Services We Offer
As a home based agency, AIM has the ability to tailor your child's ABA therapies to meet your child's and your family's needs. We are able to offer a highly flexible treatment plan designed to supplement or replace facility-based care. This often includes a mixture of home-based, community based, and school based sessions designed to ensure your child has access to effective therapy. Home, community and school-based sessions typically include a 1:1 behavior technician who provides ABA therapy catered to the environment they are located. The goal of these sessions is to help increase language and communication skills, improve attention, focus, social skills, academics, and to decrease problematic behaviors.
Applied Behavioral Analysis
AIM believes the best approach to treatment for an individual diagnosed with ASD is through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). ABA uses the principles of behavior (e.g., positive reinforcement) to create positive changes in a person’s life. It helps us to understand how behavior works, how it is affected by the environment, and how learning takes place.
ABA is a common treatment used to treat and motivate children and individuals diagnosed with ASD. The goal of ABA is to increase positive behaviors while decreasing those that are harmful or have a negative impact on learning. If used appropriately, ABA treatment can help a child succeed in school, effectively communicate with others, increase independence, fulfill life interests, develop genuine social reciprocity, and develop meaningful, lifelong relationships.
While ABA involves many techniques, it does offer flexible treatment to adapt to the unique needs of each child. One of the main strategies of ABA is positive reinforcement. Research has shown that when behavior is followed by positive reinforcement (a reward), a child is more likely to repeat that behavior. Over time, this repetition results in a positive behavior change.
AIM’s Applied Behavioral Analysis services are provided by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT).
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
A BCBA is a practitioner who has completed a master program, supervised practicum, and passed a certification exam. A BCBA is responsible for skill and functional assessments, treatment/behavior plan development and updates, caregiver training, and supervising RBTs.
Registered Behavior Technician (RBT)
An RBT is a practitioner who has completed high school or equivalent, 40 hours of ABA training, passed a competency assessment, and passed an exam. RBTs work under the supervision of BCBAs to provide direct services to clientele.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please contact us if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Autism refers to a broad range of conditions that are characterized by challenges with speech, social skills, repetitive behaviors, and nonverbal communication. These challenges often occur within the first three years of a life and cause children to fall farther and farther behind their peers as they grow older. According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2018 an estimated 1 in 59 children in the United States is affected by autism.
There are many different subtypes of autism, or the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There are often tremendous differences in children with autism with learning, thinking, and problem-solving, which can range from highly skilled to severely challenged. This results in a distinct set of strengths and challenges for each child. For example, many children will have challenges with speech and communication, while others may be able to understand and easily express their needs through complex conversation. Some may reject all social contact, while others may be quite social. Some may exhibit repetitive actions or have complex and obsessive rules. Due to these differences, some children with ASD may require significant support in their daily lives while others will require minimal support to develop and live independently.
Due to advancements in diagnostic tools, most children with ASD can be diagnosed by the age of 3, although some infants can show signs of ASD within their first 12 months. Often it will be the parents who will notice a difference in their child. There are many signs a parent can watch for that may indicate that their child is at risk for an autism spectrum disorder.
Within the first 12 months:
- Lack of back and forth sharing of sounds
- No babbling
- No pointing or other gestures such as pointing, showing or waving
- Few or no big smiles or engaging expressions
- Limited or no eye contact
- Lack of response to their name
Within 16 months:
- Very few to no single words
By 24 months:
- No two-word spontaneous (not imitating or repeating) phrases
At Any Age:
- Lack of interest in other children
- Avoidance of eye contact
- Lack of imitation
- Loss of acquired language or social skills
- Delayed language development
- Not bringing objects over to parents to show them
- Difficulty of understanding other people’s feelings
- Repetitive behaviors (i.e. rocking, spinning, etc.)
- Unusual reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colors
- Not using index finger to point
If your child exhibits these signs you should have your child screened for ASD. The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) can help you determine if you should have a professional evaluation your child. This screening tool only takes a few minutes to complete. If the answers suggest that your child has a high probability for ASD, please consult with a professional.
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