Focused ABA

Service Description

Focused ABA refers to treatment provided directly to the client for a limited number of behavioral targets. It is not restricted by age, cognitive level, or co-occurring conditions.

Focused ABA generally ranges from 10-25 hours per week of direct treatment (plus direct and indirect supervision and caregiver training). However, certain programs for severe destructive behavior may require more than 25 hours per week of direct therapy (for example, day treatment or inpatient program for severe self-injurious behavior).

Focused ABA treatment may involve increasing socially appropriate behavior (for example, increasing social initiations) or reducing problem behavior (for example, aggression) as the primary target. Even when reduction of problem behavior is the primary goal, it is critical to also target increases in appropriate alternative behavior, because the absence of appropriate behavior is often the precursor to serious behavior disorders. Therefore, individuals who need to acquire skills (for example, communication, tolerating change in environments and activities, self-help, social skills) are also appropriate for Focused ABA. Focused ABA plans are appropriate for individuals who (a) need treatment only for a limited number of key functional skills or (b) have such acute problem behavior that its treatment should be the priority.

Examples of key functional skills include, but are not limited to, establishing instruction-following, social communication skills, compliance with medical and dental procedures, sleep hygiene, self-care skills, safety skills, and independent leisure skills (for example, appropriate participation in family and community activities). Examples of severe problem behaviors requiring focused intervention include, but are not limited to, self-injury, aggression, threats, pica, elopement, feeding disorders, stereotypic motor or vocal behavior, property destruction, noncompliance and disruptive behavior, or dysfunctional social behavior.

When prioritizing the order in which to address multiple treatment targets, the following should be considered:

  • Behavior that threatens the health or safety of the client or others or that constitute a barrier to quality of life (for example, severe aggression, self-injury, property destruction, or noncompliance);
  • Absence of developmentally appropriate adaptive, social, or functional skills that are fundamental to maintain health, social inclusion, and increased independence (for example, toileting, dressing, feeding, and compliance with medical procedures).

When the focus of treatment involves increasing socially appropriate behavior, treatment may be delivered in either an individual or small-group format. When conducted in a small group, typically developing peers or individuals with similar diagnoses may participate in the session. Members of the behavior-analytic team may guide clients through the rehearsal and practice of behavioral targets with each other. As is the case for all treatments, programming for generalization of skills outside the session is critical.

When the focus of treatment involves the reduction of severe problem behavior, the Behavior Analyst will determine which situations are most likely to precipitate problem behavior and, based on this information, begin to identify its potential purpose (or “function”). This may require conducting a functional analysis procedure to empirically demonstrate the function of the problem behavior. The results enable the Behavior Analyst to develop the most effective treatment protocol. When the function of the problem behavior is identi ed, the Behavior Analyst will design a treatment plan that alters the environment to reduce the motivation for problem behavior and/or establish a new and more appropriate behavior that serves the same function and therefore “replaces” the problem behavior.

In some cases, individuals with ASD display co-occurring severe destructive behavior disorders that require focused treatment in more intensive settings, such as specialized intensive-outpatient, day- treatment, residential, or inpatient programs. In these cases, these behavior disorders are given separate and distinct diagnoses (for example, Stereotypic Movement Disorder with severe self- injurious behavior). The ABA services delivered in these settings typically require higher staff-to-client ratios (for example, 2 to 3 staff for each client) and close on-site direction from the Behavior Analyst. In addition, such treatment programs often have specialized treatment environments (for example, treatment rooms designed for observation and to keep the client and the staff as safe as possible).