ABA Services
ABA is effective for people of all ages. It can be used from early childhood through adulthood!
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a therapy based on the science of learning and behavior.
Behavior analysis assists us in understanding:
How an individual's behavior works
How the environment affects the behavior
How learning a behavior/replacing a behavior takes place
ABA therapy applies our understanding of how behavior works to real situations. The goal of ABA is to increase behaviors that are helpful and decrease behaviors that are harmful or affect learning.
What Does an ABA Program Involve?
Good ABA programs for autism and other behavioral issues are not "one size fits all." ABA should not be viewed as a canned set of drills. Rather, each program is written to meet the needs of the individual learner.
The goal of any ABA program is to help each person work on skills that will help them become more independent and successful in the short term as well as in the future.
What is applied behavior analysis in simple terms?
“Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a type of therapy that focuses on improving specific behaviors, such as social skills, communication, reading, and academics as well as adaptive learning skills, such as fine motor dexterity, hygiene, grooming, domestic capabilities, punctuality, and job competence.”
ABA Techniques and Philosophy
ABA involves a variety of procedures. Some are directed by the instructor and others are directed by the person with autism.
Parents, family members and caregivers receive training so they can support learning and skill practice throughout the day.
The person with autism will have many opportunities to learn and practice skills each day. This can happen in both planned and naturally occurring situations. For instance, someone learning to greet others by saying "hello" may get the chance to practice this skill in the classroom with their teacher (planned) and on the playground at recess (naturally occurring).
The learner receives an abundance of positive reinforcement for demonstrating useful skills and socially appropriate behaviors. The emphasis is on positive social interactions and enjoyable learning.
The learner receives no reinforcement for behaviors that pose harm or prevent learning.
What do applied behavior analysis do?
Applied behavior analysis, or ABA, is an evidence-based behavior therapy. It focuses on skill acquisition and teaching adaptive behaviors, while minimizing challenging behaviors, such as aggression or self-injury. Since ABA is based on the basic principles of behavior, ABA can be effective for both children and adults.
Is ABA covered by insurance?
My Life Matters accepts Medicaid, Private Pay, and Mo Healthy Blue. We will soon be accepting Tricare, and this information will be updated.
Many types of private health insurance are required to cover ABA services. This depends on what kind of insurance you have, and what state you live in.
All Medicaid plans must cover treatments that are medically necessary for children under the age of 21. If a doctor prescribes ABA and says it is medically necessary for your child, Medicaid must cover the cost.