ABA therapy is clinically proven to help children with autism learn, build skills and thrive. But no matter how beneficial ABA is for a child, if they don’t live close to an ABA therapy center, the travel time can be a drawback — or a deal breaker — for busy parents. For many families, in home ABA therapy is a wonderful solution.
“In home ABA therapy is a really great option, especially when families don’t live in close proximity to a center,” says Nanette Pfeiffer, Executive Clinical Director with Key Autism Services, an organization that got its start with in home ABA therapy and now offers clinic-based therapy in Norwood Park, New Lenox and Palos Heights, in addition to in home ABA therapy services.
“In home ABA therapy offers the same one-on-one therapy with a behavior technician as a child would have in clinic. The sessions look very similar and the clinicians still provide an initial evaluation and provide the same clinical recommendation for hours per week of therapy,” explains Pfeiffer. “The primary difference is the setting where the services take place.”
Particularly for younger learners who have comprehensive ABA programs of between 25 to 40 hours each week, in home ABA therapy brings services to an environment where children are most likely to feel comfortable and clinicians may make the recommendation to begin services within that setting.
“A child’s favorite items are in their home setting and there are motivators that the technician can use to encourage the child to learn and reinforce correct responses,” Pfeiffer says. “The therapists can structure the ABA therapy around these items.”
But in home ABA therapy at Key Autism Services is not exclusive to young children, Pfeiffer says, and can offer significant benefits to older learners, too.
“We provide ABA therapy in the home for young learners under 2 all the way up to 19 years of age,” she says, adding that a teen’s home environment is a wonderful place to learn adaptive living skills — like personal hygiene, self-care, laundry and more — that can’t be as easily targeted in the clinical setting.
Parents can be involved during in home ABA therapy
One benefit of in home ABA therapy is a parent’s or caregiver’s increased awareness of goals and techniques. As a child with autism learns valuable skills at home, parents or caregivers can also take part in the learning process.
Because a parent, grandparent, nanny or other caregiver is present during in home ABA therapy, there is more family involvement in the home setting, Pfeiffer says. Therapists can structure the child’s learning goals around the family environment and the transfer of skills from one environment to another may even be quicker when parents are present and involved in the sessions.
Essential skills, like independent toilet use, for example, are highly appropriate for an in home ABA therapy setting. Or, if a child has behavior concerns, in home ABA therapy can be helpful because the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or behavior technician can determine the origin or function of the behavior at home. Then, parents can learn effective ways to reinforce desired behaviors.
“That involvement is wonderful because family members can easily continue to teach their child when the technician isn’t there,” she says.
The path from in home ABA therapy to social settings
A child may begin ABA therapy in home, but the intended goal is to help a child become accustomed to a socialized setting.
“Good candidates and early learners new to ABA therapy could benefit from starting at home and then transition to a clinic or a preschool setting,” Pfeiffer says. “The clinic setting is a great ‘graduation’ for the child. But if they live in a rural setting and transitioning to a clinic setting is not an option, the goal would be a nearby child care environment or a school.”
Whatever steps are needed to get a child into a social setting — whether that is a weekly social group or a drop-in child care — an in home ABA therapy team can provide them by shadowing the child as they transition to that new environment. Because autism is a spectrum disorder, the ABA therapy team would analyze the best path of services for the individual child so they can achieve their goals.
“Sometimes a child can move to a preschool program or they are ready for center-based ABA therapy but might benefit from six months of in home ABA therapy first. The path is always individualized to the client,” Pfeiffer says.
Regardless of the therapy setting — in home or in one of Key Autism Services’ three Chicagoland ABA therapy centers — the goals and outcomes for each individual child are the same high standards of care to help children with autism reach their full potential.
“We build our individualized treatment plans around skill deficit areas and behavior excesses we have targeted for reduction and we always do what’s best for our clients,” Pfeiffer says. “Our parent-focused approach is designed to make a lasting and positive impact for the parents and families we serve.”
Learn more about Key Autism Services’ in home ABA therapy and centers in Norwood Park, New Lenox and Palos Heights. Visit keyautismservices.com.
