to know what to do and not do in terms of discipline with a child with autism. Their development is different from their neurotypical peers so it is vital to make the distinction.

  • Do not punish for typical autistic behaviors. Stimming, meltdowns from overstimulation, and spams are all behavior they cannot control. They are part of a normal every day for a child with autism.
  • Do not be confusing in your reasoning. When explaining to a child with autism a reason for the consequence, use clear logic they can understand. Avoid things like metaphors, hypothetical scenarios, and complex vocabulary.
  • Do not use punishments that are not age/developmentally appropriate. Use consequences to help your child grow and learn. Behavior is a form of communication. Learn what your child is trying to communicate and help them better communicate that next time with positive action.

Your child with autism may not understand the traditional discipline techniques as well as the consequences of their actions. As a parent you might feel frustrated by this, but you need to refrain from any kind of physical or verbal punishment that could have a negative effect on your child. Remember, all children learn from imitation, so try to respond to your child’s behavior clearly and gently. Consistency is the key for all children when it comes to discipline. Do it with a loving heart. When children know you are disciplining them because you love them and want what is best for them then it has a more positive outcome.

What not to do with tasks for a child with autism

What not to do with tasks for a child with autism

Children with autism are able to complete tasks and chores similar to other children. These are necessary to help them become independent and learn essential life skills. Practice tasks with Forward Chaining or Backward Chaining methodology. Use the method that your child feels more comfortable with.

  • Do not have too many expectations. Have a few clear expectations for a child to be able to remember and follow.
  • Do not only have verbal instructions. Many children with autism are visual learners. Therefore, provide both words and pictures. For example, a picture of a toothbrush with toothpaste on it to remind them to brush their teeth.
  • Do not make them do less just because they have autism. Children with autism are just as capable as their peers. They may need a little more help when completing a task but they can still do it. Holding a child back from their full potential will only hurt them in the long run.

Remember at the Leafwing Center your ABA therapist can put together an Acquisition Skill Plan to help hone in on a skill that needs to be refined to help your child progress in basic analysis tasks like getting dressed, brushing teeth, or combing their hair.

 

What not to do when interacting with a child with autism

What not to do when interacting with a child with autism

People can often feel awkwardness or uneasiness when interacting with a child who has autism. However, there are just a few key concepts to remember for the interaction to easily go smoothly.

  • Do not get into their personal space. Many children with autism do not like to be touched especially when it’s unexpected. Give them their space.
  • Do not only see them as a child with autism. Autism is part of their identity but it is not their whole identity. When interacting with a child with autism, treat them like you would treat anyone else with kindness.
  • Do not beat yourself up over making a mistake. As a parent of a child with autism (and just a person in general), you are going to make mistakes. So, give yourself grace, apologize, and move on.

Teaching children with ASD to improve their communication skills is essential for helping them reach their full potential. There are many different approaches, but the best treatment program begins early, during the preschool years, and is tailored to the child’s age and interests. It should address both the child’s behavior and communication skills and offer regular reinforcement of positive actions. Most children with ASD respond well to highly structured, specialized programs. Parents or primary caregivers, as well as other family members, should be involved in the treatment program so that it becomes part of the child’s daily life.

 

Autism Feeding Issues

What not to do during meal time with a child with autism

Meal times can be a stressful time for everyone in a household that has a child with autism. With all the different textures and flavors, it can be intimidating. Children with autism have an increased likelihood of possessing food sensitivities. Both food allergies and food intolerances are common in children with autism. These children are twice as likely to have some type of food sensitivity. Refer to your pediatrician about any food allergies with your child .

  • Do not make choices for them. Allow a child with autism to make choices for themselves within reason. This will give them the confidence and independence to do it on their own next time.
  • Do not yell at them. For any child, this can be overwhelming but for a child with autism, this increase in sound can trigger a meltdown. Additionally, it doesn’t help fix the situation in the end.
  • Do not rush or pressure them. Eating and meal times can be a very difficult time for a child with autism. Allowing them to go at their own pace and providing a safe environment for the child is a necessity.

Leafwing Center can work with you to design a plan for autism feeding issues that you may be facing with your child. Our ABA therapists are trained in creating personalized plans that match your child’s ability levels. ABA therapists are trained to address the behavior. If you are concerned about the health and wellness of your child then you need to contact your physician.

Having a child with autism is a learning process for everyone. You as a parent are going to be constantly learning the new and best way to help your child with autism navigate new experiences with the world around them. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the approach of developing a child, alone a child with autism. Learn from these ‘What Not to Dos’ and adjust your approaches with your child.

Leafwing Center has professional BCBA therapists that can help you and your child navigate through the stages of development as your child grows. Call us today to see how we can help!

Glossary Terms

Other Related Articles:

Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy

What is ABA Therapy used for?

