QBO

Introduction

The QBO team includes Clinical Consultants who are highly trained Board Certified Behavior Analysts, as well as a team of Skills Trainers providing 1:1 behavioral instruction with direct supervision. QBO utilizes positive, non-aversive and functional approaches to behavior analysis in order to concretely bring about change and support skill acquisition. Based on an appropriate assessment that is respectful of each participant’s needs, QBO develops state-of-the-art solutions to excessive behaviors and skill deficits. QBO then either implements these solutions or collaborates with and supervises others that do so.

What is Autism?

Autism is a complicated developmental disorder that typically appears during the first three years of life. According to the Center for Disease Control, one in every 110 children in the United States is diagnosed with Autism and the disorder is much more common in boys than in girls. 1.5 million people in the US and tens of millions worldwide are affected by Autism.

Autism is included among the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), because the symptoms span a wide range or spectrum. Other Autism Spectrum Disorders include Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Asperger’s Disorder. Those impacted by ASDs can range from individuals with mild social and communicative difficulties to those with more complex behavioral, communicative and social challenges. Children with Autism generally exhibit uneven patterns of development. Signs of Autism can include:

• Limited use of speech
• Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g. hand flapping)
• Little or no eye contact
• Lack of interest in peer relationships
• Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
• Persistent fixation on objects

Unfortunately, the causes of Autism are not yet well understood and therefore prevention is not possible. However, there is a significant body of scientific evidence that suggests Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy can result in significant improvement, especially when treatment begins early.

What is ABA?

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the science that uses the well established principles of learning to improve behavior. Its methods are systematically applied in an orderly step-by-step fashion with results typically validated through data collection and graphic display. ABA is based on empirical research, and utilizes positive reinforcement to promote skill acquisition as well as the reduction of problem behaviors producing durable behavior change.

An ABA program is a systematic teaching approach that involves breaking skills down into small, easy-to-learn steps. Praise or other rewards are used to motivate the child, and progress is continuously measured so the teaching program can be adjusted as needed. ABA is widely recognized as the single most effective treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder and the only treatment shown to lead to substantial, lasting improvements in the lives of individuals with autism. ABA based treatment strategies maximize the learning potential of individuals with autism spectrum disorders, and are flexible, individualized and dynamic.

How ABA Works:

• Skills are broken down into a series of manageable steps that are easier to learn
• Students are provided multiple opportunities to practice and perfect each step of the skill
• Success is rewarded with positive reinforcement, maintaining high motivation for improvement
• Goals are targeted to meet the needs of the individual learner
• Teachers track progress through systematic collection and evaluation of data
• Skills are taught with an eye toward their use and integration into a learner’s daily life
• Programs are systematically faded as the learner’s behavior improves