ABA Therapy
What is ABA?
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is a proven, evidence-based and effective approach to helping people with developmental differences (including autism spectrum disorder) thrive. ABA therapy is beneficial for individuals of all ages, and is especially regarded as an excellent early intervention method for children diagnosed with autism. ABA therapy empowers children to acquire lifelong skills essential for their development. With ABA therapy, children diagnosed with autism can enhance their communication and social interaction abilities, fostering greater independence. It serves as an excellent option for parents seeking to support their child’s journey towards increased self-sufficiency and readiness for the world. At WINGS, we believe in the power of ABA therapy to unlock the full potential of every child.
Understanding ABA Principles
ABA therapy is rooted in principles that focus on understanding and modifying behavior. Through positive reinforcement, shaping, prompting, and generalization techniques, ABA therapy helps children learn new skills and reduce challenging behaviors in various environments.
Benefits of ABA Therapy
The benefits of ABA therapy are vast. From improving communication and socialization skills to enhancing behavior management and daily living skills, ABA therapy offers children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental challenges the tools they need to succeed.
Individualized Treatment Plans
At WINGS, we recognize that every child is unique. That’s why we take a personalized approach to therapy, conducting thorough assessments to develop individualized treatment plans tailored to your child’s specific needs and goals.
Collaborative Approach
Our team of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), therapists, and support staff work together and alongside supplemental services (speech, occupational, and feeding therapy) to provide comprehensive and compassionate care. We partner with parents and caregivers to ensure that treatment plans are cohesive and consistent across all environments.
What to Expect During ABA Therapy
During ABA therapy sessions, your child will engage in activities designed to target specific skills and behaviors. Our therapists utilize positive reinforcement strategies and collect data to monitor progress and make necessary adjustments to treatment plans.
Parent Involvement and Support
As a parent, your involvement is crucial to your child’s success in therapy. We offer parent training and support services to empower you to implement strategies at home and in the community, fostering continued growth and development.
Common ABA Terms:
What is Positive Reinforcement?
Positive reinforcement is a strategy used to reinforce the desired behavior. Reinforcement surveys are used to assess what items, activities and words have the ability to motivate the individual.
What is ABC Data?
ABC stands for antecedent behavior consequence. The antecedent is what occurred right behavior the behavior. The behavior is what was observed to occur, the response or lack of response. The consequence is that it came right after the behavior.
What is DTT?
DTT Discrete Trial Training is an ABA teaching strategy that breaks down more complex skills into smaller components. This allows the individual to gradually be able to complete all components of the skill being taught individually and then link them together as a whole. Discrete Trial Training has been found to be effective in teaching skills in the area of communication, academics, play skills, self-help, daily living, leisure skills, toileting and job readiness.
What are the 4 Functions?
Behavior is maintained by 1 or a combination of 4 functions. These 4 functions are attention, access to tangibles, escape and automatic reinforcement. When we better understand the function or functions of the behavior, then we can work towards shaping or replacing the behavior. Attention seeking is when the individual behaves in a manner to get attention from a teacher, peer, parent, etc. Access to a tangible is the individual working towards getting a preferred item or preferred activity. Escape is an individual working towards getting out of doing something or getting away from someone or some place. Automatic reinforcement is when an individual behaves in a way that feels good to them for example a person pacing.
Individualized support for meaningful everyday growth.
WINGS ABA Therapy provides individualized behavioral support for children and young adults across home, school, community, and clinic environments throughout Bergen County, New Jersey.
Support built around the individual.
Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, is an individualized approach used to support meaningful skills and behaviors across everyday environments.
At WINGS, programming is developed around each individual's needs, strengths, goals, routines, and environments rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
The WINGS team includes BCBAs, RBTs, ABA therapists, and collaborating professionals who work together to support children, young adults, and families.
Goals can focus on communication, learning, independence, social participation, self-help, and other skills connected to everyday life.
Services are shaped around the individual, their environment, their current needs, and priorities identified with the family.
Goals connected to everyday life.
Individual goals vary from person to person. ABA programming may focus on a range of functional, social, communication, learning, and independence skills.
Communication & meaningful participation
Supporting functional communication, expressing needs, requesting, participation, flexibility, and interaction within everyday routines.
Daily Living
Supporting self-help, routines, personal independence, and everyday participation.
Learning Skills
Supporting attention, academic readiness, participation, and individualized learning goals.
Play & Leisure
Supporting engagement, play, leisure skills, choice-making, and meaningful activities.
Community & Job Readiness
Supporting community participation, independence, and individualized readiness skills.
Skills can be practiced where everyday life happens.
Depending on the individual's program and needs, WINGS support may take place across several environments.
Home
Everyday routines, independence, family activities, and functional skills.
School
Participation, individualized learning, behavior, and school routines.
Community
Functional skills practiced within natural community environments.
Clinic
Structured environments for individualized programming and skill development.
Home-Based Support
Home-based programming can connect goals with everyday routines, family activities, independence, communication, and other meaningful skills within the individual's natural environment.
Practicing skills where they are naturally used can help connect individualized programming with everyday family life.
Clinic-Based Support
WINGS clinic environments provide structured opportunities for individualized programming, social participation, learning, and skill development.
Clinic-based services can also provide opportunities for structured activities, interaction, and individualized support within a dedicated setting.
Individualized from the beginning.
Each person's support plan is shaped around individual needs, goals, environments, and family priorities.
Start with the family.
Families begin by contacting WINGS and sharing information about current needs and the services they are exploring.
Understand the next steps.
The team reviews relevant information, insurance considerations, and potential next steps for services.
Build around meaningful goals.
Programming is developed around individual strengths, needs, environments, routines, and meaningful areas of support.
Connect across environments.
WINGS works with families and collaborating professionals to support continuity across relevant environments.
Different disciplines working together.
WINGS ABA Therapy collaborates with Garden State Speech Therapy's speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists as part of its integrated approach to supporting the whole child and family.
Visit Garden State Speech Therapy →
Explore WINGS locations.
Learn more about WINGS ABA Therapy in Paramus, Westwood, and Ridgewood.
Paramus
49 East Midland Ave.Paramus, NJ Explore Paramus →
Westwood
223 Old Hook Rd, Suite 2Westwood, NJ 07675 Explore Westwood →
Ridgewood
265 Ackerman Avenue, Suite 203Ridgewood, NJ 07450 Explore Ridgewood →
Helpful information for families.
A starting point for learning more about ABA therapy and services through WINGS.