Finding a Provider for ABA Therapy
Tips for finding a provider for ABA therapy:
My child has autism. Now, what do I do? This is one of the most common questions parents of children with autism ask themselves. This is also a question we hear all the time. Searching for and finding a service provider qualified to provide Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services can be an intimidating task.
One way you can search for and find a qualified service provider in your area is to visit the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (BACB) website. You can head to this website and search for service providers in your area. The BACB website contains a list of all Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA), Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT). It also allows you to search nationwide for service providers in different areas.
Another way you can search to find qualified service providers is to visit the Autism Speaks website. They have a very resourceful and handy Resource Guide that allows you to search for services in your state.
You can also Google autism providers in your area. The is similar as to when searching for service providers through Autism Speaks. You should look for a service provider with RBT, BCaBA, or BCBA certifications, as well as for individuals with a Master’s degree in ABA. Individuals with these qualifications are most likely to be able to provide you with quality ABA therapy.
Some questions you can ask a qualified practitioner are as follows:
What research supports the intervention?
What training has the staff received?
What is your process for establishing a program?
What kind of assessment do you do?
How do you train us and other staff?
Does the provider work cooperatively with the school district, therapists and other providers?
How will we work together as a team?
What steps do you take if my child is not making progress?
When looking for services you will most likely come across different options for therapy. You want to make sure that you choose providers that are utilizing evidence-based practices. Some of these evidence-based practices include:
Discrete Trial Training (DTT)
Incidental Teaching (Natural Environment Teaching)
Direct Instruction
Precision Teaching
Personalized System Of Instruction (The Keller Plan)
Pivotal Response Training (PRT)
Verbal Behavior Intervention (VBI)
“ABA is not a single or one size fits all program. Remember that a one size program fits one child. Instead, ABA is individualized and comprehensive to address teaching all skills that are important for everyday life.” (Pratt, C., 2018)
References:
Autismspeaks. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.autismspeaks.org/
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.bacb.com/
Levermore-Rich, K. Guidelines for choosing an ABA Provider. (2018). http://autism-help.org/autism-downloads/aba%20Provider-Guidelines.pdf
Pratt, C. et al. What to consider when looking for a qualified ABA Provider. (2018) https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/what-to-consider-when-looking-for-a-qualified-aba-provider