ABA-based therapy can be used in a multitude of areas. Currently, these interventions are used primarily with individuals living with ASD; however, their applications can be used with individuals living with pervasive developmental disorders as well as other disorders. For ASD, it can be used in effectively teaching specific skills that may not be in a child’s repertoire of skills to help him/her function better in their environment whether that be at home, school, or out in the community.  In conjunction with skill acquisition programs, ABA-based interventions can also be used in addressing behavioral excesses (e.g., tantrum behaviors, aggressive behaviors, self-injurious behaviors). Lastly, it can also be utilized in parent/caregiver training.

In skill acquisition programs, a child’s repertoire of skills is assessed in the beginning phase of the services in key adaptive areas such as communication/language, self-help, social skills, and motor skills as well.  Once skills to be taught are identified, a goal for each skill is developed and then addressed/taught by using ABA-based techniques to teach those important skills. Ultimately, an ABA-based therapy will facilitate a degree of maintenance (i.e., the child can still perform the learned behaviors in the absence of training/intervention over time) and generalization (i.e., the learned behaviors are observed to occur in situations different from the instructional setting).  These two concepts are very important in any ABA-based intervention.

In behavior management, the challenging behaviors are assessed for their function in the beginning phase of the services. In this phase, the “why does this behavior happen in the first place?” is determined. Once known, an ABA-based therapy will be developed to not just decrease the occurrence of the behavior being addressed, but also teach the child a functionally-equivalent behavior that is socially-appropriate.  For example, if a child resorts to tantrum behaviors when she is told she cannot have a specific item, she may be taught to accept an alternative or find an alternative for herself. Of course, we can only do this up to a certain point—the offering of alternatives.  There comes a point when a ‘no’ means ‘no’ so the tantrum behavior will be left to run its course (i.e., to continue until it ceases).  This is never easy and will take some time for parents/caregivers to get used to, but research has shown that over time and consistent application of an ABA-based behavior management program, the challenging behavior will get better.

In parent training, individuals that provide care for a child may receive customized “curriculum” that best fit their situation.  A typical area covered in parent training is teaching responsible adults pertinent ABA-based concepts to help adults understand the rationale behind interventions that are being used in their child’s ABA-based services.  Another area covered in parent training is teaching adults specific skill acquisition programs and/or behavior management programs that they will implement during family time.  Other areas covered in parent training may be data collection, how to facilitate maintenance, how to facilitate generalization of learned skills to name a few.

There is no “one format” that will fit all children and their families’ needs. The ABA professionals you’re currently working with, with your participation,  will develop an ABA-based treatment package that will best fit your child’s and your family’s needs. For more information regarding this topic, we encourage you to speak with your BCBA or reach out to us at [email protected].

Who Can Benefit From ABA Therapy?

There is a common misconception that the principles of ABA are specific to Autism. This is not the case. The principles and methods of ABA are scientifically backed and can be applied to any individual. With that said, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association consider ABA to be an evidence based practice. Forty years of extensive literature have documented ABA therapy as an effective and successful practice to reduce problem behavior and increase skills for individuals with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Children, teenagers, and adults with ASD can benefit from ABA therapy. Especially when started early, ABA therapy can benefit individuals by targeting challenging behaviors, attention skills, play skills, communication, motor, social, and other skills. Individuals with other developmental challenges such as ADHD or intellectual disability can benefit from ABA therapy as well. While early intervention has been demonstrated to lead to more significant treatment outcomes, there is no specific age at which ABA therapy ceases to be helpful.

Additionally, parents and caregivers of individuals living with ASD can also benefit from the principles of ABA. Depending on the needs of your loved one, the use of specified ABA techniques in addition to 1:1 services, may help produce more desirable treatment outcomes. The term “caregiver training” is common in ABA services and refers to the individualized instruction that a BCBA or ABA Supervisor provides to parents and caregivers. This typically involves a combination of individualized ABA techniques and methods parents and caregivers can use outside of 1:1 sessions to facilitate ongoing progress in specified areas.

ABA therapy can help people living with ASD, intellectual disability, and other developmental challenges achieve their goals and live higher quality lives.

What does ABA Therapy look like?

Agencies that provide ABA-based services in the home-setting are more likely to implement ABA services similarly than doing the same exact protocols or procedures. Regardless, an ABA agency under the guidance of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst follows the same research-based theories to guide treatment that all other acceptable ABA agencies use.

ABA-based services start with a functional behavior assessment (FBA). In a nutshell, a FBA assesses why the behaviors may be happening in the first place. From there, the FBA will also determine the best way to address the difficulties using tactics that have been proven effective over time with a focus on behavioral replacement versus simple elimination of a problem behavior. The FBA will also have recommendations for other relevant skills/behaviors to be taught and parent skills that can be taught in a parent training format to name a few. From there, the intensity of the ABA-based services is determined, again, based on the clinical needs of your child. The completed FBA is then submitted to the funding source for approval.

