Starting ABA Therapy: What Should You Expect?

The BCBA will start by conducting a detailed assessment and observation of your child. This process helps identify your child’s unique needs, strengths, and areas for improvement. A combination of interviews with caregivers, direct observation, and common assessments, such as Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) and adaptive skills assessments, will be conducted. The entire assessment phase may take between 15 to 30 days. Based on this information, an individualized behavior plan is created, with goals tailored specifically to your child.

After completing the initial assessment and observations, we develop an individualized treatment plan tailored to your child, using the Verbal Behavior Approach. This plan includes specific treatment goals, objectives for managing behaviors, recommendations for therapy hours, and parent training goals to empower you in supporting your child's development. We will schedule a meeting to review the plan in detail, ensuring it meets your expectations. If you are satisfied, you will sign the plan, and we will be ready to begin direct ABA services for your child. 

For more information about the Verbal Behavior Approach, visit Autism Speaks: 

https://www.autismspeaks.org/verbal-behavior-therapy

After the treatment plan is created, it’s time to put it into action! Your child’s therapy will be delivered by our highly trained and board-certified technicians who work directly under the supervision of a BCBA. Our technicians are required to have a minimum of one year of experience delivering ABA services.

During the first week of therapy, the RBT will focus on pairing—building rapport with a positive and trusting relationship with your child. We always begin with pairing, as it is an essential component of ABA that helps your child associate the therapist with fun and rewarding activities. This approach makes them more engaged and motivated to participate in sessions. The RBT often utilizes naturalistic teaching methods, incorporating your child’s interests and everyday activities to introduce learning.

As therapy begins, it’s common for families to notice some changes in behavior. You might see an increase in challenging behaviors or even behaviors your child hasn’t exhibited before. This is perfectly normal and indicates that your child is adjusting to the new structure and expectations. Each service is individualized and continually adjusted as your child learns new skills and becomes more comfortable with the process.

All clinicians delivering ABA services at Stepping Stones Behavioral Services are Board Certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). 

For more information about the certification and standards, you can visit https://www.bacb.com/

Family involvement is essential in ABA therapy! Our BCBA's schedule regular family meetings with parents, grandparents, and/or anyone involved in the treatment to ensure that everyone is aligned and collaboratively working to support your child’s progress.

During these sessions we offer families and teachers valuable insights into the strategies the ABA team employs to reinforce the treatment plan’s goals. The purpose of caregiver involvement is to equip you with the skills needed to effectively implement interventions outside of therapy sessions. By actively participating in the process, you become integral to your child's success, fostering a team-oriented approach that benefits everyone involved.

The BCBA will continually monitor progress through data collection to make adjustments to the behavior plan as needed. If your child masters a goal, new ones are introduced! While insurance companies often require reassessments every six months, this doesn’t mean we wait that long to make changes. Your child’s progress is continuously assessed to ensure they are always moving forward. During this phase, we also emphasize the importance of generalization, helping your child apply learned skills across different settings in their natural environment.