Evaluating ABA Services for Children with Autism
We know that deciding on the right
intervention and the right treatment provider for your child is of
paramount importance to you. As
such, in this section, we would like to provide you with the tools to
evaluate ABA programs and providers.
The following recommendations come from a
variety of sources including the New York State Department of Health’s
Clinical Practice Guideline, the Association for Behavior Analysis’ Autism
Special Interest Group guidelines for consumers, Families for Effective
Autism Treatment (FEAT), and our own clinical experience.
1.
Consultant
/ Supervisor Qualifications
·
Does the consultant working with your child
have certification
by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board as a Board Certified
Behavior Analyst (BCBA), or documented evidence of equivalent education?
·
In
addition to training in ABA, does the consultant have experience with
children with autism at all stages of treatment from basic imitation and
communication skills to advanced language, social, and self-monitoring
skills?
·
Does the consultant have experience providing
ABA programming to at least 8 individuals with autism spectrum disorders
who represent a range of ages?
·
Does the consultant perform functional
assessments of challenging behavior to determine the function the
behavior serves for the child ?
·
Does the consultant teach appropriate alternative behaviors to replace
challenging behaviors?
2.
Consultation / Supervision
·
How
many children does the consultant serve?
If a consultant serves too many children he or she may not be
able to effectively serve any of them.
·
How
many hours per month does the consultant spend with each child he or she
serves? In order to be
effective, the consultant should thoroughly know your child and
regularly interact with him or her.
·
Does
the consultant ensure that all staff working with your child can
correctly implement educational programs & behavioral interventions?
3.
Curriculum
·
Does the consultant individualize the
curriculum to suit your child’s strengths and learning style(s)?
·
If your child is an early learner, does his or
her curriculum include programs to teach language, play, social skills,
daily living skills, & motor skills?
·
If your child is a more advanced learner, does
his or her curriculum include programs to teach pragmatic language,
social perspective taking (“Theory of Mind”), planning, and problem
solving?
·
Can and does the consultant fully explain the
purpose and timing of each program introduced into your child’s
individualized curriculum? If
not, he or she may not be programming with your child’s individual
needs in mind.
·
Does your consultant modify programs in your
child’s individualized curriculum when data indicate or you report
that your child is having difficulty?
If your child has been working on a program for several weeks
without progress, your consultant should be able to assess the cause of
the problem and make the appropriate modifications.
·
Do language programs in your child’s
individualized curriculum teach your child functional language he or she
can use in everyday settings?
·
Are strategies in place to encourage your
child’s spontaneous use of language?
4.
Generalization
·
Does your consultant program for
generalization across people (e.g., parents, family members, teachers,
etc.)?
·
Does your consultant program for
generalization across settings (e.g., home, community, school, etc.)?
·
Does your consultant program for
generalization across materials used (e.g., picture of an apple, a real
green apple, a real red apple, a picture of an apple tree, etc.)?
·
Does your consultant program for
generalization across questions & instructions (e.g., “What do you
do with a cup?” “What’s a cup for?” “What do you think we
could do with this?” etc.)?
5.
Collaboration with Parents & Professionals
·
Are parents trained in behavioral techniques? Parent
training is important to help the family incorporate these techniques
into the daily routines of the child and family and to ensure
consistency in the intervention approach.
·
Does the consultant involve the parents in choosing
intervention outcomes, goals, and strategies that are important to the
family?
·
Does the consultant provide ongoing training to
parents and family members to help your family incorporate intervention
strategies into your child’s daily routine?
·
Does your consultant effectively
collaborate with professionals from other disciplines, district staff,
and family members to promote consistent intervention and to maximize
treatment success?
6.
Treatment Procedures
