Mission Statement:
To provide evidence-based behavior analytic services to learners with
Autism and other developmental disabilities through Direct
Services and Partnership/Support of family members and educators.
Utilizing research based strategies along with
"family-based" treatments, Building Blocks
for Autism provides a pathway for individuals with
Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD to constantly improve towards their full potential. |
   What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
Autism Spectrum disorder is a complex neurobiological disorder affecting 1 in 150 individuals, as reported by the center for disease control. Autism affects individuals in ways that may impair functional communication,
social interactions, cause sensitivities to light and sound, sensory integration deficits, severe allergies, and behavioral issues.
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The Building Blocks
for Autism Approach to Behavioral Therapy:
Applied
Verbal Behavior, AVB is a method in which language is defined in functional terms and therefore, teaches language based upon functionality. Focus is placed upon the reasons why words are said, and therefore allows us to not only teach the learner to use words to communicate, but to teach concepts and meanings of words that can lead to conversational language.
Functional communication is the foundation that supports the development of skills in all areas and therefore
B.F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior and the supporting empirical work informs our treatment and instructional recommendations.
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BB4Autism will be using reliable data, gathered and analyzed on a schedule sufficient to make informed decisions, recommendations, and changes to achieve the best outcomes for our learners.
Building Blocks for Autism creates individualized programs for teaching language and function to each client, utilizing the ABLLS assessment tool (Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills), direct observation, interaction and family input to determine present levels of functioning in which to build a program upon following a developmental time line.
Using Verbal Behavior:
Building Therapeutic Relationships
It is critical to begin and develop therapeutic relationships very carefully, and that the child enjoys being with people, and sees that learning is a good thing. When building a therapeutic relationship it is important to have fun, enjoy the child, teach the child that learning is fun and communication is powerful. |
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Teaching Language:
Using a verbal behavior model, it is very important to teach a child how to request and ask for things that they want (mand). Typically, and increase is seen in communication skills as a child learns to
mand; they learn "I talk, I
get", empowering them.
The ultimate goal is to teach the child to communicate vocally; however, many parents are hesitant to incorporate the use of alternative augmentative communication (AAC) because they do not want to give up on their child learning to talk vocally. There has been a great deal of research to indicate that using AAC methods of communication increase the likelihood that the child will develop vocal speech. Teaching a child to communicate using any form, vocal language or AAC (pictures, signs, devices, etc) teaches the child that communication is powerful by allowing him/her access to things he/she wants. By pairing communication (whether it be sign language, pictures, etc) with vocalizations (labeling items or modeling the request), and reinforcement (items the child wants), the child can learn the value of communicating, and begin to initiate vocal utterances. Also, by teaching functional forms of communication, inappropriate behaviors, such as crying or hitting that may have been used as means to communicate a want or need, can be replaced with functional communication. Furthermore, by receiving reinforcing items from people, this then pairs people as reinforcing items as well. The best choice in methods for building and teaching language are those that are best suited for each child individually and to his/her unique environment. A team of people, including family and professionals who are familiar with the child, should determine this decision.
Sample Examples of Therapy
Types:
Teaching the child to play
Using verbal behavior methods, among the first things we want to teach is for the child to ask for things that they want. Many parents will often say that their child does not want anything, or that there isn't a motivating toy or reinforcer; however, all kids want something. Through intervention and environmental changes and manipulations, we can increase the variety and number of things that they want.
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Errorless Teaching/Learning
Using verbal behavior, we also employ a system of errorless learning. This is a procedure in which the correct response is prompted so as not to allow the child to practice the "wrong" response or inadvertently chain incorrect and correct responses.
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Building Social Skills
It is very important to many parents that their children not isolate themselves from other peers; however, children with autism do not always find their peers to be reinforcing, and tend to shy away from non-reinforcing peers and activities. When looking at social relationships, adults and children have the opportunity to "choose" their friends based upon the reinforcing value of their friends, and generally do not choose to be around aversive people. When building social skills, it is important to begin with one child and then gradually expand to other friends.
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Targeting/Stopping
a Bad Behavior
For example, Hair Pulling. BB4Autism would conduct an observation, descriptive assessment, and a functional assessment to determine what is maintaining the behavior, or the function of the
behavior. This would require either in-home or in-school observation as long as permission is obtained from the family and school administrators. Enough baseline data would need to be collected without providing intervention to effectively determine the function of the behavior. Once that data is gathered and function determined,
BB4Autism would design a plan for behavioral intervention, implement it, and collect data (frequency of hair pulling) again to determine if the intervention is effective. If this is the case, then we would like to involve the family and school teachers/aides, etc with the intervention. It is very important that the intervention plan be consistently used across environments, therapists, teachers, family, etc. The entire process would be documented, graphed, analyzed, and a summary given to the family to keep, all in strict confidentiality. |
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