Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

ABA therapy is a treatment which uses research based interventions to support individuals and their families in acquiring new skills while reducing problem behaviors in order to enhance their quality of life.

Why ABA?

Why is ABA therapy again and again suggested by medical professionals?

…Because it brings results! 

The Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the methodology that provides access to evidence-based treatments supported by medical, educational, and psychological research to unlock every individual’s potential for success at home, in educational settings, and in the community. 

ABA focuses on the needs of the individual child, whose skills and problem behaviors are carefully assessed by a highly trained professional. 

Needed skills in these deficient areas are broken down into even smaller steps. For example, a child needs to say the word “bike”, not only when he/she sees it, but also when they want to use one. And when another person asks them, “What can you ride?” or “Show me the one you can pedal?”, the child needs to be able to point to/select a bike (or a picture of the bike) when shown a group of objects/pictures. This careful assessment/testing discloses the things the child can perform and those that need to be taught. Based on results of these tests a treatment plan is typically developed, and it focuses on making the child successful, socially appropriate, free from problem behaviors. 

Initially, the skills that need to be taught are further broken down into small steps and the child is assisted (prompted) to progress through these steps and rewarded (positively reinforced) for even small attempts. Then, as the child makes progress, the prompts are gradually removed, and the positive reinforcement is given less frequently. By proceeding in this attentive, systematic manner, the behavior analyst working with the child while seeing and removing barriers that prevent success and revise the treatment so that success is eventually achieved. 

Use of ABA allows children and adults to gain valuable skills in communication, social engagement, play/recreation, attention, vocational readiness, and ability to be an effective learner. 

Our goal is to help children reach lasting gains and enable their families to generalize newly acquired skills into everyday life

Autism and ABA Resources

Behavior Analyst Certification Board: http://www.BACB.com

Autism Speaks: https://www.autismspeaks.org/

Behavior Analyst Leadership Council: https://balcllc.org/index.html

CTABA: http://www.ctaba.org/

Dr. Mary Barbera: www.marybarbera.com

Autism Connecticut: http://www.autismconnecticut.org/

Autism Families CT: http://www.autismfamiliesct.org/

CT Feat: http://www.ctfeat.org/

CT DDS: http://ct.gov/dds/cwp/view.asp?a=2730&q=442840

Health line: https://www.healthline.com/health/autism

Association for Science in Autism Treatment: https://asatonline.org/