One-on-one sessions between a behavior technician and your child will start once services are approved. The duration per session and the frequency of these sessions per week/month will all depend on how many hours your child’s ABA services have been approved for—usually, this will be the number recommended in the FBA. The sessions are used to teach identified skills/behaviors via effective teaching procedures. Another aspect of ABA-based services in the home-setting is parent training. Parent training can take many forms depending on what goals have been established during the FBA process. The number of hours dedicated for parent training is also variable and solely depends on the clinical need for it. If a 1:1 session is between a behavior technician and your child, a parent training session or appointment is between you and the case supervisor and with and without your child present, depending on the parent goal(s) identified. Parent training service’s goal is for you to be able to have ample skills/knowledge in order for you to become more effective in addressing behavioral difficulties as they occur outside of scheduled ABA sessions. Depending on the goals established, you may be required to participate in your child’s 1:1 sessions. These participations are a good way for you to practice what you have learned from the case supervisor while at the same time, having the behavior technician available to you to give you feedback as you practice on those new skills.

As mentioned in the beginning, no two ABA agencies will do the same exact thing when it comes to providing ABA services; however, good agencies will always base their practice on the same empirically-proven procedures.

How do I start ABA Therapy?

In most cases, the first item required to start ABA therapy is the individual’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis report. This is typically conducted by a doctor such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or a developmental pediatrician. Most ABA therapy agencies and insurance companies will ask for a copy of this diagnosis report during the intake process as it is required to request an ABA assessment authorization from the individual’s medical insurance provider.

The second item required to start ABA therapy is a funding source. In the United States, and in cases where Medi-Cal or Medicare insurances are involved, there is a legal requirement for ABA services to be covered when there is a medical necessity (ASD diagnosis). Medi-Cal and Medicare cover all medically necessary behavioral health treatment services for beneficiaries. This typically includes children diagnosed with ASD. Since Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence based and effective treatment for individuals with ASD, it is considered a covered treatment when medically necessary. In many cases, private insurance will also cover ABA services when medically necessary, however in these cases, it is best to speak directly with your medical insurance provider to determine the specifics of the coverage and to ensure that ABA is in fact, a covered benefit. Additionally, some families opt to pay for ABA services out-of-pocket.

The next step to starting ABA therapy is to contact an ABA provider whom you are interested in working with. Depending on your geographic location, ABA agencies exist in many cities across the United States. Your insurance carrier, local support groups, and even a thorough online search can help you find reputable and properly credentialed ABA agencies near you. Our organization, LeafWing Center, is based in southern California and is recognized for aiding people with ASD achieve their goals with the research based on applied behavior analysis.

Once you have identified the ABA provider with whom you wish to work, they should help you facilitate the next steps. These will include facilitating paperwork and authorizations with your funding source. Once the assessment process begins, a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or qualified Program Supervisor should get in contact with you to arrange times in which interviews with parents/caregivers and observations of your loved one can be conducted. This will help in the process of gathering important clinical information so that with your collaboration, the most effective treatment plans and goals can be established for your loved one. This process is referred to as the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and is elaborated on in different blog posts on our website. With regard as to what can be expected once ABA therapy begins, please read our blog post titled: When You Start an ABA program, What Should You Reasonably Expect from Your Service Provider?

Strategies for autism in the classroom

Each student with autism is unique therefore each student will have unique needs in the classroom. However, there are many strategies and basic principles of effective instruction that can be implemented for students with autism within the classroom. Many of these strategies provide structure and teach a variety of skills across content areas of the natural and traditional classroom setting. These include:

Strategies for autism in the classroom

Autism in the classroom: strategies for success

  • Assignment Notebooks
  • A Routine
  • Classroom Environment
  • Communication

Students with autism can thrive in the classroom with a few strategies for success. One of the ways is with an assignment notebook. An assignment notebook is an easy way to have a visual for students to be able to know and understand what is expected of them and what is coming up next in class.

Another strategy is through a routine. A routine makes a great strategy for success for autism in the classroom. Routines are necessary for all students but particularly those with autism. A routine allows for consistency and for a student to know what is coming next. Change is bound to happen at school once in a while with substitute teachers, fire drills, etc. Change can be difficult and a barrier in the classroom for students with autism so keeping things the same most of the time will lead to success in the classroom setting.

The classroom environment itself is also a strategy for success for students with autism. Structure and predictability facilitate the student’s understanding of the environment, which can help decrease worry or agitation the student might have. This is really important for students with autism who tend to react negatively or really have a difficult time with changes and unsent uncertainty in their environment. These types of students are often overwhelmed by sensory stimuli. Therefore, an overload of sensory at once can be very stressful and cause a negative reaction within the classroom. By limiting loud noises, certain light frequencies, textures, and control of temperature, the classroom can become a great place for a student with autism to learn and be successful.

