What is ABA Therapy and how can it help?
ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA therapy is an empirically based therapeutic practice that operates on the principles of behavior and learning. ABA therapy consists of direct observation, data collection, discrete trial teaching and natural environment teaching, all of which assist with the development of socially significant skills and behaviors.
ABA operates on the understanding that by modifying the environment to fit the individual needs of each learner, every learner can acquire skills in the areas of communication, play, community participation, social interaction, daily living, and grooming to facilitate maximum independence while decreasing behaviors that may impede such progress.
What does Starlight offer
Skill and Behavior Assessment
Assessments that identify the learner’s current level of performance in various domains, in addition to the function of behaviors that learners and caregivers hope to see decrease.
Skill Acquisition
Discrete Trial Training: A teaching strategy based on the principles of ABA, that breaks skills down into smaller subskills.
Naturalistic Environment Teaching and Play-based learning: Teaching strategies that focus on the acquisition of skills led by the learner in their natural environment.
Behavior Reduction
We work with the learner and their caregivers to determine behaviors that impede on the development of valuable skills. We identify functionally equivalent replacement behaviors and work towards teaching the learner to engage in these behaviors instead.
Collaboration
At Starlight, we believe it takes a village! We strive to create a team with our learners, their caregivers, schools, and outside therapeutic service providers (OT, Speech, Counseling, etc.) to best address the overall goals of the individuals we serve.
Caregiver Training
We offer consultation as well as hands-on, in-situ training to caregivers to assist in the understanding of the principles of behavior, and how we use them to promote independence and generalization of socially significant behaviors across settings.
Cultural Awareness
As multicultural practitioners, we are aware that social significance may look different for each family. We pride ourselves on prioritizing the skills and behaviors that matter most to our learners and their families.
Meet the BCBA's
Sarah Shams M.S., BCBA
Board Certified Behavior Analyst