ABA is a psychology-based program designed to assist with development of skills and reduction of challenging behaviors. ABA is all around us and we use it everyday, we are here to teach you the ropes!
What kinds of behaviors do you work on reducing?
Inclusive Hearts BCBAs only work on reducing behaviors that are meaningful to the individual who is struggling with the behavior. Our BCBAs do not focus on behaviors that make your child themselves, are not causing them to be in danger, and do not interfere with their learning or social interactions. We will not program for reduction of stereotypy (Stimming) behaviors unless your child would like to work on it or the stimming is placing them in danger.
What skills can ABA work on?
ABA can work on building any skill, both increasing and decreasing occurrence. We work on communication skills, in collaboration with speech therapists, while using behavioral speech principles. We also work on daily living skills including hygiene tasks such as brushing teeth, washing hands, eating with utensils, toileting, etc. Our team can also assist your child with learning how to make friends, playing with others, and communicating with reciprocity. Our goals are tailored to the individual and designed to assist with creating meaningful experiences and skills.
How is Inclusive Hearts different from other ABA agencies?
Our team places child and family comfort and happiness over the value of a data point. We would much rather see a child laughing and having fun with their technician, rather than intentionally provoking behaviors. Our BCBAs will never ask for you to trigger your child intentionally so they can see a behavior occur (we believe you without seeing it!). Our team does not enter your home and immediately place demands on your child. We will focus our efforts on finding out what makes them Happy, Relaxed, and Engaged (HRE).
Our behavior technicians and BCBAs will not provide full physical prompts to your child, unless they are okay with this and have given consent. When children withdraw consent for any activity, we acknowledge this and honor it, if possible. This might look like your child pulling their hand back when their behavior technician tries to help them with a task. In this case, our technician will immediately back off and let the student know that it is okay to say “no!”. We want to teach kids to be able to self-advocate, withdraw consent, and feel safe in their learning environment.
“The themes of I see you, I hear you, I understand you, and I am here for you persist throughout the entire process. It bears repeating that there is no obligation to teach while children are upset in any way or under any duress” – Dr. Greg Hanley
What can I expect when starting services?
When you first begin services, one of our BCBAs will conduct an assessment with you and your child. This assessment may involve interview format, observation, playing with your child, school observations, and other methods as the BCBA sees fit. Once the assessment is completed, the BCBA will complete an assessment report and send this to your insurance. The insurance then reviews this report and approves the services.
Our team does not enter your home and immediately place demands on your child. We will play with your child, bring out toys, interact with you, and make sure we are building a comfortable foundation. After it is determined that a great relationship has been established, we will begin teaching skills.
