What Is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a well-established and evidence-based treatment for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. However, ABA services can also be applied to individuals who have experienced trauma. Trauma-informed care is an approach that emphasizes understanding the impact of trauma on an individual’s life and tailoring interventions to their specific needs. ABA services can be modified to integrate trauma-informed practices, such as focusing on building rapport and trust, allowing for choices and autonomy, and providing a safe and supportive environment. Incorporating trauma-informed care into ABA services can help individuals feel more comfortable, respected, and empowered during treatment. It can also lead to better outcomes by addressing the root causes of behavior challenges and promoting overall well-being.
The symptoms and behaviors of a child with ASD can interfere with their ability to learn, socialize, and thrive in their everyday life. They may struggle with social interactions, intermittent explosive disorder (IED), or academic challenges in school.
ABA services for kids & teens work to reduce these symptoms by focusing on cultivating positive behaviors, reducing challenging behaviors, and helping them to understand how their behaviors affect the world around them.
ABA therapy for kids has been proven time and time again as the most effective treatment option for kids & teens struggling with the symptoms of ASD.
How ABA Services Help Kids and Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder
ABA is a one-on-one form of therapy that focuses on several related goals. Its purpose is to help children with autism spectrum disorder:
- Learn the skills of social interaction
- Improve skills such as communication, task completion, and emotional regulation
- Gain the ability to self-regulate and practice self-control
- Transfer the new behaviors learned in ABA into their everyday lives
- Reduce the incidence of negative behaviors
In order to achieve these goals, ABA therapy focuses on a few key therapeutic interventions: using positive reinforcements, teaching how behaviors lead to consequences, and cultivating positive change.
Using Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is an essential component of autism therapy. No child should be punished for their behavior. In fact, punishment can often lead to a worsening of symptoms or unintended consequences. Positive reinforcement has no such downfalls. It can only improve outcomes, and it has been proven to do so for the past several decades of autism therapy services’ history.
Defined simply, positive reinforcement means rewarding desired behaviors. In ABA, positive reinforcement takes several forms:
- Social Reinforcers
Social reinforcers refer to positive responses from an ABA therapist when a kid or teen accomplishes a goal. Social reinforcers could be as simple as a smile, a cheer, or a thumbs up. Social reinforcers provide a clear indication that a kid or teen with ASD is doing a good job and that others recognize their behavior as praiseworthy.
- Tangible Reinforcers
Tangible reinforcers refer to physical objects that are given as a reward. Examples of tangible reinforcers include a favorite toy, a new shirt or hat, or a magazine.
When somebody is given a tangible reinforcer after completing a task, they associate the pleasurable emotions connected to the object with the completion of a hard task. In time, these emotions can overlap to the point where completing the task is a reward in itself.
- Token Reinforcers
Token reinforcers are a form of in-house currency that can be exchanged for desired activities. Using token reinforcers connects completing goals with future rewards and teaches kids & teens how to accomplish difficult tasks for future gains. Tokens are invented currencies with no monetary value. They may take the form of themed “bucks” or tickets and are exchanged for rewards, such as extra play time, food items, or special privileges.
Using token reinforcers helps motivate children to accomplish tasks or reward them for good behavior. Examples of token reinforcers include:
- Earning tokens for cleaning your space
- Getting rewarded with tokens as a recognition of hard work
- Earning tokens for showing up to an activity on time
- Exchanging tokens for 20 minutes of computer time
Tokens can be either tied to specific activities or given out by an ABA therapist as recognition of a job well done.
- Edible Reinforcers
Edible reinforcers are similar to token reinforcers in that they are earned or rewarded when the desired behavior is accomplished. Examples include water bottles, candy, crackers, and fruit.
Importantly, these edible reinforcers are extra, fun snacks. Food is never withheld as a result of undesired behavior. Instead, an example of an edible reinforcer would be earning three goldfish crackers for each math problem completed or a piece of fruit for not having an outburst during a difficult situation.
- Activity Reinforcers
Using activity reinforcers is another way ABA therapists associate good behavior and accomplishments with desired outcomes. Games, reading, or puzzles are examples of activity reinforcers, and they are gained by a child accomplishing a difficult task or completing a goal.
