Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a research proven methodology that has been shown to work phenomenally well when you want to evoke a change in a behavior. Skinner is the founding father of Verbal Behavior and created what we know today as ABA. 40 years ago, Dr. Ivar Lovaas www.lovaas.com used ABA with a small group of children with autism. He is now been given the credit for massive explosion and recognition of ABA regularly used for children with developmental delays.   The visual, rapid, repetition and predictability of ABA all work together to hold the child’s attention and allow the window of time necessary for learning to occur. 

Bottom line: ABA works. If ABA is not working then it is the program, not the child that is “broken”. ABA is a science, therefore it is consistently monitored and changed according to the data.  

The Founder of Inspire Behavior, started out her career in 1994, as most Behavior Analyst’s do, by running a 30 a week in home ABA program. Dr. Lovaas’s former student and later partner in research, Dr. Ron Leaf, is the ABA specialist who trained Jennifer Kaut.  Dr. Ron Leaf is now with Autism Partnership. www.autismpartnership.com.

Assessments Used

•  ABLLS-R (Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills- Revised).The ABLLS-R is a curriculum guide and skills tracking system for children with autism other developmental delays.
• VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program)
• Inspire will conduct a  formal Functional Behavioral Assessment(FBA) to find the function of a behavior and formulate a plan.
•  Social Responsiveness Scale(SRC) to look at any deficits in social skills.

Inspire Behavior will conduct both “DTT” (Discrete Trial Training).  This is the direct instruction of a skill- for example the acquisition of pre-academic skills and ”NET” (Natural Environment Teaching) This is a more natural training that requires the child to initiate communication in their environment and also encourages the generalization of these skills taught during the direct instruction. Both are crucial in learning and if appropriately balanced throughout intervention, they will work harmoniously together to create a more natural instructional environment.

Autism ABA Intervention or a Child with a Cognitive Delayment ABA Intervention

Step 1: Needs Assessment by the Director (Your therapist will be assigned by need and availablity)

Step 2: Goal Setting from the results of Needs Assessment

Step 3: Get to WORK!

Step 4: Monitor Data

Program/Treatment

Inspire Behavior will create a program around YOUR child’s needs. Your child will have short term measurable objectives in the form of clear concise benchmarks that will follow a overall scope and sequence. If there is not weekly mastery of these objectives, then change to the INSTRUCTIONAL strategies will be addressed.  Your child can and will learn. Inspire Behavior believes that it is the responsibility of the EDUCATOR to find what instructional strategies and in what learning environment does the child obtain mastery.

The amount of sessions and time needed is individualized to the age of the child and the level of need.  The behaviorist can train parent/s to do additional sessions at home. The behaviorist can also train your child’s teacher, aide, pre-school teacher or any other educator.  It is recommended that your child is in an inclusive program as soon as possible and that all staff is appropriately trained.  Your child’s generalization of learned skills will be accomplished much faster with a more intensive, consistent intervention.

Intervention Level

Inspire Behavior uses ABA in every intervention and will see clients for 1 to 2 hrs per week for individual behavior change appointments when parents wish to focus on a few behaviors- not an entire program: come in and let’s discuss what it would take to master these changes! There is no minimum hours for this.

Inspire Behavior will create a individualized FULL ABA program from 3 to 15 hrs per week.  Inspire Behavior is available to supervise and moniter your  in-home ABA programs.

American Pediatrics recommends at least 25 hours a week for effective treatment. This can include your inclusion setting provided they are trained in ABA and are implementing the principals.

Every child’s needs and family environment are different. Inspire Behavior will work to meet these needs as best as possible.

ALL Children Benefit from ABA
Children with Autism are not the only children who learn from this methodology. Challenging behavior, anger mangement in youth and teens can also be successfully be targeted. Children with learning disabilities: dyslexia, auditory processing disorder and math calculation. Child with attention and hyperactivity do very well with this methodology: the structure, the way each task is broken down into achievable parts. Child with severe cognitive delays that were once thought to have “plateaued” have made much progress through ABA.

Whether you are targeting a behavior that is self injurious, causing destruction in your family life, preventing your child from communication their needs and wants: Applied Behavior Analysis scientifically targets  that socially signfigant behavior and positively changes it.