What is ABA therapy?
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is a scientific approach to understanding and modifying behaviors. In other words, it uses the principles of behavior and learning to help individuals acquire new skills and decrease maladaptive behaviors.
While ABA therapy varies depending on the child’s needs and the provider, the core component of ABA is data collection and analysis. The data is used to guide Behavior Analysts on how to proceed with a child’s treatment plan.
Sweet Bloom ABA Program
Sweet Bloom ABA offers center-based ABA therapy to children with autism spectrum disorder. Our program is designed to address the unique needs of each child while fostering a supportive environment. We offer full-day and half-day options for kids aged 2 to 5 years. For those aged 5 to 8 years, we offer an after-school ABA program.
During the intake process at Sweet Bloom ABA, every child undergoes a thorough evaluation with the Clinical Director. This evaluation helps us identify strengths and areas for improvement, ensuring targeted support. Using the assessment results, the Clinical Director and BCBA develop a highly personalized treatment plan for your child. These plans aim to improve language, social and adaptive skills while decreasing challenging behaviors.
Once your child is ready to begin treatment, a behavior technician will work with your child in a one-to-one setting. All our behavior technicians receive intensive and ongoing training to ensure they are equipped with the skills to meet your child’s needs.
Sweet Bloom ABA’s behavior technicians are trained to maintain treatment integrity while accurately collecting data on every program your child works on. Our Clinical Director and BCBAs work closely together to monitor your child’s progress. We are committed to regularly updating your child’s treatment plan to ensure they are being introduced to new targets or programs and not spending valuable treatment time working on something they already know.
Our comprehensive program integrates...
Language and Communication Development
Many children with ASD require some assistance and guidance in acquiring language/communication skills in comparison to their neurotypical peers. At Sweet Bloom ABA, we use B. F. Skinner’s Verbal Behavior Approach as a framework to our treatment. This approach views expressive language as a behavior that can be taught along with the function of each word. Our programs focus heavily on developing children’s language/communication skills (e.g., requesting, labeling, answering questions).
Social and Play Skills
“The most important thing people did for me was to expose me to new things.”
- Temple Grandin
Another focus of our ABA program includes developing social skills and building independent play skills. Our program designates a time at the end of the day for children to work on expanding their interests and developing leisure skills. Children are also given opportunities to engage in social interactions and participate in group activities to facilitate their social development.
Community Outings and Group Activities
Sweet Bloom ABA offers community outings to children enrolled in the full-day ABA program. This program is designed to help children generalize acquired skills in the community and expand their interests through new experiences. While all children have individualized programs to work on during their community outing, our focus is on organizing a day full of fun for the children.
Collaboration
We believe that in order to help your child truly thrive, teamwork is essential. Hence, our staff works closely with one another and have meeting times built into their day to ensure that all team members are on the same page, treatment integrity is being maintained, and additional supervision is offered to the staff. Furthermore, our BCBAs work closely with your child’s related service providers, such as Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, and/or Physician, to help facilitate your child’s overall development.
Parent Involvement
At Sweet Bloom ABA, we believe in partnering with families to create a positive and meaningful therapeutic experience. Parents have access to all program graphs for their child’s treatment plan along with detailed notes for every session. Our BCBAs offer family guidance/parent training to help parents work on goals with their children at home to facilitate their child’s development. Parents are also encouraged to attend their child’s session at least once a month to observe and replicate the techniques that we employ.
