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What
is ABA ? |
| Why
ABA ? |
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How
Can I Learn More About ABA ? |
| How does
one get started with an ABA program for their child? |
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| Do
you provide therapists for families? How many therapists should
work with my child? |
| Can a parent
be trained to implement this treatment? |
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| How do you handle
difficult behaviors? |
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| How is progress
evaluated? |
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| How much does an
ABA program cost? |
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| Do you accept credit
cards or insurance? |
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| Do
you only work with children that have an autism diagnosis? What
about older children? |
| Is ABA appropriate
for older children? |
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| How are you
different from other providers? |
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| Where do you derive
your curricula and how do you decide what to teach? |
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What
is ABA ?
ABA , or applied behavior analysis, is the application
of empirically derived techniques based on the interaction
between behavior and its environment. Being that behavior
analysis is a data driven science, it relies heavily on objective
information, direct observation and measurement, and the systematic
arrangement of events to obtain desirable behavior. Specific
to the treatment of developmental disabilities, these evidence-based
procedures are implemented to acquire and maintain functional
skills such as communication and social skill development.
ABA focuses on breaking down complex skills into prerequisite
and component steps, and teaching in a systematic and individualized
manner, whether the targeted behavior is simple (such as increasing
frequency of eye contact) or complex (maintaining social interactions).
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Why
ABA ?
A distinction that is important, but not always obvious
is the difference between pure speculation about a treatment
and actual documented demonstrations that the treatment works.
Because people are imperfect and variable in their abilities
to observe and report events, reports are inherently inaccurate
and inconsistent. Behavior analysts take precautions to ensure
the information they receive is obtained by objective means.
The first controlled early autism intervention study provided
a clear demonstration that almost half (47%) of the children who received intensive
behavioral intervention (approximately 8 hours each day),
achieved IQ levels that matched that of
their typically developing peers (Lovaas, UCLA, 1987). To date,
behavior analysis is the only documented treatment that routinely
employs a number of practices to increase objectivity of evidence
about treatment effects: (1) behaviors are operationally defined
(2) measurement procedures are clearly specified (3) those
implementing to programs are trained on how to observe and
record the level of the behavior (4) programs are changed
based on the analysis of the data. |
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How
Can I Learn More About ABA ?
One component of the mission of the DFW Center for Autism is to educate and disseminate
information to the parents, professionals, and paraprofessional
in the community. This is accomplished in a number of ways.
One is an annual awareness event hosted in April in honor of Autism AWareness Month.
Another way is through our Training Program. In addition to providing intensive training to parents, and professionals in our area, the center hosts several workshops throughout the year
covering
both theoretical and procedural issues in autism treatment.
Topics such as the development of self-help skills, functions
of self-injurious behavior, and social and play skills are
presented for parents, therapists, and professionals alike.
Please visit www.dfwcenterforautism.org for more information
on upcoming events, or email training@dfwcenterforautism.org. |
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How
does one get started with an ABA program for their child?
The first step is to review the three treatment options we have available to you, which are the "Texas Star Academy", "Outreach", and "Training". Each program has a link on our website (above) where you can click for more information.
After reviewing the treatment options, if you feel one or several of these options might be for you, the next step is to complete the
center's "Enrollment Form" (found in the left column on each program's webpage).
You may fax, email, or mail this our facility (see "Contact Us" for contact information), and there is no obligation to participate or enroll at this point. This process will just ensure you most effecient access to our services if needed.
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Do
you provide therapists for families? How many therapists should
work with my child?
Yes, we do provide treatment staff for your child through all of our treatment programs.
Our center is an excellent site for training of future professionals and paraprofessionals in the field of applied behavior analysis and autism
and thus, we are able to recruit, hire, train and retain those staff regularly.
If you have someone you would like to work with your child already, we would love the opportunity to recruit them to join our team.
That will safeguard your child's treatment to be as cohesive, efficient, and effective as possible.
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Can
a parent be trained to implement this treatment?
The involvement of parent(s) and other caregivers is essential to an effective
program. Many of the procedures must be generalized beyond the
environment and conditions in which the skills are originally
taught. Therefore, parents and others close to the child automatically
become a part of the "treatment team". All of the
added hours and minutes each day spent with the child’s
family can be so meaningful that it will even ensure faster
acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of the targeted
behaviors. This is most likely when parents are adequately trained
to use the behavioral principles themselves and regular treatment
hours are maintained by the rest of the team. For this reason,
we ask that at least one parent attend any treatment team meetings to
provide input, be aware of the short and long term goals for
their child, and be adequately trained by the center's staff.
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How
do you handle difficult behaviors?
