Applied Behavior Analysis Explained

What Is ABA Therapy?

ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy is a scientifically proven approach used to help children with autism and other developmental differences learn new skills and reduce challenging behaviors.

In this guide, we explain what ABA therapy is, how it works, common techniques used, and the benefits families can expect from evidence-based behavioral interventions.

How Does ABA Therapy Work?

ABA therapy is based on understanding how behavior is influenced by the environment and using evidence-based strategies to support learning and development.
Below, we explain how ABA therapy works, what the process looks like, and answer common questions families have when starting ABA services.

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“How will ABA benefit my struggling son or daughter?”

Behavioral improvement

We apply a variety of ABA tools to modify and replace problem behaviors with more healthy, age-appropriate actions and reactions .

Eating habits

Our behavioral experts will use feeding therapies to help your child overcome their aversion to new foods, expand their diet, and maintain a healthy weight.

Toilet Training

Presenting unique challenges for children, ABA therapies help break down this skill into simplified and structured steps that every child can master.

Sleep Support

ABA sleep-training techniques will significantly advance your child’s overall development by helping them fall asleep, remain asleep, and get a peaceful night’s rest.

Communication & social skills

ABA therapies help struggling children create and maintain meaningful relationships, navigate conflict, and form new, appropriate social behaviors.

Practical Life Skills

Comprehensive treatments help children with ASD improve focus, memory, IQ, listening ability and more. Where they once struggled to learn, they now celebrate academic success.

Utilizing clinically-proven behavior-modification strategies, Empower ABA develops a plan built around your child and their unique personality traits to help them actualize the best versions of themselves — both as individuals and as members of a family, school and community.

A quick guide to the popular and proven ABA techniques employed at our clinic

Discrete Trial Teaching

This therapy involves breaking down skills into small, discrete components and teaching them one-by-one through structured, repetitive ‘drills’, or trials. Each drill consists of a specific instruction or prompt, followed by a response from the learner. Correct responses are reinforced with simple rewards such as a high-five while incorrect responses are ignored or corrected. DTT is often used to teach basic skills such as language, social interaction, and academic concepts.

Naturalistic Teaching
The Naturalistic Teaching approach focuses on teaching skills in the context of everyday situations. A skilled therapist creates learning opportunities based on the child’s interests and following the child’s lead, and uses specific teaching strategies, such as prompting and shaping and natural consequences, to encourage the development of target skills. This approach is often used in early intervention programs for children with ASD, as it allows for meaningful learning experiences that are tailored to the child’s individual needs and interests, increasing the likelihood of carryover to other settings.
Pivotal Response Training
Similar to Naturalistic Teaching but providing more structure, PRT utilizes naturally-occurring teaching opportunities and consequences, taking the focus off of areas of deficits and redirecting attention to certain pivotal areas that are viewed as key for a wide range of functioning in children. Four pivotal areas have been identified: (a) motivation, (b) child self-initiations, (c) self management, and (d) responsiveness to multiple cues. It is believed that when these areas are promoted, they produce improvements in many of the non-targeted behaviors.
Token Economies
Token Economies involves the giving of tokens, or ‘conditioned reinforcers’ such as stickers or points, to a child as a reward for positive behavior. The tokens can be exchanged for desired items or activities, such as toys or screen time. This technique is used to reinforce positive behavior and discourage negative behavior by providing immediate feedback and consequences. Token Economies can be used in various settings, such as schools, homes or clinical settings, to teach and reinforce desired behaviors, such as following instructions or staying on task.
Contingent Observation
Designed to decrease problem behavior in individuals, Contingent Observation involves providing a child with brief periods of observation and attention from a caregiver or therapist immediately following periods of inappropriate behavior. This technique is designed to increase the likelihood of the individual engaging in positive behavior and decreasing the likelihood of misbehavior. Contingent observation can be effective in decreasing problem behaviors such as aggression or self-injury, and can be implemented in a variety of settings, including schools and homes.

Our skilled team is trained in a growing variety of techniques to ensure that your child can get ahead in life

THE MORE YOU KNOW

It’s our pleasure to answer all your questions.
Start by visiting our FAQ page to learn more about what to expect at Empower ABA.
Read our FAQ's

New Clinic launched in Powhatan, VA

Contact the Empower ABA office today for more details 844-222-1173

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