Practice inspired.

Each client is assigned a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and 1-2 Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT).

BCBAs are master’s or doctoral-level clinicians who have taken advanced coursework in ABA or a related field and have passed a certification exam. BCBAs are responsible for completing assessments, creating behavior support plans (BSP), supervising RBTs, reviewing data and modifying clinical programs, and providing parent education and support. BCBAs may provide services in-person, via telehealth, or a combination of both (i.e., a hybrid model).

RBTs are providers who have completed high school or an equivalent, have completed a 40-hour training course, and successfully passed a certification exam. RBTs are supervised by BCBAs and provide direct behavior therapy (DBT) to clients.

At Inspire ABA, ABA services are typically provide in our clients’ homes, schools, daycares, after school program, summer camp, or other community settings where they need support. Providing ABA services directly in these settings our clients frequent is beneficial because it allows us to assess and treat behavior where our clients live, work, and play!

During ABA services, our team of RBTs and BCBAs travel to our clients and provide services at locations where they need help the most.

Before active ABA services begin, BCBAs conduct an initial assessment for each of our clients. This includes reviewing clinical records, interviewing the client (if able) and family, completing a minimum of 2 direct observations, and completing several assessment measures. During these sessions, the BCBA will collect data on any challenging behavior and skills that might need to be developed (i.e., baseline data).

Once the interviews, measures, and observations are completed, the BCBA will write an assessment report that outlines the results and clinical recommendations, along with the requested number of hours of ABA services. The BCBA will review this report and all recommendations with the client and caregivers before it is submitted to the insurance carrier for review.

An updated assessment (i.e., a reassessment) is completed at regular intervals, generally every 6 months. The reassessment includes updates assessment measures and scores, and documents client progress towards clinical goals.

Our BCBAs provide direct supervision to RBTs working with each client during 10-20% of hours worked. That means that for clients who receive 15 hours per week of DBT, our BCBAs provide direct oversight for 1.5-3 hours per week.

During supervision sessions, BCBAs observe RBTs working with clients and provide ongoing feedback to help strengthen their skills. BCBAs also collect data with our RBTs to ensure data are collected accurately and clinical procedures are implemented as intended. If new procedures are being introduced, the BCBA may model the procedures for the RBT and help the RBT implement them correctly.

Our BCBAs work with each client’s primary caregivers to provide education and support in general ABA principles and the client’s specific BSP. In addition, we help families troubleshoot any issues they are having to help them support our clients most effectively as they navigate daily life.

We aim to provide parent education and support weekly for a minimum of 1 hour.

We use a wide variety of assessments to help us address the unique needs and goals of each of our clients.

One of the most foundational tools we rely on is the functional behavioral assessment (FBA), which is a tool used by Inspire ABA and Inspire Anywhere Telehealth to understand why interfering behaviors may be occurring so we can best treat them. Our team completes an FBA for each client at the start of ABA services as a part of our comprehensive assessment, with reassessment occurring every 6 months.

Clients in our care at Inspire ABA often need to establish or expand essential skills to help them find success across multiple settings (e.g., at home, in school, etc.). Learning or expanding upon existing communication skills is often an important clinical goal for our clients as we begin ABA sessions.

One of the ways that we promote effective communication for our clients is through functional communication training (FCT). During FCT, we focus on teaching our clients to communicate for specific things, people, or changes in the environment that are identified during the Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA). This intervention can help reduce challenging behaviors by giving children with ASD new or more efficient ways to communicate for things they want, rather than resorting in interfering behaviors such as aggression, self-injurious behavior, or property destruction.

Functional communication training (FCT) is an important intervention for many of our clients. The goal of this intervention is to teach effective communication skills to serve as a replacement behavior for those who exhibit potentially harmful or dangerous behaviors such as aggression, self-injurious behavior, and pica.

For example, a child who wants to watch a specific TV show, but can’t communicate effectively for what they want, might have a tantrum when something different is put on the TV. In this example, we may be able to teach the child to appropriately ask for a different TV show using a procedure such as FCT.

With the information gathered during the comprehensive assessment completed with each client, our BCBAs may work to improve communication skills as a part of a client’s behavior support plan, or BSP. Additional intervention components might be necessary to help our clients participate fully in ongoing activities. For example, we may teach a client to communicate for a brief break from work periods where interfering behavior is more likely to occur; however, there are typically times in which a break can not be provided or is not appropriate at that time. In this case, we may include an additional intervention component, such as a token economy system, to help our client engage with work periods for longer periods of time.

At Inspire ABA, we often work on social skills programs for our clients. During our sessions, clients are able to learn and practice social skills related to their clinical goals. These sessions are designed to be fun, pressure-free ways for our clients to form connections and learn skills they’ll need for success in real-world situations.

We know that some individuals with autism spectrum disorder may have difficulties with social interactions, such as initiating and maintaining conversations with peers or adults. They might struggle to engage in conversations about topics that are not preferred or may struggle to initiate communication with others. Adults on the autism spectrum may need support in navigating social interactions at their place of employment or in their relationships.

The goal of Inspire ABA’s social skills programs is to help our clients learn, practice, and then successfully navigate everyday situations that involve social skills, such as initiating play, taking turns, or maintaining conversations. We aim to help our clients learn strategies to help them succeed in their communities and create and maintain meaningful relationships with peers.