Understanding Antecedents, Behaviors, & Consequences
Another essential component of autism therapy services for teens & kids is referred to as the “A-B-Cs” of ABA: antecedents, behaviors, and consequences. Helping children to learn how the environment can affect their behavior, which in turn creates consequences, can help them learn to self-regulate and behave in a healthier fashion.
Antecedents
The term “antecedents” refers to the situation that occurs right before a specific behavior. Specific antecedents are different for everyone, but some examples include:
- Loud noises
- Harsh lights
- Specific objects
- Requests from others
- Physical sensations
- Thoughts or feelings
Whatever the initial stimulus is, it often results in a specific pattern of behavior.
In ABA, a therapist works with a child to identify what their specific triggers are. By identifying their specific triggers, they can work to avoid these triggers, teach the child to cope with them when they happen, or practice a different behavioral response that is more adaptive.
Behaviors
Behaviors are the actions that a person takes or doesn’t take immediately following an antecedent. These behaviors can often be inappropriate or unhelpful and are referred to by ABA therapists as “target behaviors” for change.
An example of inappropriate behavior that an ABA center for kids & teens works to change would be emotional outbursts. If a parent, therapist, or teacher asks a child to put their toys away, and they react in a strongly negative manner, such as by yelling “no” or getting angry, that negative reaction would become a target behavior for change.
Consequences
Consequences are the last step of the ABA ABCs. They refer to the outcomes that happen as a result of their behavior. In the example listed above, an emotional outburst will often result in caregivers attempting to punish or discipline the child for their behavior. They may take the child’s toys away from them or limit the amount of time they get to play with toys in the future.
While ABA doesn’t use punishment as a therapeutic tool, understanding how certain behaviors lead to consequences is an essential lesson. Furthermore, ABA therapists can teach kids how changing the target behavior can lead to more desirable outcomes, allowing them to associate behavior change with positive outcomes.
The ABCs All Together
The ABCs in applied behavioral analysis help clinicians identify target behaviors, triggering situations, and potential consequences. But they also serve as a valuable tool that helps kids understand how behavior change can benefit them.
By focusing on antecedents, behaviors, and consequences, ABA therapists can teach kids and teens with ASD acceptable social behaviors. If a child doesn’t respond negatively to a common antecedent trigger, a therapist will reward them using positive reinforcement. When behaviors change, they are rewarded as well.
Ultimately, kids can learn that their behavior change results in fewer negative consequences — which becomes a reward in itself and can translate into several different situations in the real world.
Therapy Focusing on Cultivating Change
At the heart of our Colorado Springs autism therapy center is a focus on cultivating positive change. While this includes targeted behavior change, it extends even further than that. Our program has proven results in helping teens & kids with language development, intellectual abilities, skills for everyday life, and navigating social situations.
Each child gets a comprehensive and individualized treatment plan to help them accomplish these goals. Cultivating positive change means recognizing that there is no one-size fits all approach.
Each child with ASD has specific needs, wants, desires, and abilities. By capitalizing on their strengths and working together to overcome their struggles, they can achieve greater and greater heights.
What Happens During an ABA Therapy Session?
The first stage of ABA treatment is setting a clear plan. Every patient who attends our ABA therapy center will receive a customized treatment plan with specific goals for behavioral change. Family involvement is always encouraged; it plays a key role in developing the goals.
All of our planning incorporates each patient’s individual needs, skills, interests, and preferences. Our team will work to identify problem behaviors, skill deficits, and other targets for improvement in treatment. This includes areas such as:
- Academic skills
- Social skills
- Self-care practices
- Language skills
- Communication skills
- Motor functioning
- Leisure and play
In order to achieve results, each goal is broken down further into small, incremental steps. Progress on these goals is assessed regularly and may evolve over time to match each patient’s strengths and weaknesses.
ABA sessions are split into two main categories: specific, task-oriented training and natural environment training.
The first category may resemble a typical school day, with a therapist working with a child to complete specific tasks and providing positive reinforcement and encouragement when they achieve their goals. These sessions are almost always one-on-one, ensuring that each child gets the specific help and support they need.
Natural environment sessions more closely resemble play or leisure. They are meant to help children with autism spectrum disorder navigate everyday situations, and therapists can help coach them through their behaviors and support them when needed. The skills learned in natural environment sessions translate extremely well to living in the real world and are interwoven with task-oriented training sessions.
Who Conducts ABA Therapy?