The last key to strategies for success for autism in the classroom is communication. As with routines, clear communication is important to all students but a significant necessity for students with autism. Keeping directions clear and simple prevents any confusion from occurring and allows students with autism to process instructions easily. Students with autism oftentimes do not understand common phrases or figurative language so communicating in a direct manner with short tasks allows for the student to process and complete the task in a timely manner.
Classroom setup for students with autism

Ways Autism impacts Learning in the classroom

Autism impacts learning in many ways. Students with autism have difficulty adapting their behavior to different situations. When there is a change in their normal routine or something is out of the ordinary it can be highly stressful for students with autism. They also have challenges socially interacting with others. In lower elementary grades, oftentimes learning occurs through play with other students. This can be an obstacle for students with autism. Some students with autism need to be moving in order to learn. This can pose an issue in the general education classroom setting because of space constraints as well as the possibility of distracting other students.

Strategies for autism classroom set-up

One of the main strategies for a classroom setup for students with autism is to label materials and spaces. Setting up the classroom a certain way can increase a student with autism’s ability to be successful in the classroom setting. We can help students understand expectations, and in general, make sense of their entire environment. Researchers have defined environmental support as “aspects of the environment, other than interactions with people, which affect the learning that takes place”.

Predictability and sameness are significant factors throughout students’ daily lives. One way to address these elements in the classroom is with “Environmental Supports”.

Examples of environmental support

  • Labels
  • Boundary settings
  • Visual schedules
  • Behavioral-based education tools
  • Activity completion signals
  • Choice boards

Students with autism can get overwhelmed easily or become overstimulated. Have a designated calm down area. When the instances occur, it is easier on everyone if there is a designated area for the student to go to aid in their self-regulation. The space should be quiet and include items they may use to help calm down and re-focus themselves.

All of these environmental support strategies are a simple yet effective way to help a student respond appropriately in their day-to-day activities throughout their school day. Environmental support can be effectively utilized across all environments and all settings to help support individuals with ASD. Additionally, environmental support has been shown to increase student independence, and help stimulate language.


Sensory activity strategies

Sensory activities strategies for students with autism to help with focusing in the classroom

Sensory activity strategies for students with autism can help to minimize the feeling of being overstimulated. However, there are activities within the classroom setting that can help students still experience sensory and learn while doing so. Targeted sensory activities can aid a student with autism in the classroom to stay grounded and focused as well as fulfill their need for movement.

Some sensory activities can include:

  • Stamping on Paper
  • Slime Play
  • Fidget Toys
  • Using shaving cream for letters or math
  • Rhythm instruments
  • Finger painting
  • Playdough

Students with autism may struggle with these types of play. The goal is to figure out the unique needs of each unique student with autism. Some types of sensory experiences are calming and successful for one student, but may be extremely overstimulating for another. However, once the best sensory play is found for a student it can really open the door and decrease some of the challenges to learning. Sensory activities can improve social skills, hand-eye coordination, as well as fine motor skills. It can also help to challenge a student’s brain that they typically do not use and be a key to being successful in the classroom setting.

Again, we want to emphasize that each student is unique and the strategies used need to reflect their unique needs.

Other Related Articles:

Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy

What is ABA Therapy used for?

ABA-based therapy can be used in a multitude of areas. Currently, these interventions are used primarily with individuals living with ASD; however, their applications can be used with individuals living with pervasive developmental disorders as well as other disorders. For ASD, it can be used in effectively teaching specific skills that may not be in a child’s repertoire of skills to help him/her function better in their environment whether that be at home, school, or out in the community.  In conjunction with skill acquisition programs, ABA-based interventions can also be used in addressing behavioral excesses (e.g., tantrum behaviors, aggressive behaviors, self-injurious behaviors). Lastly, it can also be utilized in parent/caregiver training.

In skill acquisition programs, a child’s repertoire of skills is assessed in the beginning phase of the services in key adaptive areas such as communication/language, self-help, social skills, and motor skills as well.  Once skills to be taught are identified, a goal for each skill is developed and then addressed/taught by using ABA-based techniques to teach those important skills. Ultimately, an ABA-based therapy will facilitate a degree of maintenance (i.e., the child can still perform the learned behaviors in the absence of training/intervention over time) and generalization (i.e., the learned behaviors are observed to occur in situations different from the instructional setting).  These two concepts are very important in any ABA-based intervention.

In behavior management, the challenging behaviors are assessed for their function in the beginning phase of the services. In this phase, the “why does this behavior happen in the first place?” is determined. Once known, an ABA-based therapy will be developed to not just decrease the occurrence of the behavior being addressed, but also teach the child a functionally-equivalent behavior that is socially-appropriate.  For example, if a child resorts to tantrum behaviors when she is told she cannot have a specific item, she may be taught to accept an alternative or find an alternative for herself. Of course, we can only do this up to a certain point—the offering of alternatives.  There comes a point when a ‘no’ means ‘no’ so the tantrum behavior will be left to run its course (i.e., to continue until it ceases).  This is never easy and will take some time for parents/caregivers to get used to, but research has shown that over time and consistent application of an ABA-based behavior management program, the challenging behavior will get better.

In parent training, individuals that provide care for a child may receive customized “curriculum” that best fit their situation.  A typical area covered in parent training is teaching responsible adults pertinent ABA-based concepts to help adults understand the rationale behind interventions that are being used in their child’s ABA-based services.  Another area covered in parent training is teaching adults specific skill acquisition programs and/or behavior management programs that they will implement during family time.  Other areas covered in parent training may be data collection, how to facilitate maintenance, how to facilitate generalization of learned skills to name a few.

