Joyful ABA Therapy
What is Joyful ABA therapy?
Joyful ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is an evidence-based approach to understanding and
creating behavior change to improve daily living skills and reduce behaviors that impede an
individual’s access to the environment around them. This includes targeting skills such as
communication, social skills, and academic performance.
This therapy is performed one on one with a dedicated RBT (Registered Behavioral
Technician) through a tailored program developed by our highly trained masters level BCBA
(Board Certified Behavior Analyst) that is specific to the needs of your child or loved one tied to specific goals. Our BCBAs provide weekly in-person supervision to our RBTs and learners. Our BCBAs review daily tracked data to review progress which spawns changes to interventions.
This therapy is done in a positive and fun environment! We use an assent-based approach
which means we emphasize a child’s voluntary agreement and willingness to participate in the
therapy activities. It’s about ensuring the child’s voice is heard and respected. So, we strive to
find the child’s favorite toys and activities to make each day their best day.
Our clinicians are highly trained, highly passionate and highly collaborative which is key for
driving the best outcomes – in a word our clinicians are amazing!
Joyful ABA therapy at JBK includes:
- Biannual, individualized assessment, during which the child’s strengths and challenges are assessed and the learner/family and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) determines the child’s goals
- An individualized Treatment Plan and Behavior Support Plan (BSP) developed by the child’s BCBA to increase the child’s developmental skills and reduce challenging behavior
- Led by the child’s BCBA, an assigned team of Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) to build trust and rapport, implement daily therapy sessions, and thoroughly understand the child’s preferences and needs for efficient growth and progress
- One-on-one direct therapy sessions with a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) to implement the child’s Treatment Plan and Behavior Support Plan
- Daily Communication Notes detailing the child’s session activities and progress
- Weekly therapy sessions with an RBT and the child’s BCBA for ongoing progress monitoring, data analysis, evaluation of intervention effectiveness, and continuous coaching and support of the child’s RBT team
- Implementation of positive, play-based and research-based interventions such as Naturalistic Intervention, Pivotal Response Training, Discrete Trial Training, Functional Communication Training, and Differential Reinforcement
- Biweekly caregiver coaching sessions with the child’s BCBA and caregiver(s) to discuss the child’s progress, evaluate and problem solve current needs at home/community, and provide direct training on effective ABA interventions to utilize at home throughout the child’s lifespan
- Ongoing collaboration with the child’s entire therapy team and family to promote
the child’s development and ensure goals are being mastered
ABA therapy focuses on the following areas for growth, in collaboration with our OT’s and SLP’s:
- Vocal and Motor Imitation Skills
- Visual Performance
- Expressive and Receptive Language
- Functional Communication Skills
- Fine Motor and Gross Motor Skills
- Social Skills and Social Interactions
- Play and Leisure Skills
- Pre-Academic and School Readiness Skills
- Coping and Emotional Regulation Skills
- Self-Advocacy, Self-Management, and Independence
- Decreasing ineffective or inappropriate behaviors (i.e. biting) with socially appropriate replacement behaviors (i.e. requesting help)
- Adaptive, Self-Care, and Toileting Skills
- Attending and Social Referencing
- Following Daily Routines and Participating in Groups
What makes ABA therapy effective AND Joyful at JBK?
- Children’s sessions are filled with their favorite toys, activities, and engaging play-based learning with adults they know and trust!
- Our clinicians practice an assent-based learning model, which means we respect children’s communicative attempts to engage or disengage in therapeutic tasks.
- Our clinicians adjust their teaching strategies and interventions to fit the unique needs and preferences of each child in order to provide the most joyful, effective therapy for each learner in our care.
- We focus on creating contingencies of joy inside our clinics, which means we modify the teaching environment to prevent stress and distress of our learners, which promotes both confidence and happiness.
- Through joyful ABA, we are able to increase the well-being of each learner through playful, evidence-based therapeutic practices.
- Our clinicians focus on teaching children how to functionally communicate their wants, needs, and dislikes, and how to engage with others through appropriate attention and affection.
- We teach our learners how to safely adapt to nonpreferred and difficult situations in order for their well-being and happiness to be self-managed throughout their lifespan.
- Our children are children first, so we focus on age-appropriate play and therapeutic tasks throughout both our comprehensive and focused-intervention sessions.
