Experience Life-Changing ABA Therapy With Us

ABA is an acronym for Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA is the science of behavior and is currently recognized by the CDC and other health organizations as the primary treatment for autism spectrum disorder. ABA is a treatment approach led by a Board-Certified Behavior Analysis (BCBA). The BCBA develops and maintains your child’s treatment plan by utilizing evidence-based practices to empower your child’s strengths and collaborate with the child’s family, creating a team of care. A team of trained individuals, who are registered behavior technicians (RBTs), will work 1:1 with your child to implement skills such as academic readiness and behavioral interventions.

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/treatment.html

Assent is the process and ability of the therapy participant (your child) to decide whether they would like to engage in the services offered. This can be through their vocal communication, forms of non-verbal communication, and body language. If your child is not willing to engage in the activities that we are trying to offer them, that is our cue to get more creative and provide learning opportunities that feel natural and engaging to your child. They should not run from their therapist when they greet them, and they should not spend the majority of their therapy time engaging in challenging behaviors for hours on end. When a child’s communication is honored, a respectful relationship can develop, allowing learning and progress to be made. Assent is our highest priority, that is why it is our name!

Read more about Assent here.

Our goal is for your child to be wanting to participate. This helps set your child up for a lifetime of loving to learn and motivation to join on their own terms. This creates trust, bonding, and true happiness. Your child should be smiling when they see their therapist, not running and hiding. Other ABA providers may force your child to do what they ask by any means necessary, causing increases in problematic behaviors (read more on the use of physical management in Indiana here). In addition to listening to your child’s voice, we also listen to the population as a whole. At Assent Therapy ABA, we are dedicated to consulting with the autistic population to ensure our services are not inflicting long-term trauma. We want lifelong, meaningful goals for your family. 

Book your consultation today to see how we can change your family’s life for the better.

This is a common and valid question. I always encourage parents to put their self in their child’s shoes. If your boss told you to leave your favorite things at the door, go sit down, and start working… would you? If they stood over you, watching you work, then proceeded to physically make you work as you looked out the window because you stopped your work for 5 seconds… how would you feel? If your boss said you couldn’t have your phone or the book you like to read on your lunch break until you finish your assigned task… what would your reaction be?

Instead, we use the approach of making the tasks so fun and engaging your child will want to attend, be present, and participate. We will incorporate your child’s favorite characters, activities, and songs into their learning. If they get overstimulated and need a break? No big deal, we will teach them how to ask for it and where to go to get that break. Once they are regulated again, we will pick up right where we left off. We want your child ready for the real world, equipped with skills that promote their autonomy and happiness. Their treatment plan will be filled with goals that promote communication, skills for independence, and academic readiness.

Starting something new is scary and overwhelming. Being vulnerable and allowing someone into your personal life, sharing your struggles, and being willing to work on all the hard stuff is not easy. This is where your collaborative team comes in. Your child’s BCBA and therapists will work with you to provide support. We are here because we are ready to help. We offer flexible hours and schedules that allow your family to ease into services. You are involved in all decisions and treatment planning for your child. We will work together, to help your family work together, to provide your child the most uplifting environment. We strongly encourage you to book a consultation to learn how we can help.

Read this blog about choosing in-home versus in-clinic here.  

After insurance approval, the BCBA and therapist will start by working together to learn your family, understand your values, and build a relationship with your child. Our top priority is for your child to enjoy services and smile when their therapist shows up. Once your child is engaging with the staff, we will being to slowly introduce their treatment plan. This plan will be thoroughly discussed with caregivers and planned out beforehand.

As your child is exposed to their goals, we can also begin to work on decreasing behaviors that you may be struggling with. This could be done through tools like visual schedules, teaching communication skills, teaching your child how to use a chewy, etc. Our ultimate goal is to get your child ready to learn in an academic environment. We want them to thrive in school, so we will strategically introduce academic readiness skills, while still keeping the session fun and engaging.

In-home ABA is a unique therapy that allows a team to come into your child’s space, meeting them where they are most comfortable. This is important because new people, changes, and transitions can be quite overwhelming for all children, including those on the spectrum. We want to ensure that your child’s boundaries are respected, so we will take it slow. If your child needs time to warm up, that is okay. Their BCBA and behavioral therapist will be patiently waiting, ready to play and learn.

As trust is built, we will slowly address your child’s barriers to learning and thriving fully in their environment. Their behavior therapist will have a tablet for data collection that they will reference throughout the session to guide the goals and skills that they work on. For example, they will work on skills such as your child learning how to feed themselves, practice saying their name, or work on tolerating different demands of life. The beauty of in-home ABA is that you can watch all this happen, practice the approaches used, and set your child up for success by using all the materials they are most familiar with in their own space.

If there are specific hurdles your family faces or activities you’d love for your child to be able to do, but they need support doing, we can help. Community-based services can be anything from your child learning how to go grocery shopping with you, to staying within the boundaries of the park. Oftentimes, parents need an extra hand for support, so they might struggle to practice these skills, resulting in the family feeling like staying home is the better option.

We want everyone in the family to have the freedom to engage in the community, so we can build treatment goals around this. The BCBA will actively participate in the community-based goals until your family, child, and their 1:1 therapist have multiple positive experiences with the new skill. Extra care and support will be given due to the nature of the potential dangers of practicing tougher skills in the community, but with a team by your side, it is possible.

You can be as involved as you’d like in this process. You are expected to be home whenever in-home services are occurring; however, if you’d like to use this time to complete other tasks around your home, you are welcome to do so. While in the community, we expect full attention due to the time being spent on specific skills training and potential safety concerns that may arise. We will meet regularly to discuss your child’s treatment plan, progress, and address any of your concerns.

Assent Therapy ABA is dedicated to collaborating with other service providers. Currently, speech therapy and occupational therapy are coming soon. More information will be provided as it becomes available.