There is no “one format” that will fit all children and their families’ needs. The ABA professionals you’re currently working with, with your participation,  will develop an ABA-based treatment package that will best fit your child’s and your family’s needs. For more information regarding this topic, we encourage you to speak with your BCBA or reach out to us at [email protected].

Who Can Benefit From ABA Therapy?

There is a common misconception that the principles of ABA are specific to Autism. This is not the case. The principles and methods of ABA are scientifically backed and can be applied to any individual. With that said, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association consider ABA to be an evidence based practice. Forty years of extensive literature have documented ABA therapy as an effective and successful practice to reduce problem behavior and increase skills for individuals with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Children, teenagers, and adults with ASD can benefit from ABA therapy. Especially when started early, ABA therapy can benefit individuals by targeting challenging behaviors, attention skills, play skills, communication, motor, social, and other skills. Individuals with other developmental challenges such as ADHD or intellectual disability can benefit from ABA therapy as well. While early intervention has been demonstrated to lead to more significant treatment outcomes, there is no specific age at which ABA therapy ceases to be helpful.

Additionally, parents and caregivers of individuals living with ASD can also benefit from the principles of ABA. Depending on the needs of your loved one, the use of specified ABA techniques in addition to 1:1 services, may help produce more desirable treatment outcomes. The term “caregiver training” is common in ABA services and refers to the individualized instruction that a BCBA or ABA Supervisor provides to parents and caregivers. This typically involves a combination of individualized ABA techniques and methods parents and caregivers can use outside of 1:1 sessions to facilitate ongoing progress in specified areas.

ABA therapy can help people living with ASD, intellectual disability, and other developmental challenges achieve their goals and live higher quality lives.

What does ABA Therapy look like?

Agencies that provide ABA-based services in the home-setting are more likely to implement ABA services similarly than doing the same exact protocols or procedures. Regardless, an ABA agency under the guidance of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst follows the same research-based theories to guide treatment that all other acceptable ABA agencies use.

ABA-based services start with a functional behavior assessment (FBA). In a nutshell, a FBA assesses why the behaviors may be happening in the first place. From there, the FBA will also determine the best way to address the difficulties using tactics that have been proven effective over time with a focus on behavioral replacement versus simple elimination of a problem behavior. The FBA will also have recommendations for other relevant skills/behaviors to be taught and parent skills that can be taught in a parent training format to name a few. From there, the intensity of the ABA-based services is determined, again, based on the clinical needs of your child. The completed FBA is then submitted to the funding source for approval.

One-on-one sessions between a behavior technician and your child will start once services are approved. The duration per session and the frequency of these sessions per week/month will all depend on how many hours your child’s ABA services have been approved for—usually, this will be the number recommended in the FBA. The sessions are used to teach identified skills/behaviors via effective teaching procedures. Another aspect of ABA-based services in the home-setting is parent training. Parent training can take many forms depending on what goals have been established during the FBA process. The number of hours dedicated for parent training is also variable and solely depends on the clinical need for it. If a 1:1 session is between a behavior technician and your child, a parent training session or appointment is between you and the case supervisor and with and without your child present, depending on the parent goal(s) identified. Parent training service’s goal is for you to be able to have ample skills/knowledge in order for you to become more effective in addressing behavioral difficulties as they occur outside of scheduled ABA sessions. Depending on the goals established, you may be required to participate in your child’s 1:1 sessions. These participations are a good way for you to practice what you have learned from the case supervisor while at the same time, having the behavior technician available to you to give you feedback as you practice on those new skills.

As mentioned in the beginning, no two ABA agencies will do the same exact thing when it comes to providing ABA services; however, good agencies will always base their practice on the same empirically-proven procedures.

How do I start ABA Therapy?

In most cases, the first item required to start ABA therapy is the individual’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis report. This is typically conducted by a doctor such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or a developmental pediatrician. Most ABA therapy agencies and insurance companies will ask for a copy of this diagnosis report during the intake process as it is required to request an ABA assessment authorization from the individual’s medical insurance provider.

The second item required to start ABA therapy is a funding source. In the United States, and in cases where Medi-Cal or Medicare insurances are involved, there is a legal requirement for ABA services to be covered when there is a medical necessity (ASD diagnosis). Medi-Cal and Medicare cover all medically necessary behavioral health treatment services for beneficiaries. This typically includes children diagnosed with ASD. Since Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence based and effective treatment for individuals with ASD, it is considered a covered treatment when medically necessary. In many cases, private insurance will also cover ABA services when medically necessary, however in these cases, it is best to speak directly with your medical insurance provider to determine the specifics of the coverage and to ensure that ABA is in fact, a covered benefit. Additionally, some families opt to pay for ABA services out-of-pocket.

