Pediatric Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

You and your child deserve an intervention that works.

What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?

• ABA is the gold-standard of treatment that has been clinically proven to be effective in helping children with autism. 
• ABA is the study and analysis of behavior as it relates to the natural environment. Every child’s ABA therapy program is individually designed and utilizes data-based decisions to ensure individualized learning. 1:1 programs are developed to help decrease challenging behaviors and designed to help increase socially significant skills. 
• We use play-based, modern, naturalistic ABA to promote specific skill acquisition. 
• Children learn new skills in everyday settings, and we tailor goals to each child’s strengths and each family’s priorities.
• Our team takes a naturalistic approach to ABA that’s built around positive, caring, relationships. 

How can ABA help my child? 

Our fundamental goal is to increase independence and produce meaningful outcomes for the children we serve. We focus on strengths-based skill Development:

• We start with each family by setting long-term goals for the child and the family. Our goal is to help our clients reach developmental milestones and gain the tools necessary to succeed in a variety of situations outside of Woven, including transitioning into a school setting with their peers.
• Our ABA therapy effectively improves social skills, self-regulation, emotional development, and overall communication. We can help your child with day to day activities like self-care skills, personal hygiene, fine motor abilities, academic and vocational skills.

Building Necessary School-Ready Skills 

• The benefits of ABA therapy in preparing children for school are exponential 
• Our team is experienced in developing age-appropriate skills in children no matter where they lie on the spectrum

Here’s a quick peek at some of the essential skills required for the classroom that we are uniquely equipped to work on within our center environments:

• Staying seated in a chair and/or at circle time
• Following instructions and completing tasks
• Paying attention and responding to teachers
• Learning in a group setting
• Lining up
• Being aware of personal space and body awareness
• Self-care skills (e.g. using the restroom, washing hands, feeding self)
• Eating lunch around others
• Playing cooperatively and interacting with peers
• Leaving the home to attend a new place with new people
• Communication
• Life skills
• Transitions to school
• Eating skills
• Fine motor and gross motor skills
• Potty training
• Peer and family interaction
• Appropriate play!

What makes Woven Care ABA Therapy Different? 

We involve parents, caregivers, and families every step of the way. 

• You know your child better than anyone else. We know for ABA to be successful, partnering with parents and families is absolutely essential. From the development of goals to the daily implementation of ABA principles in everyday life, your input, ideas, and involvement are among the most important and valuable components of our program.‍
• Evidence-based, Collaborative, Comprehensive Care through an interdisciplinary approach
• Our programs and trainings are guided by best practice models, the most current science, and the individualized and unique needs of the children and families who we serve.
• We offer additional services beyond ABA including Speech, Occupational, and Physical therapy. If appropriate, our teams will build a plan across therapies, so your child can get integrated care all under one roof. 
• By using targeted techniques and principles of learning in collaboration with other therapies, we influence significant, positive change and independence. 

Industry-Leading Team Standards

• You’re trusting us with the most important person in your life to perform the most important task of their young lives. 
• Our therapists are highly-qualified, screened, and internally trained to ensure the highest quality of care is given to every individual client and their family. We take care of our team so we can take care of you and your family. 

Personalized for your child

• Every child is unique. That’s why we start with a personalized ABA treatment plan tailored for your child’s needs.
• Treatment decisions are determined by measured observations from your unique child. Our approaches are continuously analyzed to ensure your child’s greatest success.
• After our initial call and assessment, our team will build a tailored treatment plan for your child’s needs. From there, we coordinate daily to track progress and improve your plan to make sure your child is progressing to reach the goals set as a team.
• We don’t believe in a one-size-fits all approach to ABA. Our treatment plans are designed for your child’s unique needs and stage of development. We work with each family to set goals for each child, and then work with the family to reach those goals and beyond!

