What is ABA?

In plain words

ABA looks at what happens before and after a behavior, and uses that to teach new skills in a way that works for your child. Big goals, like asking for a snack or getting dressed, are broken into small steps. Each step is practiced and celebrated until it sticks, then used at home, at school and out in the community.

Good ABA is individual. Your child's goals come from an assessment and from what your family wants for daily life, not from a fixed program.

What a session looks like

Most sessions look a lot like play. A therapist works one-on-one with your child using toys, games, snacks and routines your child enjoys, and weaves in practice of the skills on their plan. The therapist writes down how each skill is going so the team can see progress and adjust.

How long and how often sessions run is set in your child's treatment plan and by your insurance. Typical session length and weekly hours at Hoʻomau: to confirm.

Who is on your child’s team

BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst): A master's-level clinician who assesses your child, writes the treatment plan, trains and supervises the therapists, and meets with you regularly. In Hawaiʻi, behavior analysts are also licensed by the state as LBAs (Licensed Behavior Analysts).
RBT (Registered Behavior Technician): The therapist who works with your child day to day, following the plan the BCBA designed and supervised by the BCBA.
You: Parents and caregivers are part of the team. You know your child best, and the skills only matter if they work at home too.

How parents take part

Parent training is part of ABA at Hoʻomau. Your BCBA shows you the strategies your child is learning so you can use them during the day, answers questions, and adjusts goals with you as your child grows. We also run Snacks & Strategies, a parent support group.

Myths and facts

Myth: ABA is only for very young children.

Fact: Early support helps, but ABA can teach useful skills at any age.

Myth: ABA is about making children sit still and comply.

Fact: Good ABA teaches skills that make life easier for your child, like communicating needs, and respects their comfort and interests.

Myth: Parents drop their child off and wait.

Fact: Families are part of the plan, and parent training is built in.

Myth: Every child gets the same program.

Fact: Goals come from an assessment of your child and from your family's priorities.

A short glossary

Assessment: The BCBA's first look at your child's strengths and needs, used to set goals.
Treatment plan: The written goals and methods for your child, reviewed and updated over time.
Authorization: Your insurer's approval of the treatment plan and the hours it covers. We request it for you.
Reinforcement: Something your child likes that follows a skill, so the skill happens more often.
Prompt: A helpful hint, like a gesture or a model, that is faded out as your child learns.
Generalization: Using a skill in new places and with new people, not just in therapy.
Functional behavior assessment (FBA): Working out why a challenging behavior happens, so the team can teach a better way to meet the same need.