The next step to starting ABA therapy is to contact an ABA provider whom you are interested in working with. Depending on your geographic location, ABA agencies exist in many cities across the United States. Your insurance carrier, local support groups, and even a thorough online search can help you find reputable and properly credentialed ABA agencies near you. Our organization, LeafWing Center, is based in southern California and is recognized for aiding people with ASD achieve their goals with the research based on applied behavior analysis.

Once you have identified the ABA provider with whom you wish to work, they should help you facilitate the next steps. These will include facilitating paperwork and authorizations with your funding source. Once the assessment process begins, a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or qualified Program Supervisor should get in contact with you to arrange times in which interviews with parents/caregivers and observations of your loved one can be conducted. This will help in the process of gathering important clinical information so that with your collaboration, the most effective treatment plans and goals can be established for your loved one. This process is referred to as the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and is elaborated on in different blog posts on our website. With regard as to what can be expected once ABA therapy begins, please read our blog post titled: When You Start an ABA program, What Should You Reasonably Expect from Your Service Provider?

7-dimensions-aba

Some current dimensions of ABA

7-dimensions-aba

Some current dimensions of ABA ultimate goal are to bring about meaningful change to their children and families and for that change to occur in situations with school and family members. In the first Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis article in 1968, Baer and colleagues described seven dimensions of behavior analysis. To facilitate your understanding of this seminal article, we suggest that you substitute the word “characteristic” for the word “dimension.” We will do so for you in the following description.

The 7 dimensions of ABA

The 7 dimensions make up the framework of proper Applied Behavior Analytic interventions and they support techniques used during therapy sessions. The seven characteristics are;

  1. Applied: The therapy should bring changes in social behavior of the receiver and his/her surroundings. It is apparent that society values the use of applied behavior analysis to teach individuals with autism to communicate or to reduce self-injurious behavior for example. A behavior change is applied when it enhances and improves the everyday life of a learner, and those who are closest to a learner (e.g., parents, siblings, peers), by improving a socially significant behavior. The goals are personalized to the individual needs to easily, and successfully, function within their environment. The same applies to intervention. So, application in socially significant ways is the first dimension of ABA.
  2. Behavioral: Behavior must be observable and measurable in order for it to be changed. ABA is concerned with direct measures of actual behavior. Behavior, of course, is composed of physical, observable events. In other words, ABA is concerned with facts and actual occurrences of behavior, things that can be observed and measured. It’s pragmatic in that it is guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory. With intervention programs for individuals with autism, teams are focused on observing behavior—teaching behavior and not so much with what individuals inferred thoughts are.
  3. Analytical: Being analytical means looking at the data to make data-based decisions, which means data must be collected on interventions. In order for results of any experiment to be credible, a researcher or the person actually conducting the experiment has to show that somehow the variables used or manipulated in the study actually controlled the behavior that they were looking at to the greatest extent possible. In other words, the experimenters must show that by changing one or more aspects in a person’s environment a change in behavior occurred, and by returning those variables back to what they were before the experiment, you can stop the behavior from happening (this is sometimes referred to as experimental control or is referred to as the process of establishing a functional relationship). In an intervention program for children with autism, Analytical would refer to the fact that the individual performs behaviors when asked to do so (e.g., “touch the blue card” and the individual touches the blue card) and that the function of behaviors is analyzed (Baer does not explicitly state this in the article and this article pre-dates the concept of the behavioral function, but he is describing the foundations of the concept of behavioral function intentionally or not when he says ….”a believable demonstration of the events that can be responsible for the occurrence or non-occurrence of that behavior (p 94)”). So applied behavior analysis is Analytical.
  4. Technological: This simply means that the procedures used in ABA have to be thoroughly identified and written down in clear and concise terms so that someone who has no familiarity with the procedures can read the description and know exactly what behavior to look for and how to implement the techniques needed. Think of this dimension like a recipe – all steps are written in detail to get the desired result. You would not be able to follow a recipe if it did not list the specific ingredients and measurements. It is the same with the intervention outlined. If it is difficult to understand or not clearly written; the chances that everyone on the treatment team is implementing treatment in the same way is low.
  5. Conceptually Systematic: Whatever interventions are made should be consistent with the studied instructions. It is important that practitioners continue to use research-based techniques, and avoid using any shortcuts in our teaching methods. An important question to ask: “Is this intervention consistent with principals that have determined to be effective as defined in the research?”
  6. Effective: All interventions are monitored and tracked to evaluate changes in behavior and effectiveness of therapy. If the application of behavioral techniques does not produce large enough effects for practical value, then the application has failed (Baer, Wolf, Risley, 1968). An intervention is effective when it changes the behavior it seeks to change. The therapist is frequently monitoring progress of data collected and observing the interventions being utilized.
  7. Generality: Behavior can be changed beyond a short period of time. In other words, a behavior demonstrates generality when the taught behavior carries over into other contexts than just the training environment. We want these taught behaviors to be used in multiple settings, across multiple people, and to continue to be used in the future. A treatment is not considered effective or successful until generality is achieved.

