Why ABA?  

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is evidence-based with a rich history (half a century!) of research demonstrating its effectiveness as the leading treatment for ASD.  ABA therapy is an evidence-based treatment for the symptoms of autism that has been endorsed by the following:  

•   American Psychological Association

•   United States Surgeon General 

•   American Academy of Pediatrics 

As of August 2019, all 50 States have passed insurance reform, which mandates health insurance coverage of ABA therapy as a treatment for autism.  

ABA therapy is positive and focuses on each individual child’s unique motivation and areas of need.  Treatment is individualized, delivered 1:1, and continually monitored to ensure progress is being made, or if not, adjustments are made to troubleshoot.  

Although there is no cure for autism, research has proven that ABA therapy, particularly when implemented at an early age with high dosage, can lead to significant symptom improvement for individuals receiving services.  The ultimate outcome of participation in ABA therapy for a child with autism is to optimize his or her ability to live an independent and socially integrated lifestyle; both as a child and into adulthood.

What Exactly is ABA Therapy?  

Based on the science of Applied Behavior Analysis, ABA therapy can be viewed as a set of techniques utilized to support learning, skill acquisition, functional communication, and the overall process of replacing challenging behaviors with more positive, socially appropriate alternatives.  ABA therapy can support growth and skill development in any of the following areas:

Who Will Work with my Child?  

ABA therapy is provided through a tiered service-delivery model.  This means that your child will have his or her own treatment team that will collectively provide therapy at The Shoreline Center.  All ABA therapy is designed and supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Our ABA Technicians are the treatment team members who conduct the 1:1 therapy sessions with your child.  The Shoreline Center also incorporates additional treatment quality measures through the use of Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA) who support overall treatment integrity and delivery.  In addition, ABA therapy offers multiple supports as part of the overall treatment plan.  Your child’s 1:1 therapy will be supervised by a BCBA to support and ensure the consistent progress that our plans attempt to achieve for your child is prioritized.  Caregiver Trainings are also held regularly as a component of your child’s ABA therapy plan. Lastly, coordination of care with other professionals (school, doctors, therapist, etc.) is incorporated into your child’s ABA therapy plan in order to support generalization of skill use and success.  

Depending on how many hours per week your child participates in ABA therapy, his or her treatment team may consist of anywhere from 2 or 3 Shoreline Center team members up to 4 or 5 team members at a time.  

To learn more about our dedicated clinicians, please visit our “About Us” page.

What Type of Training is Required to Provide ABA Therapy?   

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

• Master’s or Doctoral level clinician with 1500 hours of preparatory fieldwork experience.  

• Credentialed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board 

• Licensed by the State of Michigan 

Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA)

• Bachelor’s level clinician with 1000 hours of preparatory fieldwork experience.   

• Credentialed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board 

• Licensed by the State of Michigan 

ABA Technician

• High School or Bachelor’s level direct-care provider. 

• Credentialed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT)

All of the ABA Technicians at The Shoreline Center are either Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT) or pursuing their BCBA certification and are currently in a Master’s degree program in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis.  The RBT credential requires 40 hours of training, completion of a competency exam, and the passing of a certification exam.  

What Does a Typical ABA Therapy Session Look Like? 

ABA therapy is commonly a balanced blend of structured, table-based instruction with learning materials along with more natural, play-based learning opportunities.  The underlying theme throughout the various opportunities to learn and acquire new skills is the reliance on the evidence-based techniques and strategies that your child’s ABA Technician is trained to utilize.  Each individual child’s therapy session will be uniquely designed to meet his or her optimal learning style. ABA therapy sessions can take place at The Shoreline Center, in your own home, or even in the community to support skill development and improvement across everyday life experiences.  

Your child will receive frequent rewards and praise throughout the therapy session, as this is a key component of ABA therapy and its approach toward increasing the use of new skills and behaviors. 

 How Long Does ABA Therapy as a Treatment Usually Last? 

Each child’s ABA therapy experience is unique; however, there are general guidelines to reference with regard to the therapy experience.  

For early intervention, which tends to be a higher dosage (over 25 hours per week), therapy can reasonably be expected to continue for up to 3 years.  This is commonly known as “Comprehensive” level ABA therapy. For “Focused” level ABA therapy, which may be more appropriate for school-aged children or to support specific behavior needs, therapy may be expected to last anywhere from 1-2 years.  Another characteristic of this level of ABA therapy is that the hours per week are typically less than in the Comprehensive level ABA therapy.  

Your child’s BCBA will work closely with you to develop and monitor your child’s therapy process and progress.  ABA therapy relies heavily on data analysis to guide treatment decisions, so you will continually be involved in the decision-making process to determine when the time is right for your child to transition out of ABA therapy, adjust the intensity of the weekly therapy schedule, or modify the therapy goals based on the development and needs of your child.