| Many parents who have children with autism | | | | recognition. There are many areas to be |
| spectrum disorders are familiar with Applied | | | | assessed, and many stretch beyond education |
| Behavior Analysis therapy. ABA therapy involves | | | | skills into such areas as behavior, social skills, and |
| the use of repetitive commands and | | | | values. Only after a comprehensive assessment |
| reinforcements and other specially designed | | | | can a successful treatment plan be devised. |
| teaching methods in order to help facilitate | | | | One of the biggest components of Applied |
| functional development in children with an ASD. | | | | Behavior Analysis is the constant compiling and |
| ABA therapy helps teach developmentally disabled | | | | comparing of data to analyze trends, problem |
| children fundamental skills in communication, | | | | areas, and areas of success. Treatment plans |
| vocabulary, reasoning, and other areas of | | | | must be altered frequently as new skills are |
| development, including social skills. However, | | | | learned and mastered and to help the child with |
| because each child has individual needs, an | | | | skills that seem problematic. There is no single |
| assessment must be done to determine the right | | | | formula for the perfect ABA therapy regimen, as |
| therapy for your child. | | | | no two children are alike. Each child must have |
| While ABA has been proven to help children with | | | | their own tailored program. |
| many degrees of developmental disability, each | | | | ABA is a highly successful method of treating |
| child needs training and education in different | | | | autism spectrum disorders and an excellent way |
| areas. For example, one child may exhibit | | | | to help these children learn and grow on pace with |
| communication skills while another is completely | | | | their peers. Whether you have hired a clinician or |
| nonverbal. While the ultimate goal for each child | | | | will be applying the therapy yourself it is highly |
| may be to help them become socially and | | | | recommended to ensure complete and frequent |
| mentally indistinguishable from their peers, the | | | | analyses are done to ensure your child stays on |
| approach to teaching each child will be vastly | | | | the proper path and develops at the correct rate. |
| different. A proper analysis, performed by either | | | | ABA is not a cure for autism disorders, but it has |
| a clinician or an educated parent can help in | | | | great potential in treating children of all |
| designing a course of therapy that will provide the | | | | developmental levels. With the proper analysis, |
| most benefit. | | | | you can ensure that your child receives the best |
| Analysis of a child includes a number of | | | | education possible in spite of any disabilities he or |
| assessments, ranging from verbal skills to | | | | she may face. |
| reasoning, independent thought, vocabulary, and | | | | |