The reason why these seven dimensions identified almost 40 years ago still pertain to this day has to do with their importance in the effectiveness of an ABA program when it comes to the treatment of children with autism. However, ABA was a relatively new applied science and setting the foundations was very important.

girl with questions

Example of some current dimensions of ABA

For example, if a child is engaging in tantrum behaviors because they are not able to effectively communicate their wants and needs, what would be a meaningful behavior to target? Teaching the child how to effectively communicate their wants and needs would be a socially valid goal. It would immediately affect the client’s everyday life, as well as the lives of those who interact with the child on a daily basis (family members, teachers, friends). When considering treatment interventions, the team must always consider how immediately important the targeted behavior change will be to the client.
This notion of effectiveness means that the changes that were brought about by the ABA techniques must be significant enough to be of practical value and seen as helpful or significant to the people being helped (a conceptual precursor to social validity and the introduction of the concept of effect size in ABA). In addition, the change in behavior must be large enough to make a difference in an individual’s life (e.g., increasing attendance to the classroom teacher during instruction time from 1-2 seconds to 3-5 minutes rather than increasing attendance to the classroom teacher from 1-2 seconds to 4-5 seconds). The qualification of social importance can be determined by the child, the parents, the student, the teacher, and so on (and all should have a say in determining this). If the changing behavior isn’t seen as significant (i.e., meaningful) to the people you are trying to help, then all your efforts are wasted.

In 1987 Baer, Wolf, and Risley revisited the dimensions of ABA and found them still very relevant. Some of the dimensions were refined in terms of tactics, but still represent ABA. Now while all these dimensions were highlighted back in 1968 and 1987, all of these dimensions are still directly related with what experts believe as being effective characteristics of treatment programs for children with autism today.

Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy

What is ABA Therapy used for?

ABA-based therapy can be used in a multitude of areas. Currently, these interventions are used primarily with individuals living with ASD; however, their applications can be used with individuals living with pervasive developmental disorders as well as other disorders. For ASD, it can be used in effectively teaching specific skills that may not be in a child’s repertoire of skills to help him/her function better in their environment whether that be at home, school, or out in the community.  In conjunction with skill acquisition programs, ABA-based interventions can also be used in addressing behavioral excesses (e.g., tantrum behaviors, aggressive behaviors, self-injurious behaviors). Lastly, it can also be utilized in parent/caregiver training.

In skill acquisition programs, a child’s repertoire of skills is assessed in the beginning phase of the services in key adaptive areas such as communication/language, self-help, social skills, and motor skills as well.  Once skills to be taught are identified, a goal for each skill is developed and then addressed/taught by using ABA-based techniques to teach those important skills. Ultimately, an ABA-based therapy will facilitate a degree of maintenance (i.e., the child can still perform the learned behaviors in the absence of training/intervention over time) and generalization (i.e., the learned behaviors are observed to occur in situations different from the instructional setting).  These two concepts are very important in any ABA-based intervention.

In behavior management, the challenging behaviors are assessed for their function in the beginning phase of the services. In this phase, the “why does this behavior happen in the first place?” is determined. Once known, an ABA-based therapy will be developed to not just decrease the occurrence of the behavior being addressed, but also teach the child a functionally-equivalent behavior that is socially-appropriate.  For example, if a child resorts to tantrum behaviors when she is told she cannot have a specific item, she may be taught to accept an alternative or find an alternative for herself. Of course, we can only do this up to a certain point—the offering of alternatives.  There comes a point when a ‘no’ means ‘no’ so the tantrum behavior will be left to run its course (i.e., to continue until it ceases).  This is never easy and will take some time for parents/caregivers to get used to, but research has shown that over time and consistent application of an ABA-based behavior management program, the challenging behavior will get better.

In parent training, individuals that provide care for a child may receive customized “curriculum” that best fit their situation.  A typical area covered in parent training is teaching responsible adults pertinent ABA-based concepts to help adults understand the rationale behind interventions that are being used in their child’s ABA-based services.  Another area covered in parent training is teaching adults specific skill acquisition programs and/or behavior management programs that they will implement during family time.  Other areas covered in parent training may be data collection, how to facilitate maintenance, how to facilitate generalization of learned skills to name a few.

There is no “one format” that will fit all children and their families’ needs. The ABA professionals you’re currently working with, with your participation,  will develop an ABA-based treatment package that will best fit your child’s and your family’s needs. For more information regarding this topic, we encourage you to speak with your BCBA or reach out to us at [email protected].

Who Can Benefit From ABA Therapy?

There is a common misconception that the principles of ABA are specific to Autism. This is not the case. The principles and methods of ABA are scientifically backed and can be applied to any individual. With that said, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association consider ABA to be an evidence based practice. Forty years of extensive literature have documented ABA therapy as an effective and successful practice to reduce problem behavior and increase skills for individuals with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Children, teenagers, and adults with ASD can benefit from ABA therapy. Especially when started early, ABA therapy can benefit individuals by targeting challenging behaviors, attention skills, play skills, communication, motor, social, and other skills. Individuals with other developmental challenges such as ADHD or intellectual disability can benefit from ABA therapy as well. While early intervention has been demonstrated to lead to more significant treatment outcomes, there is no specific age at which ABA therapy ceases to be helpful.

