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ABA Therapy

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Our ABA therapy services are rendered in the child's natural environment in order to encourage learning where skills would be the most functional and socially meaningful.  Depending on the child's needs, ABA therapy can be provided in a one-on-one intensive setting or in a small social group, and also includes parent training as a vital component to treatment integrity and overall skill generalization.  

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​Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy is the number one evidence-based method of treating autism.  Unfortunately, many children in the U.S. and throughout the world go without this medically necessary form of treatment due to a lack of insurance coverage or funding.  TLC believes all children with autism should be given the same opportunity to live full, happy and fulfilling lives as a result of having received ABA therapy during early childhood.

Increasing Adaptive Behavior

In order to reach their fullest developmental potentials, children with autism often require specialized teaching methods founded in the scientific principles of learning and behavior.  ABA therapy can focus on teaching a wide variety of adaptive skills, such as:

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  • vocal speech 

  • non-verbal communication 

  • eye contact

  • play and leisure skills

  • social skills

  • following instructions

  • imitation

  • toilet training

  • self-help / daily living skills

Decreasing Maladaptive Behavior

Children with autism often display maladaptive patterns of behavior that can affect their ability to learn and interact with others in socially appropriate ways. ABA therapy is highly effective at decreasing a wide variety of problem behavior which in turn will allow children to one day become happy, fully functioning, integrated members of society. 

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  • aggression

  • property destruction

  • self-injury

  • stereotypy

  • defiant / oppositional behavior

  • non-compliance

  • tantrum behavior

  • attention deficit / hyperactivity

  • rigidity

  • compulsive / impulsive behavior

Service Provision

ABA therapy is a behavioral service that is provided by a highly specialized and educated team of clinicians.  There are typically 2-3 clinicians on every child's ABA therapy team.  ABA therapy is rendered in a 3-tiered service delivery model where the higher level clinicians train and supervise the work of the lower level clinicians on a consistent basis.  Tiered service delivery has many advantages.  It encourages our children to generalize the skills they learn across individuals while simultaneously keeping costs down and increasing the number of children we can service. Our clinical team is recognized by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) and consists of the following:

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  1. Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs):  provide daily services under the supervision of BCaBAs and BCBAs

  2. Board Certified assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBAs):  assist with therapy & training under the supervision of BCBAs

  3. Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs):  lead supervisors 

Treatment Frequency & Intensity

Research suggests that ABA therapy should be rendered as a primary form of autism treatment that commences immediately following an autism diagnosis, preferably at or before age 2 for the best developmental outcomes.  The best results have been shown in children who receive up to 40 hours of ABA therapy per week for at least 2 years before treatment intensity is systematically faded down to 10-15 hours per week or less, depending on the severity level of the autism diagnosis. 

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Cost

ABA therapy can cost a family up to $60K per child per year, or even more.  Due to the high-cost of ABA therapy, when a child is uninsured or underinsured, the family can rarely afford to pay for services out-of-pocket.  The end result of not receiving ABA therapy can have permanently tragic results on the child and family's overall quality of life.  Autism is a life-long neurological disorder.  Although there is no cure, access to early intensive ABA therapy is the only hope that a child with this diagnosis can have a fair chance at life.  Will you help TLC to provide tender loving care to an AUsome child in need by sponsoring one today?

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