There are a number of techniques that we implement to address
specific behavioral issues. Ethically, behavior analysts must
first identify the function of a behavior before developing
an intervention to address it. Procedures to reduce a difficult
behavior should always be accompanied by a simultaneous procedure
to increase a desired behavior that will serve the same function
as the undesired behavior. We rely heavily on reinforcement
to teach these alternative and functionally equivalent behaviors.
The least intrusive approach is most often recommended.
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How
is progress evaluated?
Data collection is the basis for procedural decisions. Different
behaviors lend themselves to different methods of evaluation.
Our goal to simplify those methods to ensure adherence and analysis
by those implementing the programs. Your child's will be assigned a Program Manager who meets weekly with supervising Board Certified Behavior Analysts and other staff to
review the data that have been collected for that week and the goals for the child's treatment program. This opportunity for analysis is critical for ABA treatment to be effective. Parents will be provided data and progress summaries on a regular basis.
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How
much does an ABA program cost?
According to the manual Behavioral Intervention for Young Children
with Autism published in 1996, the annual cost for running a high-quality
and effective ABA program at 35-hours a week costs a family
on average $45,000 a year. The good news is the DFW Center for Autism has strongly attempted
to keep this cost down. As a nonprofit organization and as a employer of many behavior analysts and treatment providers in the area
we see firsthand the need to keep costs at a minimum. Currently, our ABA treatment fees average close to $30/hr with up to 30 hours a week of treatment recommended. Over a 48 week year (forgiving holiday breaks), that totals close to $43,000/yr.
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Do
you accept credit cards or insurance?
Fortunately we can report that some of our families have been successful at obtaining insurance coverage for at least a portion of their out-of-pocket expenses for this treatment. With Governor Rick Perry's recent signing of HB1919 into law, we hope that 2008 will bring many more success stories from families whose
medical insurance will cover these medically necessary treatment costs.
It is recommended that you refer to your insurance plan and benefits provider for coverage details.
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Do
you only work with children that have an autism diagnosis? What
about older children?
Behavior analysts identify the various
environmental variables that affect behavior. The recommended
procedures and techniques are based on empirically based studies
and have been implemented with both typical and atypical individuals
of all ages. It is not necessary to have any particular diagnosis
to benefit from ABA interventions. The center's Outreach and Training programs are beneficial for families with children with behavioral deficits of all ages. However, the Texas Star Academy currently supports soley an early intervention model and children are typically enrolled between the ages of 18 mos to 4 yrs of age.
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Is
ABA appropriate for older children?
Absolutely! Although it is often recommended to begin intervention
at an early age, we have provided successful treatment through our Outreach & Training programs to a
number of individuals into and past their teenage years. Most
often these programs focus on a particular area for intervention,
such as communication skills, leisure activities, developing
social communities, or self-help and daily living skills.
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How
are you different from other providers?
Texas
Star Academy Center-based Preschool
One hallmark of our early childhood program is the early childhood
education center as a source of our preschool learning environment
as it provides mainstream inclusion with typically developing
peers. This is a fantastic location for siblings to attend school
together when one is typically developing and one has traits
of autism. In this setting, friendships are fostered, communication
is reinforced by the child’s peer group, social communities
are developed, and all levels of learning are strengthened. Additionally, this program incorporates annual
peer review from some of the top behavior analysts in the country. So far in 2007, the DFW Center for Autism has consulted with
Drs. Lynn Koegel & Danny Openden* from the UC Santa Barbara, and from Dr. Gail McGee and Michael Morrier from Emory University's School of Medicine. (Daniel Openden, PhD is now the Director of Clinical Services at SARRC in Arizona.)
Outreach Services
Unlike many other in-home ABA providers, our outreach services offer your child the entire ABA treatment team. Additionally, despite our comprehensive and rigorous training process and amazing staff to child ratio, our rates are extremely competitive with other
comparably trained professionals.
Training and Family Support Services
With the recent addition of the Family Support model of intensive family training, the DFW Center for Autism provides more community awareness and Training opportunities than any of its surrounding
autism treatment centers. The events are frequent, widely
attended, and stellar in quality. We additionally will enlist the support and guidance of parents of children with autism to
ensure we are providing what parents need most. After all, parents have an abundance of personal experience in the multi-faceted world of autism.
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Where
do you derive your curricula and how do you decide what to teach?
Prior to setting up an in-home program, we require that the
Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS) assessment
be conducted, as well as a direct observation of the individual
requiring services. We may also perform other assessments as
needed. This information coupled with an interview with the
parent/guardian allows us to identify the scope and sequence
of our teaching programs. We utilize a number of educational
resources to guide our programming, as well as collecting normative
data (behaviors that typically developing individuals engage
in). Some of these resources can be provided at an intake meeting when enrollment for treatment is discussed.
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