Home-Based and Community ABA

What is home-based ABA therapy?

ABA therapy is a kind of treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that combines learning science and behavior analysis to create highly-individualized treatment plans that help children and adults with ASD learn new skills and improve desirable behaviors while decreasing harmful behaviors or those that have a negative impact on learning or daily function.

While most people probably think first about ABA that is administered at a treatment center, home-based ABA therapy is another option that can be a good fit for many children with autism and their families. Because ABA therapy is such a flexible and individualized form of treatment, it’s generally most effective when it’s consistently provided across multiple natural environments. This means that, even if you also visit a treatment center for ABA therapy, integrating home-based ABA therapy can be a great supplement to your overall treatment plan.

What are the benefits of home-based ABA therapy?

ABA therapy is always flexible and designed to meet an individual child’s needs, but home-based ABA therapy provides even more opportunities for flexibility and individualization of treatment.

Working in natural environments, such as your home, gives your ABA therapist the opportunity to use activities and objects that normally engage your child. Bringing therapy to the home is also more comfortable for many children with autism because they’re able to work on their behavioral issues in a space that they find safe, familiar, and non-threatening.

Home-based ABA therapy also gives parents and even siblings the chance to learn about ABA and participate in therapy. Transitioning to or adding home-based ABA therapy to a child’s treatment plan has also been shown to have tangible benefits for parents of children with ASD, including reduced parental stress and depression and increased parental satisfaction with the outcome of therapy.

How do I start home-based ABA therapy?

The team at Intercare Therapy provides comprehensive autism care, beginning with a psychological and behavioral assessment to diagnose your child. Once the evaluation is finished, the child’s treatment team creates an individualized ABA treatment plan with goals that fit your child’s specific needs.

Whether your child is already diagnosed, or you need to start from the beginning, you can call the Intercare Therapy office that’s closest to you and schedule an appointment.

What should I expect during home-based ABA therapy?

As with center-based ABA therapy, home-based ABA therapy focuses on helping a child with ASD learn and master new skills and increase desired behaviors while decreasing undesirable or harmful behaviors. Home-based ABA therapy, in particular, gives your treatment team a chance to work on skills your child uses at home, such as teaching morning and nighttime routines, hygiene skills, and toilet training.

When it comes to preparing for a home-based ABA therapy session, don’t stress. As a parent, your only job is to make sure that your child is awake and ready for therapy and to find a dedicated space without distractions for the session. Your therapist will bring along any supplies or reinforcers they may need during therapy, and they may also use objects available in your house. And remember, if you ever feel like you need help or would like some advice about how to help your child adjust to home-based therapy, just reach out to your treatment team for guidance.

If you’d like to learn more about home-based ABA therapy for children with autism, call Intercare Therapy or fill out the contact form online.