What is ABA?
Learn more about Applied Behavioral Analysis and how B.E.T.H. uses ABA to bring growth and change for you and your family.
What we do
What is ABA?
Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, is a scientific study of socially significant human behavior. The science was founded by B.F. Skinner, who was interested in understanding why people do what they do and how the environment impacts individuals’ behaviors.
At B.E.T.H. Services, our behavior analysis and treatment plans apply the evidence-based principles established by Skinner to teach socially significant behaviors and skills. These skills can include language acquisition and social interactions that result in true behavior change. For us, true behavior change is defined by an individual’s capacity to independently interact with their environment in a way that results in a positive and productive outcome for everyone.
Who is ABA for?
ABA is best known as a behavioral health intervention for individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD. However, ABA has proven to be effective for treating the symptoms of a variety of conditions, including substance abuse, dementia, and traumatic brain injury.
At B.E.T.H., we have experience treating a range of individuals, including children with autism and attention deficit disorder, as well as adults who want to quit smoking or stop overeating. We focus on helping our clients identify patterns of behavior, acquire new skills, and integrate and maintain positive behavior change—regardless of circumstances or diagnosis.
How does ABA work?
A central part of a BCBA’s training is to become an expert on the scientific principles of behavior: how and why does behavior occur? Armed with this knowledge, our work as analysts and technicians is to experiment with the environment and various reinforcing stimuli to try and bring about the desired behavioral change.
Throughout this analytical process, we diligently record all the different factors that both helped and hindered a change to come about. When we pinpoint precisely what works for an individual, we build a treatment plan that will replicate the elements that enabled success in their environment.
At its core, our work requires patience, diligent data collection, and a commitment to helping our clients create lasting change in their day to day lives. For us, ABA therapy is not just a science; it’s also an art form.
Your team
Who are your providers?
At B.E.T.H. Services, every client works with a variety of highly qualified professionals that work hard to deliver the highest quality care to you and your family. Here are the credentials and experience you can expect from every team member you work with at B.E.T.H.
-
Your BCBA possesses a minimum of a Master's level degree, has supervised fieldwork experience, and has passed the national certification board exam issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). A ВСВА must also maintain their certification by completing bi-annual continuing education requirements.
-
Licensed Professional Counselors have a Master's Degree in Counseling, a national board certification, and are licensed to practice by the state of Illinois.
-
A qualified RBT has 40+ hours of training by a BCBA, has passed the RBT examination, and has undergone a rigorous competency assessment prepared by the supervising BCBA. An RBT is directly supervised by a BCBA.
-
All of our Clinical Technicians have received the highest quality training and have undergone a rigorous competency assessment under the supervision of a board-certified BCBA at B.E.T.H.
Reference
Common terms
While working with us, you will find that we rely on a few key terms. While some of these will be familiar to you, they have a specialized meaning for behavior analysts. Here is a list for your reference:
-
Her principles guide our practice, ethics, and commitment to your success.
She stands for Behavior, Education, Training, and Healthcare
-
The things that make up your space. Environment can include tangible things like material objects and other people; it can also include psychological factors such as memories, emotional triggers, and past experiences.
-
A controlled setting designed to elicit behavioral responses and to collect systematic data about how and when behavior occurs. Contrived environments are closely monitored by BCBA’s and RBT’s.
-
The places where you live, work, and think.
-
Behavior is anything a person does that can be observed and measured. At B.E.T.H. Services, we believe behavior is a form of communication and we are invested in determining what patterns of behavior communicate, not just what they look like.
-
Behavior that is directly or indirectly influenced by other individuals in our environment.
-
Behavior that happens independently and in the absence of others. This is also known as automatic behavior.
-
The people that define and influence what is socially appropriate for you.
-
Can be both positive and negative, and always results in an increase in behavior.
-
Why an individual engages in a particular behavior. The functions of behavior are 1) escape, 2) avoidance, 3) attention, 4) access to tangibles, 5) sensory, 6) and biological/medical.
-
Socially significant refers to desired behavior, as determined by an individual’s verbal community. This may include communication, language, social skills, adaptive behaviors, daily-living skills, and self-help behaviors such as eating and toileting.
-
Tools used by behavior analysts to measure the current behaviors, preferences, and skills that an individual engages in within their environment. Behavioral assessments are used to identify pivotal skills and behaviors that will help the individual build a repertoire of advocacy, independence, productivity—all of which are can result in a higher quality of life for that individual.
-
Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Your BCBA is responsible for designing your treatment plan, monitoring the efficacy of treatment, and overseeing your Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). A BCBA has an extended academic education (a minimum of a Master’s level degree), has supervised fieldwork experience, and has passed the national certification board exam issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB).
-
Registered Behavior Technician. Under the supervision of a BCBA, your RBT works directly with you, your family, your child, or anyone you might want to include during therapy sessions. Using the treatment plan and assessments as a guide per the BCBA, they pair with the client and work through the session’s goals and objectives. A qualified RBT has 40+ hours of training by a BCBA, has passed the RBT examination, and has undergone a rigorous competency assessment prepared by the supervising BCBA.
Feedback from our clients
Contact us
Give us a call or send us a message below. A member of our team will follow up with you.
