By : Gabrille Galto, MS, BCBA, NYS LBA It is official. We are living through a pandemic and in a state of emergency. Most of us have never experienced anything like this before and are feeling overwhelmed. Many school districts have recently announced closures, some...

By: Amy Black, MS, BCBA®, LBA Technology is used in almost all areas of life to simplify tasks, save time and improve convenience. But perhaps one of the most valuable uses of technology is when it is used to help individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)....

By: Catherine Witanowski, M.A., BCBA, LBA Your child has been receiving ABA therapy since he was two years old. He wasn’t talking, now he is, he’s gained a bunch of new and useful skills, but what is the big picture? When your child is first diagnosed, you’re...

You have heard about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy and may be considering whether it is appropriate for your child. What is ABA Therapy? Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence-based treatment that is founded on the science of learning. It is a scientific...

By: Pranali Hoyle, MA, BCBA How to Create an Appropriate Instructional Environment In-home ABA therapy is now an approved service that is covered by many insurance companies. Parents, therapists, and BCBAs® each play a role in how an effective session can be...

By: Lauren Fernandez, B.A. Life transitions can be scary; especially for those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Transitioning out of adolescence and into the adult word is a crucial time for an individual with ASD. During this time, support is needed by...

It is slowly becoming that time of year again. Leaves are already starting to change here in Michigan. The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are mercifully dropping from the scorching summer heat. That means it is time for the holiday season to begin. Was...

By: Jonelle Lupero, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA (NY)  Note: The following is a fictional vignette created for the purposes of demonstrating common situations encountered by professionals in this field. “My name is Susan and I have an eight-year-old son John who is diagnosed with...

By: Alyssa Joyce, MS, BCBA and Lauren Fernandez, BA Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an evidence-based therapy that is deemed a treatment for individuals diagnosed with Autism by the US Surgeon General and by the American Psychological Association. Due to the data...

By: Jacob Papazian MS, BCBA - Regional Clinical Director Receiving an autism diagnosis for your child or loved one is an overwhelming process that brings a flood of emotions: relief that there is finally an answer, fear of the unknown, trepidation for battles to come....

By: Gabrielle Galto, MS, BCBA, NYS LBA Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) presents us with unique and challenging symptoms across a number of areas including, but not limited to engaging in problem behavior, limited communication skills, decreased social interactions, and...

By: Maria Pantelides, MA, BCBA, LBA What is Applied Behavior Analysis? Before understanding the 7 dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis, one must first understand what Applied Behavior Analysis is. Applied Behavior Analysis is a scientific approach for discovering...

By: Nahoma Presberg, MS BCBA ABA therapy is highly individualized and very personal. From the decision to seek this therapy for your child, to finding the right practitioners, to when to discontinue services, there are no concrete rules. In this article, we will...

By: Tobey Lass M. Ed., BCBA, NY LBA The time after a child receives a diagnosis can be filled with many unknowns. There are many decisions that families must make for their children and there is no crystal ball that can instruct a family towards what services will...

By: Gabrielle Galto, BCBA, NYS LBA The following information provided is not meant to diagnose or treat and should not be taken in replacement of a medical professional or behavioral consultation. Speaking on behalf of this question, I remind myself of how difficult...

By: Megan Miller, MSEd, BCBA, NYS LBA ABA Therapy “Applied behavior analysis is the science in which the principles of analysis are applied systematically to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify the variables responsible for...

Can anyone believe it is back to school time? To many families, back to school means a time of stress and frustration. It can be incredibly difficult to transition from the free flowing days of summer to the structure and rigor of the classroom. Getting into the...

By: Tobey Lass M. Ed., BCBA, NY LBA There are many therapies marketed towards treating autism all claiming to be effective. According to Autism Speaks, ABA therapy is one of the most popular therapies used to treat autism. Despite it’s popularity, most of the articles...

By: Megan Miller, MSED, BCBA, LBA Perhaps this is your first experience with ABA therapy, or maybe your child has received services before. Either way, collaboration/caregiver involvement is key for maximum effectiveness when using applied behavior analysis as a...

By: Julie Bates, MA, BCBA, NYS LBA Your child has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and is starting ABA therapy. Perhaps you are wondering what that entails? What is ABA exactly? What is the process to begin ABA therapy? What happens during an ABA therapy...

By: Jacob Papazian MS, BCBA – Regional Clinical Director, Michigan Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has become an incredibly popular treatment for individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Disabilities (Foxx, 2008). ABA is a loaded acronym...

By: J M Coimbra, MS, BCBA, LBA Scrolling through a list of occupations on an electronic document, I don’t see my title – behavior analyst. I’m forced to choose the closest option, but what is it? I’m left contemplating, "What does a behavior analyst do?" The short,...

By: Frank Kou, MSEd, BCBA, NYS LBA What Are the Principles of ABA? In order to learn and understand them, one must know what ABA is. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied to improve socially...

By Heyde Ramirez, MA, BCBA, NYS LBA and Maria Pantelides, MA, BCBA, LBA (CT, MA, MD, NY) The definition of the word advocate is to speak, plead or argue in favor of. When you have a child with special needs, one of the biggest roles you will ever undertake is that of...

By: Frank Kou MSed, BCBA, NYS LBA In an ideal world, every child would grow up to be strong, healthy, and well adjusted. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of every 59 children has been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research has...

It can be difficult when your child gets an autism diagnosis. It is normal to have a conflict of feelings – relief at the clarity and direction the diagnosis gives you, mourning over the loss of the dreams of typical development you may have had for your child, denial...

By: Heyde A Ramirez, MA, BCBA, NYS LBA Perhaps you had concerns for a while or maybe this is all brand new to you. Either way, here you are, now faced with the reality that your child has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis. What happens now? What do you do?...

By: Catherine Tsiris, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA You’re Not Alone Every parent of a child with autism knows about challenging behavior. Whether it is perseveration on a preferred topic, inflexible adherence to routines, difficulty with transitions, challenges with new people,...

By: Nahoma Presberg, MS BCBA When I was asked to write to parents about having a child with autism and how it can be a blessing, I was excited. This initially sounded like an easy task. Of course it can be a blessing. Children are always a blessing. Why would a child...

By: Paige Sands BS, ABA Graduate Student, and Maria Pantelides, MA, BCBA, LBA (CT, MA, MD, NY) Caregivers have one of the hardest jobs in the world. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or other form of primary caregiver, you know how big of a...

By: Jonelle Lupero, BCBA, LBA (NY) Unfortunately, some commonly held beliefs about Autism, which we know to be untrue, still continue. This lack of understanding can make it difficult for people on the autism spectrum to have their condition recognized and to access...

Do you sometimes wonder if your child falls on the autism spectrum? Is your child developing at a different rate than his peers or does he have unusual ways of keeping himself occupied? There are a number of indicators that a child may be on the autism spectrum,...

By: Jessica Basir and Nahoma Presberg What is ABA? ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA is currently the leading treatment which has been scientifically proven to treat the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Let’s discuss what ABA is, and why it actually...

By: Catherine Tsiris Let's Get Personal I got into this field to help people. I wanted to make a difference, to help make a positive impact on people's lives. And a day doesn't go by that I am not reminded in some way that I made the right decision. When a mom calls...

By: Heyde Ramirez MA, BCBA, NYS LBA & Frank Kou MSEd, BCBA, NYS LBA When a family receives ABA therapy, oftentimes parents wonder: "What is happening?" and "What is this person doing to my child that is helping?" The most important question they ask is, "Will this...

ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA is an evidence-based approach to treating individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ABA is backed by decades of research and has helped countless children diagnosed with autism learn new skills and gain greater...