7 Dimensions of ABA Therapy

What is ABA therapy? How do you come up with a child’s plan of care for therapy? These are two common questions that our parents ask us before starting ABA therapy at PediaPlex. ABA therapy, applied behavior analysis, is an evidence-based scientific method that is used for children on the autism spectrum. When creating a child’s plan of care we will follow the 7 dimensions of ABA therapy.

What is ABA Therapy?

Before we talk about the 7 dimensions of ABA therapy, let’s do a quick overview of what ABA therapy is. ABA therapy , applied behavior analysis, is an evidence-based approach to intervention to help children with autism. At PediaPlex we offer a 1:1 approach where your child will work individually with a BCBA, board certified behavior analyst, and an RBT, registered behavior technician. We will work with them on functional skills, such as communication, following directions, turn taking, toileting, and more. A child’s plan of care will feature goals that are appropriate for your child based on their evaluation.

7 Dimensions of ABA Therapy

As we said above, ABA therapy is an evidence-based approach to intervention to help children with autism and it was founded on 7 core dimensions. The 7 dimensions of ABA therapy were first outlined by Baer, Wolf and Risley in 1968. A child’s plan of care should include goals in all seven of these areas in order to realize the most benefit. An easy way to remember these 7 dimensions is #getacab!

-Generality– AKA generalization. As we talked about in a recent blog, generalization is the ability for your child to use new skills in multiple settings and with other people, outside of the learning environment. While a child may be able to do a specific task independently in clinic, it’s not considered successful until it is achieved outside of the clinic environment as well.

-Effective– A child’s plan of care must be effective. This is why our BCBA’s are frequently monitoring each client’s data, observing sessions, and adjusting the interventions being used.

-Technological- When a BCBA is writing a specific intervention for a child it much be technological. It should be written clearly and detailed enough to where anyone on the child’s therapy team can replicate it. This helps the RBT’s to always implement the treatment in the correct way.

-Applied- A behavior change is applied when it enhances the everyday day life of the child by improving a socially significant behavior. Every child’s behaviors are individual to them so our BCBA’s will work with them to improve these social behaviors to produce a significant and meaningful change. A child’s RBT and parents are considered ‘behavior change agents’ and help to ensure implementation of these steps for the client to reach the socially significant goal in each environment.

-Conceptual Systems- This means that a child’s intervention is research-based and that it represents the principles of ABA.

-Analytic- A BCBA will always use data to make informed decisions about a client’s plan of care. During a session we are constantly collecting data so that we can monitor if the current plan is working. This data will tell us when a change is warranted and when the change has worked.

-Behavioral- When writing a client’s plan of care, the behaviors we are working on must be observable and measurable. This allows the BCBA to study the behavior for improvement, or lack of improvement. To do this we must define the specific behaviors we will be working on so that we can then collect data over time.

When a BCBA uses all 7 dimensions of ABA therapy it ensures that they are creating a plan of care that will be the most effective and socially significant. Their goal when writing the plan of care is to create goals and programs that will deliver the most meaningful changes for your child. So…always remember #getacab and ask your BCBA to outline these specific things for you if you’d like to know more about your child’s intervention!

ABA Therapy at PediaPlex

PediaPlex offers ABA therapy for children on the autism spectrum. After an initial evaluation, our BCBA’s will create a full plan of care for your child, following the 7 dimensions of ABA therapy. They will also coordinate with our speech and occupational therapists if your child is receiving additional services with us. Our collaborative approach to pediatric therapy allows your child to have a full therapeutic day with a team of professionals who are all focused on the same goals. PediaPlex has locations in Southlake, Fort Worth, and Frisco and is currently accepting new clients!

Visit our website to find out how to get started with ABA therapy at PediaPlex.

-The PediaPlex Family