Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

ABA is the application of the science of human behavior to affect meaningful behavior change that allows those we serve to thrive. It is the recommended intervention for people with autism and other developmental disabilities. The effectiveness of ABA in teaching skills and reducing dangerous behaviors such as self-injury has been established through hundreds of scientific studies. The main principles of ABA are Function, Reinforcement, and Motivation.

• Function: All behavior serves a purpose.
• Reinforcement: Changes that follow behavior can either increase the likelihood of that behavior being repeated or decrease it depending on how effective the behavior was at accomplishing its purpose.
• Motivation: What happens before a behavior can affect how much a person needs or desires an outcome.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

Direct early intervention services will be provided by myself – Kate Koehler-Platten, MS, BCBA, LBA. A BCBA is a masters level clinician who has completed supervised hours and the board certification exam. BCBAs are qualified to:

• implement ABA with clients
• assess for skills and deficits
• determine goals and objectives for treatment
• design intervention programs
• provide parent education in ABA
• collaborate with other providers
• supervise others in implementing intervention programs.

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention

In direct early intervention I will come to your home, play with your child and build a relationship, learn your child’s daily routines, then incorporate engaging learning opportunities into these activities, reinforcing new skills as they develop.

Targeted skills may include communication, interactive play, independent play, school readiness, safety awareness, daily living skills, tolerating delay and denial, and cognitive skills.

I use Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI) which is a term for interventions that combine ABA and the science of child development. NDBIs are implemented in your child’s familiar settings, involve shared control between child and therapist, utilize reinforcement and natural consequences, and use a variety of behavioral strategies to teach developmentally appropriate skills.

Collaboration

Collaboration is the first step of caregiver involvement and will continue throughout the duration of services in order to provide services that are effective for both your child and your family. During BCBA-Caregiver meetings, we will collaborate on:

• goals for your child
• designing interventions
• teaching methods
• addressing new developments

This is an ongoing process. Whenever possible, coordination meetings will be held with additional providers such as Speech-Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists to share expertise and coordinate interventions.

Coaching

Coaching is the process by which you will learn how to run your child’s programs and incorporate them into their daily activities. The majority of caregiver involvement will be coaching.

Starting with high priority programs, I will explain the program to you and demonstrate how to run the program. Then you will run the program with your child and I will provide ongoing feedback and answer any questions until you feel confident running the program on your own.

Coaching is available for all caregivers who spend time with your child. It is highly recommended that all caregivers who spend significant time with your child participate in caregiver coaching.

ABA Concepts

The final goal for direct services is to get to the point that the needed intensity of intervention can be met by primary caregivers. Training in ABA concepts will help you to understand how and why your child’s interventions work. Additionally, caregivers will learn:

• how to recognize the need for an intervention
• develop a program to address it
• implement your program
• determine any changes to be made
• know when your child has accomplished the goal