In School ABA Therapy
It’s highly beneficial for your child to receive ABA treatment in the structured environments they frequent most. In addition to offering ABA therapy at-home and in our centers, Cultivate also coordinates in-school ABA therapy for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Implementing ABA therapy in a school setting is focused on improving a child’s social, communication, and learning skills through structured interventions during the school day. As a complement to clinical and/or home-based settings, therapy in school offers unique opportunities to help children with ASD thrive academically and socially within their educational environment.
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Supporting Students with Autism Through In-School ABA Therapy
Cultivate will work with your student at his/her school to integrate ABA therapy and intervention plans directly into the school day. ABA-trained therapists work collaboratively with teachers and support staff to address your child’s specific needs, ensuring a more inclusive and supportive classroom experience. ABA therapists also provide training for the student’s teachers and support staff, equipping them with tools to manage behaviors and support the student’s learning outside of direct therapy sessions.
Prior to treatment, your child will receive a thorough assessment to identify the reasons behind certain behaviors and design interventions accordingly. This will serve as the guide for in-school ABA therapy treatment.
What to expect with In-School ABA Therapy
- Each student will receive individualized goals and strategies based on their behavior assessment and unique needs.
- The Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) in school will closely collaborate with educators at the school to ensure that the behavior intervention plan is aligned with the student’s unique learning needs. This helps ensure that classroom accommodations, such as alternative communication methods or sensory breaks, are seamlessly integrated into the learning process.
- Through real-time learning and application, students are empowered to practice new skills in real-world social and academic settings. This approach is highly effective because it supports learned behaviors and helps students generalize skills across different environments. A school setting allows children with ASD to interact with peers and practice the skills learned in session.
- A school setting allows children with ASD to interact with peers and practice social skills within natural, age-appropriate structured environments. ABA therapy at school encourages participation in group activities, which aids in social engagement and friendship-building, which can potentially be harder to foster in other therapy environments.
- School can be stressful for any student and ABA therapists will be on hand to provide behavioral support during academic activities. Whether it’s helping reduce disruptive behaviors or encouraging confident classroom conduct, the goal is to address challenging behaviors as they happen so that students can maintain better focus and start creating better habits.
Cultivating a More Confident School Environment Through In-School ABA Therapy
With the proper support and structure, your child can thrive and succeed at school! In-school ABA therapy plays a vital role in creating a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for students with ASD.
Here at Cultivate, we pride ourselves on the work that happens collaboratively with our team, educators, and families to ensure that students receive the support they need to succeed academically and socially, both inside and outside the classroom. We will ensure that your child’s therapy is properly integrated into the school day so that they have the opportunity to develop critical skills while participating in everyday classroom activities.
Connect with us to learn more about the services we provide in-school and how we can support your child’s future.
frequently asked questions
ABA is a one-on-one therapy focusing on several related goals. It helps children with autism spectrum disorder to:
- Develop social interaction skills
- Improve communication, task completion, and emotional regulation
- Gain self-regulation and self-control abilities
- Apply new behaviors to everyday life
- Reduce inappropriate behaviors
To achieve these goals, ABA therapy uses positive reinforcement, teaches behavior-consequence relationships, and encourages positive change.
The ABCs of ABA are key components of our approach:
- Antecedents are events or conditions occurring right before a behavior, acting as triggers. Identifying these helps our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) understand behavior contexts.
- Behaviors are the observable actions or responses following an antecedent. We focus on analyzing and modifying these.
- Consequences are the outcomes following a behavior, which can reinforce or diminish it. We teach children how their behaviors lead to specific outcomes, and assist in areas such as promoting self-regulation, improved social skills, and more.
By helping children grasp these concepts, we empower them to navigate their environments more confidently and successfully.
We start by creating a custom treatment plan for each child, with specific behavioral change goals. Family involvement is very important in developing these goals. Our planning considers your child’s unique needs, skills, interests, and preferences, focusing on:
- Academic skills
- Social skills
- Self-care practices
- Language and communication skills
- Motor functioning
- Leisure and play
Goals are broken into small and incremental steps, with regular progress assessments to adapt to every child’s strengths and weaknesses.
ABA sessions fall into two categories:
Discrete Trial Training (DTT): Similar to a school day, where a therapist works one-on-one with a child on specific tasks, providing positive reinforcement for achievements.
Natural Environment Training (NET): More play-based, helping children navigate everyday situations and ensuring skills translate effectively to real-life scenarios.
Throughout the process, we keep families involved and informed, and we celebrate progress and address challenges together. ABA isn’t just about teaching skills, it’s about opening up new possibilities for your child’s development and independence.
