Action Behavior Centers - ABA Therapy for Autism

Our team – and the vast majority of autism experts in the United States – are committed to ABA therapy as the key treatment for those on the Autism Spectrum. Why? It’s simple. ABA therapy has helped non-verbal children speak, those without social skills interact with others, those with aggression eliminate their problem behaviors, and so much more.

Yes, in most cases. Private health insurance is, with few exceptions, required in Texas to provide coverage for treatment or therapy for autism. The Texas Insurance Autism Mandate puts specific requirements on health insurance companies to provide coverage.

If you have questions about what is the best insurance provider for autism therapy, please contact us. Our insurance experts will be pleased to answer any questions and provide guidance on getting the best coverage for your child.

ABA therapy will address the developmental deficiencies identified during an initial assessment of your child’s functioning across dozens of areas. With children on the autism spectrum, this often includes areas of verbal communication, like the ability to converse with parents and peers, request items, and communicate emotions and needs. Nonverbal communication, like making gestures and understanding social cues, can also be developed. Other important target areas of ABA include social skills, play skills, potty training, self-care skills (brushing teeth, washing hands, etc.), and day-to-day living skills (getting dressed, table manners, etc.).

ABA treatment for autism is heavily researched, and virtually every peer-reviewed research study on ABA describes early intensive intervention as the best practice. ABA therapy is the gold standard for a clinically-validated and heavily researched approach to helping children with autism.

First and foremost, a child and a therapist will “pair,” meaning they will simply take time to play, get comfortable with each other, and establish a good relationship. Based on a child’s individualized treatment plan, specific therapy goals will be worked on each day. Therapists will collect data on the success rate with each goal, and once a goal is mastered, children will move on to the next. Common therapy goals might include pointing to objects to indicate want or need, playing appropriately with toys, matching pictures and objects, learning sounds and words, potty training, and so much more.

Applied Behavior Analysis is likely a phrase that you haven’t used much in your life. Let’s break it down: -Applied (this is an applied, or practical, method that we use). -Behavior (we all have an intuitive sense of this word – behavior is what people do) -Analysis (the study or investigation into something) Applied Behavior Analysis seeks to understand why a child does something (analyzing behavior) and then applies this within the child’s individualized lessons. An example: a child screams loudly. We’ll work to understand why the child screams – this is called the “function” of the behavior. If we can understand why the screaming occurs (the child is triggered by a small change in routine), we can then do something about it (slowly introduce the child to different kinds of transitions, work on regulating emotions).

Our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) are passionate about ABA therapy and all that it can do. A BCBA is a master’s or doctoral-level healthcare practitioner that uses the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis to assist with developmental issues, especially autism spectrum disorders. At Action Behavior Centers, our BCBAs have multiple years of experience working with children of a wide range of ages and functions. Our Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) are certified through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. In addition, before being paired with a Kiddo for 1:1 therapy, each RBT is provided with extensive on-site training to ensure they have the skills to effectively help children with a range of behavioral challenges. Our team members are very excited to help make a difference in the lives of you and your family members.

We serve children on the autism spectrum from 18 months to 14 years.