First, speak with your child’s pediatrician. They may be able to provide referrals for evaluations. If your child is under the age of 3, they can receive an evaluation from Early Intervention. If your child is over the age of 3, they may be able to receive an evaluation from your public school district. In addition, you can also request an evaluation from a variety of health care providers. Some of the professionals that would be able to evaluate your child would be a developmental pediatrician, a psychologist, a neurologist, or a neuropsychologist.

Autism Speaks and the National Autism Association both have some great resources and a toolkits to help guide you through the process of getting an evaluation.

Yes! In NY state, you must have a diagnosis of autism to receive services. This means if your child is mild on the autism spectrum, they still qualify for ABA services and support for high functioning autism.

We tailor our services to meet the needs of each individual child. The BCBA will assess your child and see where their needs are. The BCBA will then create a program that matches your child's deficits and strengths. We work on daily living skills, social skills, vocational and organizational skills, time management, etc.

NYS requires that children have an autism diagnosis to qualify for ABA services. If your child does not have a diagnosis but struggles with behavioral difficulties, we ask that you please reach out to your local senator to advocate for the "scope restriction" on behavior analysts in New York to be lifted. To learn more about this issue and to find out who qualifies for ABA therapy visit: NYSABA

A person of any age can receive ABA services. According to the NYS insurance reform law, there is no age cap.

Your child is not too old to start receiving ABA services.

Treatment plans for this type of autism therapy are created to decrease problem behavior and teach new skills. Our ABA therapy plans are implemented in the home, community settings, and our professional offices by our skilled paraprofessionals under the direct supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). We collect and analyze behavioral data in order to maximize the chance of success. When the child achieves the current behavioral goals, the autism behavioral therapy plan is modified to include new and more advanced goals.

Treatment plans are created to decrease problem behavior and teach new skills. Some behaviors we may work to decrease include tantrums, aggression, self-injurious behavior, stereotypy (i.e., “stimming”), property destruction, noncompliance, and food refusal or selectivity. Some behaviors we may teach or increase include language, academic skills, social interactions, self-help skills, play skills, following directions, staying on task, toileting, eating a variety of foods, as well as skills necessary for the self-control of emotions such as anger and frustration.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the science based on understanding behavior and making socially, meaningful, and positive changes to behavior.

It is an evidence based practice in which systematic intervention is implemented to decrease problem behavior and increase adaptive behavior.

ABA is a highly effective strategy used with individuals of all ages diagnosed with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Since the 1960's there has been an abundance of research demonstrating the effectiveness of ABA for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.

"Thirty years of research demonstrated the efficacy of applied behavioral methods reducing inappropriate behavior and increasing communication learning and appropriate social behavior." — United States Surgeon General

ABA is supported by more scientific research than any other treatment for autism. Since the 1960s, hundreds of research studies have proven the effectiveness of ABA in teaching important life skills and reducing problem behavior in children and adults who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The tremendous amount of scientific evidence documenting the benefits of ABA in the treatment of children and adults with autism has led a number of prestigious organizations to endorse the effectiveness of ABA therapy for autism, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Academy of Sciences, and the New York State Department of Health.

TECHNIQUE #1: Decreasing challenging behavior
How do we evaluate challenging behavior?
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) will conduct a comprehensive behavioral evaluation. This evaluation, known as a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA), is designed to determine exactly why the child is engaging in problem behavior. The BCBA begins by interviewing the parents, caregivers, and professionals who work with the child. If possible, the child also will be interviewed. As part of the behavioral assessment the BCBA will observe the child's behavior and may directly interact with the child.

Why do children with autism display challenging behavior?
• To get attention (including negative attention
• To gain access to activities, events, and material things (such as toys, games and electronics)
• To escape or avoid requests they don't want to follow, or to escape or avoid situations they don’t want to be in

How do we develop a treatment plan?
Once we determine why the problem behavior is occurring, we are able to develop a behavioral treatment plan that is designed to replace the unwanted behavior with desirable and appropriate behavior. Research has shown that this approach can be effective for both children and adults with autism.

Example #1
At ABA Psychological Services, we identify the situations and "triggers" that evoke problem behavior. Rather than trying to decrease unwanted behavior by having the child avoid the "triggers", we teach the child how to engage in appropriate behavior when the "trigger" is presented. For example, if a child tantrums when no one is paying attention, we teach the child how to ask for attention in an appropriate manner.

Example #2
If a child is avoiding or acting out with other children because they lack social skills, we first do a thorough evaluation to determine what specific social skills are lacking. We then teach the child the skills necessary to derive satisfaction from playing cooperatively with others. When avoidance and acting out no longer serve a purpose, we often see these unwanted behaviors diminish or disappear completely.

TECHNIQUE #2: Increasing adaptive behavior and teaching new skills
How do we evaluate adaptive behavior?
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) will provide an evaluation to determine the child's current level of functioning and skills. The BCBA will interview the parents, caregivers, and professionals who work with the child. If possible, the child also will be interviewed. After these interviews are completed, the BCBA will conduct a detailed evaluation designed to identify deficiencies in the child's skills.

Why does ABA Work?
We focus on teaching skills that are necessary for success in life. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has been shown to be effective in the teaching of self-care skills, communication skills, social skills, independent living skills, and skills that are required to succeed in the workplace. ABA also has been used to teach children and adults skills that are necessary for the self-control of emotions such as anger.

How do we develop a treatment plan?
Once the goals for behavioral improvement and skills training have been developed, the BCBA will work with a highly qualified paraprofessional to determine the best methods for improving the child's behavior and teaching important skills. The paraprofessional will be responsible for implementing these teaching procedures under the supervision of the BCBA.

How do we monitor the effectiveness and progress of a treatment plan?
In ABA there is a tremendous focus on the progress each child is making in achieving behavioral and skills training goals. Every step of the way, for each and every goal, the child's behavioral progress is recorded, placed on a graph, and analyzed. In this way, the parents and the BCBA can clearly see the child's progress. If the child is not making the expected progress, the BCBA will make changes to the teaching procedures. New and more advanced goals will be developed when the child achieves the current goals.

What is the goal for our team?
With all of our children and adults with an autism spectrum disorder, we work to increase social behavior, academic, and language development so that each individual can lead a more constructive and meaningful life. All of our treatment programs for children and adults are precisely tailored to meet the specific needs of each individual.