Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Online Tutorial
	Module 8: Setting up a Home-Based ABA Program Steps to Starting a Home-Based ABA Program 1. Hire a Consultant to Create and Supervise the Program An ABA consultant is the person who “creates” an ABA program for a child with autism. He or she will assess the child’s current levels of skill (communication, academics, social skills, etc.) and will use this information (along with the family’s goals and input) to design an ABA intervention program to increase these skills. The ABA consult may work directly teaching the child, or may simply monitor the child’s progress and make changes and updates to the child’s intervention program and supervise the ABA therapists working with the child. The ABA consultant also typically provides ABA training to the people who work directly on the ABA program with the child (either the parents or ABA therapists – more about this in a minute). Having a good ABA consultant to supervise and manage the program is important to making the intervention a success. An ABA consultant should an advanced degree in a field related to behavior analysis (as well as direct experience working with children with autism). Generally, an ABA consultant should have a Master’s or Doctoral degree. A consultant can be an individual working alone, or he or she may work for a company or organization. The consultant you choose should be a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or have similar training and experience. For a list of BCBAs and a list of the training and experience requirements, visit www.bacb.com. A good consultant should also have experience with both general and special education, so that he or she knows how to teach academics and what your child will be expected to do in school. This will allow the program to prepare your child for this environment. Consultants should also have training in child development, so that they know what skills are appropriate for your child to work on at different ages. A consultant will create (with your input) your child's program and goals, as well as monitor the effectiveness of the program on an ongoing basis. Other individuals, ABA therapists, often conduct the actual teaching sessions. The consultant should also conduct meetings with the child's parents and ABA therapists on a regular basis, often weekly or monthly (depending on your family's needs), to see how the program is going, fix any problems, create new goals, etc. Other than bacb.com, other places to locate a consultant are local parent support groups, and the websites www.autismsource.org, www.autismlink.com and http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/resource-guide. Next --> Steps to Starting a Home-Based ABA Program, Continued