Additionally, parents and caregivers of individuals living with ASD can also benefit from the principles of ABA. Depending on the needs of your loved one, the use of specified ABA techniques in addition to 1:1 services, may help produce more desirable treatment outcomes. The term “caregiver training” is common in ABA services and refers to the individualized instruction that a BCBA or ABA Supervisor provides to parents and caregivers. This typically involves a combination of individualized ABA techniques and methods parents and caregivers can use outside of 1:1 sessions to facilitate ongoing progress in specified areas.

ABA therapy can help people living with ASD, intellectual disability, and other developmental challenges achieve their goals and live higher quality lives.

What does ABA Therapy look like?

Agencies that provide ABA-based services in the home-setting are more likely to implement ABA services similarly than doing the same exact protocols or procedures. Regardless, an ABA agency under the guidance of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst follows the same research-based theories to guide treatment that all other acceptable ABA agencies use.

ABA-based services start with a functional behavior assessment (FBA). In a nutshell, a FBA assesses why the behaviors may be happening in the first place. From there, the FBA will also determine the best way to address the difficulties using tactics that have been proven effective over time with a focus on behavioral replacement versus simple elimination of a problem behavior. The FBA will also have recommendations for other relevant skills/behaviors to be taught and parent skills that can be taught in a parent training format to name a few. From there, the intensity of the ABA-based services is determined, again, based on the clinical needs of your child. The completed FBA is then submitted to the funding source for approval.

One-on-one sessions between a behavior technician and your child will start once services are approved. The duration per session and the frequency of these sessions per week/month will all depend on how many hours your child’s ABA services have been approved for—usually, this will be the number recommended in the FBA. The sessions are used to teach identified skills/behaviors via effective teaching procedures. Another aspect of ABA-based services in the home-setting is parent training. Parent training can take many forms depending on what goals have been established during the FBA process. The number of hours dedicated for parent training is also variable and solely depends on the clinical need for it. If a 1:1 session is between a behavior technician and your child, a parent training session or appointment is between you and the case supervisor and with and without your child present, depending on the parent goal(s) identified. Parent training service’s goal is for you to be able to have ample skills/knowledge in order for you to become more effective in addressing behavioral difficulties as they occur outside of scheduled ABA sessions. Depending on the goals established, you may be required to participate in your child’s 1:1 sessions. These participations are a good way for you to practice what you have learned from the case supervisor while at the same time, having the behavior technician available to you to give you feedback as you practice on those new skills.

As mentioned in the beginning, no two ABA agencies will do the same exact thing when it comes to providing ABA services; however, good agencies will always base their practice on the same empirically-proven procedures.

How do I start ABA Therapy?

In most cases, the first item required to start ABA therapy is the individual’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis report. This is typically conducted by a doctor such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or a developmental pediatrician. Most ABA therapy agencies and insurance companies will ask for a copy of this diagnosis report during the intake process as it is required to request an ABA assessment authorization from the individual’s medical insurance provider.

The second item required to start ABA therapy is a funding source. In the United States, and in cases where Medi-Cal or Medicare insurances are involved, there is a legal requirement for ABA services to be covered when there is a medical necessity (ASD diagnosis). Medi-Cal and Medicare cover all medically necessary behavioral health treatment services for beneficiaries. This typically includes children diagnosed with ASD. Since Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence based and effective treatment for individuals with ASD, it is considered a covered treatment when medically necessary. In many cases, private insurance will also cover ABA services when medically necessary, however in these cases, it is best to speak directly with your medical insurance provider to determine the specifics of the coverage and to ensure that ABA is in fact, a covered benefit. Additionally, some families opt to pay for ABA services out-of-pocket.

The next step to starting ABA therapy is to contact an ABA provider whom you are interested in working with. Depending on your geographic location, ABA agencies exist in many cities across the United States. Your insurance carrier, local support groups, and even a thorough online search can help you find reputable and properly credentialed ABA agencies near you. Our organization, LeafWing Center, is based in southern California and is recognized for aiding people with ASD achieve their goals with the research based on applied behavior analysis.

Once you have identified the ABA provider with whom you wish to work, they should help you facilitate the next steps. These will include facilitating paperwork and authorizations with your funding source. Once the assessment process begins, a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or qualified Program Supervisor should get in contact with you to arrange times in which interviews with parents/caregivers and observations of your loved one can be conducted. This will help in the process of gathering important clinical information so that with your collaboration, the most effective treatment plans and goals can be established for your loved one. This process is referred to as the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and is elaborated on in different blog posts on our website. With regard as to what can be expected once ABA therapy begins, please read our blog post titled: When You Start an ABA program, What Should You Reasonably Expect from Your Service Provider?