Behavior Therapy For people With Autism
All Pieces Fit offers Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA is the gold standard in the treatment of autism symptoms and ensures our families receive the best possible outcomes. Find out how ABA works:
ABA And Early Intervention: Why it matters to start early
As the brain is still in development throughout childhood, early intervention increases positive behaviors and stops problematic or self-harming behaviors from becoming a habit. When children receive early individualized therapy, it can remediate developmental delays. This prepares a child to enter group learning when they reach school age.
How Can ABA Help?
Language
Increase language and communication skills
Behavior
Decrease challenging behaviors and increase social skills
Focus
Improve attention, focus, social skills, memory and academics
Parenting
Help parents become the best they can be with their child
It Starts With A Diagnosis
Most children showing any symptoms will first have to be diagnosed. There are two types of diagnosis: a MEDICAL diagnosis and an EDUCATIONAL diagnosis. If your child already has a medical diagnosis, we can start on the next phase of treatment.
Medical
A medical diagnosis of autism is required for private based ABA therapy, such as at PediaPlex, as well as for insurance purposes.
Educational
A school-based assessment is typically completed by a multidisciplinary team of professionals at the school and is used to determine educational eligibility for services.
Assessment and ADOS
Assessments involve a set of tests in which the clinician watches how the child plays, behaves and communicates. These tests include specific tasks and ways of evaluating the child, and they are backed up by research. One common version is called the ADOS test (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule).
A full assessment should also include interviews with parents, teachers and other adults who know the child. Structured cognitive tests should be part of the evaluation as well. These tests show how the child thinks and provides important information about what types of therapy and support will be needed.
Remember, no two children with autism are the same.
The Treatment Plan
The treatment plan is a roadmap to targeted behavioral objectives.
An effective treatment plan often involves a combination of therapies, each targeting a different set of skills that will support a child’s development. Because the symptoms of autism are so interlinked, there can be a great deal of overlap in the objectives of these different therapies. This targeted approach helps reinforce learning by encouraging a child to hone a core set of functional skills by applying them in varying contexts.
Your clinician will share your child’s treatment plan with you, every step of the way. Below are the broad categories that therapeutic intervention seeks to address, and what the common developmental objectives are for each:
Communication
- Develop conversational skills for interacting with peers and adults
- Use and understand nonverbal communication such as gestures
- Interpret facial expressions
- Become comfortable engaging in functional, spontaneous dialogue
Social Skills
- Form friendships with other classmates
- Learn to initiate and sustain back-and-forth conversations
- Enjoy both structured and unstructured playtime
- Empathize in interactions with others
Behavior
- Respecting boundaries and personal space
- Controlling behaviors like hand flapping and rocking
- Expressing frustration in a productive way
- Making eye contact during interactions with peers and adults
What Therapy Looks Like
Applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy focuses on using positive reinforcement to improve behavioral, social, communication, and learning skills.
ABA therapy utilizes behavioral principles to set goals, reinforce behaviors, and measure outcomes. Goals are measured and progress is reported so treatment can be adjusted for better results.
Goals and progress will be shared with you along the way as your child grows and develops. Below are some examples of therapy methods:
Discrete Trial Training (DTT)
This therapy involves breaking a skill down and teaching it step-by-step.
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Natural Environment Training
After people have acquired skills through discrete trial training, they then begin learning and practicing those skills in more natural environments. For example, a child may learn a specific skill and then begin practicing it at home or in school.
Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI)
This approach may be used in young children to teach social, adaptive, communication, and functional skills. It is usually highly individualized, intensive, and comprehensive.
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Comprehensive ABA Therapy
This approach delivers treatments that usually last for several hours each day. A therapist or behavior technician works with the individual for at least several hours each week and often in different contexts, such as in both home and school settings.
Early Start Denver Model (ESDM)
This technique is based on applied behavior analysis and is often used for children with autism between the ages of 12 and 48 months. It utilizes play activities to help foster cognitive, social, and language skills.
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Focused ABA Therapy
This type of treatment may focus on helping an individual in a specific situation where they are facing difficulty. It may also focus on specific skills that an individual needs to work on. The individual often works one-on-one with a therapist, but they may also practice these skills in small groups or in community settings.
Services Provided By Our Clinic
If you need help with any of our services listed below please call 219-525-4572
Diagnosis
Take a look below at our available services. If you have any questions please connect with us via email or call 219-525-4572
Assessments
Both behavioral and skill assessment for children diagnosed with autism
Social Skills
We have several social skills programs that can help children better interact in social settings
Parent Training
We help parents to better interact with their children while giving them a better understanding of how progress is achieved
About All Pieces Fit
All Pieces Fit (APF) strives not only to promote the awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but also to assist those we work with to reach their maximum potential and achieve their highest level of independence. We take pride in providing a positive environment, a place where growth, progress, and productivity are valued among both staff and families.
In order to achieve these goals, APF offers individualized programming that aims to decrease problem behaviors while increasing appropriate replacement behaviors needed to complete everyday tasks, develop social and communication skills and overall increase skills that are important to everyday life. In addition, APF offers family support (and other provider-related support) to better generalize and maximize the essential skills needed to function in typical everyday settings. In addition, families are able to be more involved and actively participate in a child’s success.