What is ABA Therapy?
The term ABA is an acronym for Applied Behavior Analysis. Decades of research and practice have determined ABA Therapy can be an extraordinarily effective means of helping people with behavior problems, including children with Autism and other disabilities, as well as typically-developing children who engage in oppositional defiance, impulsivity, social problems, aggression, tantrums, refusal, running (elopement), noncompliance, self-harm, and a broad range of other problem behaviors. ABA Therapy is also used to help adults with behavior challenges.
What is the purpose of ABA Therapy?
The purpose of ABA Therapy is to foster positive behavior change. The primary difference between ABA Therapy and other models of therapy is that professional ABA therapists work not only with the client (e.g., the child) but also with the caregivers and social support network surrounding the client to facilitate positive change. Rather than working to “fix” the patient, we aim to understand the patient’s preferences, wants and needs, strengths, history, and the environmental causes of the behavior problems. The best kind of ABA therapy occurs when parents, teachers, caregivers, and even family members learn to use the tools of behavior analysis so that changes in behavior can be maintained over the long term. It is essential, therefore, that the entire caregiver team be invested in the entire process of ABA service delivery.
In short, we believe the best ABA therapists are, above all, teachers. Moreover, we believe the best teachers, the best parents, and the best caregivers of children are those who understand behavior.
Our objective, therefore, is to teach the science of behavior to anyone who is willing to learn.
What does ABA Therapy look like?
There are three primary modes of ABA therapy:
- One-to-one direct service between the therapist and the child;
- Therapy that occurs in the client’s typical social environment;
- Guided training, modeling, and support to primary caregivers to give them the tools to reduce problem behaviors and teach important skills.
The Accessible Hope team believes not only that the entire family, school team, and other caregivers are essential parts of the treatment process, but that the positive changes that occur during treatment can only be sustained with the continued effort of the entire team even after the initial treatment plan has proven effective.
Who can benefit from ABA therapy?
The science of behavior, and the tools, methods, and strategies that ABA therapists use, can facilitate behavior change for almost anyone. Most commonly, ABA therapists work with children with special needs, predominantly those with a diagnosis of Autism and related disorders. ABA therapy is not limited to individuals with Autism however; indeed, we also have successfully treated patients with ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Cri du Chat (5p-Minus), Rhett’s Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, and many others.
Further, Accessible Hope does not limit the application of behavior therapy and consultation to children and adolescents identified with disorders. Indeed, we believe the wealth of tools of behavior have immeasurable potential to help all children, not only those with special needs. In essence, behavior problems do not always indicate a disorder, and a disorder is not necessary for an individual to benefit from ABA therapy!
How do I request ABA therapy?
Accessible Hope currently is certified to provide ABA services for the several managed care organizations (MCOs) including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare, Amerigroup, and others. We also accept Medicaid members.
We also have availability to contract with private pay clients.
Physicians: For Accessible Hope, LLC to provide services that are covered by a patient’s insurance, the service must be determined to be medically necessary. To request authorization for coverage, we will need a signed physician’s order for ABA assessment and therapy, including the patient’s diagnosis. Most insurance payers require a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder or another diagnosis for which research has shown ABA to be an effective treatment modality, and many payers require data that indicate the patient’s behaviors severely limit his or her ability to participate in activities of daily living and/or are likely to cause harm to the patient or another individual.
Our fax number is (615) 301–6196.
Please be sure to include the physician’s signature, child’s diagnosis (DSM code) and include specific examples of target behaviors that pose safety risks and/or preclude the child from participating in typical daily activities.
Email: info@accessiblehope.com
Phone: (615) 834-0718
Fax: (615) 301–6196
Address: 14897 Old Hickory Blvd, Antioch, TN 37013–4206