All ABA therapy is conducted under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA). BCBAs have at least a master’s level education as well as specific training in the tools and techniques of applied behavioral analysis.
These providers are responsible for each patient’s assessment, development of the treatment plan, implementation of evidence-based treatment approaches, and monitoring progress throughout their time receiving ABA services.
The BCBA is supported by behavioral technicians with specialized training in applied behavioral analysis. These dedicated and supportive staff members are responsible for most of the one-on-one interactions in therapy. They work diligently to ensure that each child is getting the support and help they need.
We strive to hire only the best and brightest people for these roles — people who exemplify Cultivate Behavioral Health’s core values and treatment philosophy.
By performing ongoing assessments, the BCBA will closely track the progress of each client. When they have achieved several of their goals, the BCBA will determine whether treatment should be reduced, or their behavior has improved to the point that ABA is no longer necessary.
Graduating from ABA is always the goal of therapy. Nothing brings more joy to our staff than recognizing that services are no longer needed for them to grow and thrive!
How Effective Are ABA Services?
Both the Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association consider ABA an evidence-based treatment, and it is considered to be the best clinical practice treatment for helping kids & teens with autism spectrum disorder.
Decades of scientific and clinical research have proven that ABA improves negative symptoms, helps with intellectual and social functioning, and progresses language development.
Put simply, ABA services are the gold standard of treatment for kids & teens who are experiencing significant challenges due to autism spectrum disorder.
Cultivate Behavioral Health’s Philosophy
At Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education in Colorado Springs, our core values drive all of our services. Our key values include integrity, accountability, acceptance, and dedication — and we always include families as part of the healing journey. We are committed to promoting equity, inclusion, and diversity in all of our programs.
Compassionate, Patient-Centered Services
Empathy and compassion are at the heart of philosophy. In order for kids & teens to recover, they need to be able to trust their treatment team. To this end, we take great care to individualize each treatment program, ensuring that therapy is personalized to each patient.
We strive to respect the unique needs of different patients and diverse families and will do everything we can to accommodate our services to your preferences.
Our center focuses on early intervention but offers autism services for a variety of ages, from 18 months to 21 years. The foremost goal of our entire team is to help your child grow and thrive by providing the support and clinical services they need.
Support When You Need It Most
Too often, families looking for ABA therapy services are faced with long waitlists, scheduling conflicts, and other roadblocks to recovery. Our autism center in Colorado Springs works hard to minimize these setbacks. Most families never wait on a waitlist at Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education, and we have minimal wait times across the board.
Your schedule — and your child’s — shouldn’t need to be a roadblock to getting them the help they need.
As Much Support as Needed
Our autism therapy center is here to provide as much treatment as is clinically necessary to see results. For some patients, this can be up to 40 hours a week. We don’t shy away from helping the kids who need these services the most, and we will be there to support them as much as possible for as long as necessary.
At the same time, we don’t want children who are succeeding to dedicate more time than is necessary to see improvement. The best ABA therapy is always aimed at the cessation of services.
Emphasis on Family Involvement
At our ABA center, the family is always encouraged to participate in treatment. Our team can teach you the tools and skills that can have a drastic and lasting impact on your child’s life. We will show you how to incorporate them into the home. Families are always involved in developing the treatment plan, and they play a pivotal role in the success of their child’s recovery.
We strive to keep you up-to-date with everything that happens, whether it’s at our ABA center.
Treatment Covered by Most Insurance
Paying for treatment is one of the most commonly cited reasons that people don’t enroll their child in autism services. Fortunately, most major insurance companies will cover all or part of your child’s treatment at our Colorado Springs autism center.
Our team of experts can help you to navigate the insurance maze, check whether your plan provides coverage for ABA services, and help you make the best decision for your family. You don’t have to do this alone. We’ll be there to help you every step of the way.
Start ABA Therapy in Colorado Springs at Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education Today
When you’re ready to enroll your child in our evidence-based ABA therapy program, reach out to the professionals at Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education in Colorado Springs. Our team can walk you through the full details of our extensive treatment options and help you make the best choice for your child.
We understand how difficult it can be to parent a child who struggles with autism spectrum disorder. From the moment you call our team, we’ll be there to support you and your child every step of the way.
With targeted treatments, compassionate therapists, and ongoing assessment, your child can learn the skills to grow and thrive as an adult. Don’t delay seeking treatment any longer. Call our team today to get started.
