Does Your Child Need Pediatric ABA Therapy?

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Pediatric ABA Therapy

In general, children who start pediatric ABA therapy early get more out of applied behavioral analysis therapy. Most researchers and practitioners of ABA suggest that children start before they turn five years old, if possible.

There are many compelling reasons to choose ABA Therapy: the scientific basis, the track record of success, the almost-universal acceptance of effectiveness by multiple national and international institutions, to name a few. There are also a number of practical reasons to start early, such as:

  • Children typically have more time to dedicate to treatment before they begin preschool or kindergarten.
  • The presence of therapists provides valuable support for what is often otherwise a challenging early childhood at home.
  • Treatment outcomes are often more pronounced and more rapidly achieved with younger children.

Intensive Personal Courses Vs. a General Curriculum

Perhaps the best argument for an early start is the great potential of intensive pediatric ABA therapy. Kids with ASDs often have trouble feeling comfortable and performing well in unfamiliar environments and situations. This happens in the earliest institutional social settings — from home life and pre-school onward.

ABA clinics are the exception. While it is true that these treatment centers are initially unfamiliar to children, the whole purpose of the clinic is to create an environment in which positive patterns of behavior are established.

Schools also seek to establish behaviors and knowledge. However, ABA is different — and shows superior results for children with ASD diagnoses — in that it analyzes individual behavior and applies that analysis to the design of each patient’s treatment course. Even the best early childhood schools simply apply a prescribed curriculum to groups of children.

Positive Action Vs. a Patient Attitude For Successful Pediatric ABA Therapy 

Patience is necessary when helping children with autism, but there is a time and place when patience is best applied. Specifically, it is often beneficial to wait for positive results from early intervention pediatric ABA therapy. Of course, a licensed therapist would provide a timeline for expected improvements.

Untreated, ASDs are unlikely to improve over time. The self-recovery myth probably has a basis in the unreliability of extremely early diagnosis. An experienced specialist can typically provide a reliable preliminary diagnosis of ASD as early as 18 months. Patients who improve by themselves likely never had an ASD.

This may seem like a technicality, but the fact is that the vast majority of evidence suggests that ASDs affect people throughout their lives. Evidence also strongly supports the effectiveness of early intervention treatments.

Therefore, it is typically a good idea to act immediately after receiving an ASD diagnosis. This action could come in various forms, such as seeking a second opinion or enrolling the child in an ABA program. However, clinical evidence would suggest that “wait and see” is not a viable strategy.

Preparing Your Child for the Future

Pediatric ABA is rooted in logic, observation, and scientific rigor. However, it is also about fun, compassion, socialization, and growth. Please consider it as an option when preparing your child for those all-important first steps into the world. Contact us at 1-866-342-8847 time to schedule a consultation.