There are many things to consider when hiring an ABA Provider to work with your child. There are several models of service delivery, but the principles remain the same.
Your Child’s Team
- Clinical Psychologist. A Clinical Psychologist will assist in the establishment of treatment goals and will work alongside your child’s behavioural team. Clinical Psychologists have a unique perspective in Autism due to their training. They can appreciate the developmental perspective of Autism.
- Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA). BCBAs receive extensive training in Behavioural Analytical procedures to design behavioural programs for individuals with Autism. They are registered with the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) (the international certification organization) and must follow strict professional and ethical compliance codes. They design the behavior program, oversee the behavior program, and make the necessary modifications as required. You can check the BACB Registry to confirm that a Behaviour Analyst is Board Certified.
- Senior Therapist. The Senior Therapist is your bridge between the front line workers and the BCBA. They oversee the day-to-day programming and report back to the BCBA. They often work as front line workers. The often have the designation of a Board Certified Assistant Behaviour Analyst (BCaBA)
- ABA Therapist. These are your front line workers. They may also be called Instructor Therapists. Ideally, the ABA Therapist should have the credentials of being a Registered Behaviour Technician (RBT). They are supervised by a BCBA or a BCaBA.
- Other team members may include:
- Speech Language Pathologist
- Occupational Therapist
- Physical Therapist
- Case Manager
- Social Worker
Input from Families
- You are your child’s expert. No one knows your child better than you. Your input is essential in order to establish reasonable behavioural goals and targets that are meaningful for you and your family. You should be having at least monthly meetings with your child’s team to review goals and expectations.
Guidelines
- Practice Guidelines for ASD (published by the BACB) have been established to ensure that quality ABA Services are delivered to individuals with Autism.
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Consumer Guidelines for Identifying, Selecting, and Evaluating Behavior Analysts Working with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (published by the Special Interest Group of the Association for Behaviour Analysis)
Online Resources
There are some useful online resources which can help you choose a provider:
- Choosing an ABA Provider
- Tips for Choosing an ABA Provider
- An excellent blog by Tameika Meadows, BCBA, “Selecting an ABA Provider”
