Starting ABA Services with an Initial Assessment

Knowing that you need help for your child with autism can be overwhelming at first, and getting the right support is a process that takes patience, persistence and research.

Yet, whether your child has just been diagnosed with autism and the ABA service process is all new to you, or has previously received ABA services from another agency and is now starting ABA services with Bridge Care ABA, our team is here to help make this a smooth and convenient experience for your family.

With us, you’ll have access to support from experts in the ABA therapy field that are committed to helping your child thrive, no matter what challenges their ability to succeed.

Helping your child learn skills that will improve their day-to-day functioning starts by the ABA therapist learning about your child’s uniqueness:

• What makes your child’s face brighten?
• How does your child interact with peers?
• What kind of language or non-verbal cues does your child use to communicate?
• Which aspects of the daily routine does your child struggle with?
• What helps your child calm down when they’re angry, scared, or frustrated?

The initial assessment for ABA services is an opportunity for a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to observe your child through a professional perspective, learn about their strengths and struggles, and use their observations to create a service recommendation with an individualized ABA treatment plan.

Get Ready…

As part of the planning process for the assessment, your service coordinator will provide you with documents and online questionnaires to fill out before your scheduled evaluation time. We’re happy to guide you in answering any questions you have while completing the forms. These forms will give us an overview of your child, which will help the BCBA in customizing the assessment.

Since children often take time to normalize their behavior in the presence of someone unfamiliar, they are generally most comfortable on their own turf, as opposed to in a school or community setting.

Therefore, our BCBAs conduct ABA evaluations at a time that is convenient for you, in your home, where your child will be most comfortable and can be evaluated in the same conditions you and your family are used to. This gives us a most natural and realistic perspective of your child’s strengths and struggles.

During the BCBA’s visit…

Interviewing

The BCBA reviews the completed forms with the child’s parents and caregivers, and clarifies any questions either party may have. They also want to hear how Bridge Care ABA can best serve your family, inquiring about the goals and priorities you may have for your child. We consider parents our most valued partners, and encourage their input throughout the evaluation.

Pairing

Once the interview and documentation is complete, the BCBA will begin to pair with your child. Pairing involves engaging in play and following your child’s cues in order to allow your child to warm up to the BCBA. Your BCBA will then evaluate your child’s response to new instructions and environment changes utilizing evidence-based assessment tools.

We will also evaluate the triggers of any potential problem behavior your child engages in. To do that, we may need to ask you to recreate a situation that leads to problem behaviors. This part of the assessment usually takes about 2 hours.

Closing up…

After the hands-on portion of the assessment, the BCBA will summarize findings and make a clinical recommendation on how many hours of therapy are needed to best reach your goals for your child. The hours recommended consider factors such as:  

• your child’s age
• Your child’s developmental level
• severity of problem behavior
• other scheduled services your child is receiving

Since ABA services are more intense than other therapy services your child may be receiving, like speech therapy or occupational therapy, minimum recommended hours will typically range anywhere between 12 and 35 hours a week. Our recommendations are based on years of scientific research and established with the goal of effectively teaching your child valuable life skills.

The BCBA will use the data from the evaluation to design an individualized treatment plan for your child’s ABA therapy sessions. This includes goals in various areas, such as:

• improving focus
• following directions
• interacting more effectively with peers
• mastering personal care skills
• enhancing communication

Choosing Bridge Care ABA as your ABA service provider is the best move you can make for your child with autism. We’re here to help you understand your child better, and work together towards goals that will impact your family for a lifetime. Reach out to us here to get the ABA service process started.