Center-based ABA drives better outcomes

• ABA therapy delivered in a clinic setting ensures a high level of quality of treatment services. Rather than working alone, your child’s therapist works closely with an entire team.
• Research shows that children receiving ABA-based intervention in preschool-like settings similar to ours made significantly more gains in both intellectual and adaptive functioning skills, as compared to children who underwent the standard approach
• Children also benefit from the opportunity to learn from their peers in this shared environment.
• We believe in our center-based model, which gives us the resources to reach a broader range of skills and achieve more goals than in-home or other therapy options.
• Through ABA and other complementary therapies all under one roof, we focus on the skills outside of academics that your child needs to thrive.
• Our center-based model supplies us with the time, tools, environment, structure, multidisciplinary experience and data to dedicate to this special kind of learning even before he or she steps foot in preschool.
• Research defines quality ABA programming as 1:1 services implemented 30-40 hours per week. It is shown that quality programming is best obtained via a center-based ABA model. Center-based services have been shown to have significantly higher staff supervision and training, higher rates of exposure to peers, a higher guarantee of a full-time schedule, and an overall much higher caregiver satisfaction. Your child will benefit from our engaging and motivating staff.

Who delivers ABA Therapy? 

An ABA Team composed of Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Registered Behavior Technicians.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts

• Master’s or doctoral degree
• Conducts evaluations and reevaluations
• Designs and supervises speech-language therapy programs

Registered Behavior Technicians‍

As stated by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board, an RBT is a person who practices under the close, ongoing supervision of a BCBA, BCaBA, or BCBA-D. The Registered Behavior Technician is primarily responsible for the direct implementation of ABA services. This is the person who is typically working 1:1 with an individual in designated treatment settings (home, school, clinic, etc.) RBTs must be over 18 years old, possess at least a high school diploma, go through a designated training program, and pass other eligibility requirements. RBTs do not conduct assessments or create treatment programs, however they implement the treatment program designed by a Behavior Analyst and collect data on progress.

What is Autism? 

• Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills and interaction, repetitive behaviors, and speech and nonverbal communication. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention. Autism is a spectrum disorder, which means it affects people in different ways and in varying degrees. 
• Although the presentation of ASD varies significantly among individuals, it affects every age group and occurs in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups. It can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination, sensory processing and attention, as well as physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances.
• While there is no known cause for ASD, it likely begins in very early brain development (quite possibly even before birth) long before observable symptoms of the disorder ever emerge. 

Diagnosis:

Currently trained professionals can only diagnose ASD by observing emerging behavior or by noting significant differences from how a person’s peers function. 

• For some, signs of autism usually appear between 2 and 3 years of age. For others, differences may not become obvious until childhood, adolescence, or, for some, even adulthood.
• Research has made clear that high quality early intervention can improve learning, communication and social skills, as well as underlying brain development.

The presentation of ASD can vary widely from child to child

• Cognition: Some people may have significant cognitive impairment, while others are gifted in some areas. Many have average or near-average IQ.
• Communication: Some people with ASD may not develop functional communication, while others may have speech, but not use it functionally. Still, others will develop language on time and use it appropriately but have limited social communication skills.
• Socialization: Social impairment is a hallmark feature of ASD. Some may have little or no desire to socialize, and therefore, do not develop age-appropriate skills. Others may have a strong desire to socialize, but because of ASD, they have difficulty interacting appropriately. As a result, they don’t get to socialize as much as they would like.
• No one presentation fits everyone with ASD: It’s important to avoid stereotypes like, “All people with autism do . . .” Remember, there are just as many individual differences among people with autism as there are among people without autism. Each person has his or her own combination of strengths and weaknesses. 
• We choose to emphasize children’s strengths, while also recognizing and supporting their challenges.

Current Very Early Indicators

• No babbling or pointing by age 1
• No babbling or pointing by age 1
• No single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by age 2
• No response to name
• Loss of language or social skills
• Limited eye contact
• Excessive lining up of toys or objects
• No smiling or social responsiveness
• Difficulty with engaging
• Does not seem to enjoy or seek interaction with others

Later Indicators

• Impaired ability to make friends with peers
• Impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
• Absence or impairment of imaginative and social play
• Stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language
• Restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus
• Preoccupation with certain objects or subjects
• Inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals

How do I get my child evaluated? 

• Contact your child’s primary care doctor for a referral.
• Once we receive the referral, we will contact you to schedule an appointment. 
• Note that some insurances will require prior authorization to services. ‍
• Data & Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder‍
• In March 2023, the CDC reported that approximately 1 in 36 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with autism. Learn more about key findings from the report here.