ABA therapy is one of the most common types of therapy for children with autism. It has been used since the 1960s to reinforce desirable behaviors, develop new skills, and refine learned skills. If you’re curious about the ABA therapy Los Angeles has to offer, here’s what you need to know.

What is ABA therapy?

Applied behavior analysis therapy, better known as ABA therapy, is an intensive, science-backed approach to teaching and improving social behaviors in children with autism. It’s currently the most common autism family therapy Los Angeles offers.

Since each child’s case is different, autism family therapy clinics work directly with the child and parents to develop a customized approach to work on essential skills. ABA therapy plans aim to improve key skills such as:

•    Social skills
•    Communication
•    Daily living skills (including punctuality, money management, etc.)
•    Pre-academic skills
•    Motor skills
•    Self-help skills (like personal hygiene, etc.)

The strategy behind ABA therapy is to break down desired behaviors into smaller steps. As the children complete the required steps, they’re rewarded, positively reinforcing the new behaviors. Because there’s no negative reinforcement, children are never made to feel discouraged.

How ABA therapy works

Rather than approach skills as a whole (which can be daunting for children with autism), ABA therapy breaks down skills into more manageable pieces. These pieces are then learned through positive reinforcement.

Because the skills are broken down, children are taught to anticipate and respond to more situations, even outside of the therapeutic setting. They can use what they’ve learned in therapy at any minor step of the process instead of forcing the entire lesson to fit into a specific mold.

All ABA therapy lessons are completely customized for the child and designed to be enjoyable. It promotes the learning process and helps the child learn better.

There are two parts to successful ABA therapy:

•    Discrete Trial Training (DTT) – One-on-one instruction sessions with a trained therapist. The therapist works with the child directly to teach steps of positive behaviors. As the child performs the behaviors correctly, they are rewarded by the therapist. The child is also rewarded for engaging in instructed behavior independently to reinforce the teachings.

•    Natural Environment Training (NET) – Takes the skills learned during discrete trial training and applies them to real world applications.

How to find autism family therapy in Los Angeles

If you are interested in trying ABA therapy, Los Angeles is home to plenty of ABA clinics. However, not all will be suitable for your family or your child’s unique needs. The best way to find the right autism therapy clinic is to vet the clinic online by their website and online reviews. Then, it’s essential to visit the clinic, talk to the instructors, and see how they interact with your child.

Many autism therapy clinics offer open houses or meet and greets where you can see the instructors and their lessons in person. It’s also a good idea to schedule a one-on-one meeting with the therapy team to discuss your family’s unique needs and make sure they’ll be a good match for your child. When you’re in need of autism family therapy, Los Angeles is a great place to find the very best.

Source: https://autismbehaviorservices.com/
Zipcode: 92705
Address: 2080 N Tustin Ave, Suite Santa Ana, California,