NYC ABA Therapy & SEIT Services: Children First Speech Language Pathology and Psychology, PLLC

Providing Autism Therapy in New York City: How We Help Children

We are a NYC specialized ABA agency, providing excellent autism therapy and only serving approximately 20 children at a time. For this reason, we are able to provide personalized and high-quality services, where all treatment hours are done by BCBAs. The research clearly shows that children who receive intensive ABA therapy services have the best outcomes, and we recommend such programs. Approximately 47% of children receiving full-treatment programs can lose their diagnosis and participate in mainstream settings. Read more research here.

What is ABA Therapy?

ABA is an acronym for Applied Behavior Analysis- the science behind behavior change procedures. In short, positive reinforcement is used to shape and increase behaviors that will help our clients achieve better outcomes. This is done by starting with in-home ABA services to teach the beginning steps of a program- pointing, requesting, imitation, and toy play. We teach complex behavior chains, like cooperative play with peers, in tiny bits that break down the numerous skills needed for kids to engage. Most of us never think about these skills because they emerge naturally for children without language and social delays. However, for many kids who require ABA therapy, these complex skills are taught systematically. Each small step is taught and measured independently, and then eventually chained together to produce big change. ABA therapy in NYC can produce positive and life changing results.

Our ABA Therapy Services

We provide the following types of ABA therapy services for children in NYC:

• Direct service- working with children directly- done 100% by BCBAs
• Parent Training
• Programming for in-home and community-based ABA services
• SEIT services
• Program assessment for children being served by other agencies at their attorneys’ request

Benefits of ABA Therapy

The benefits of ABA therapy have been shown by research to be life-long and positive. Our clients gain skills in all forms of communication, from non-verbal skills like pointing or orienting to their name, to more complex verbal behavior, such as having back and forth conversations. Early intervention services make huge differences in learning outcomes. In addition to communication, we work to decrease behavioral excesses that may limit our clients’ participation in community settings such as elopement, self-stimulatory behavior, scripting and tantrums. We target language and cognition skills to enhance knowledge such as object and action labels, commenting, and questioning. Abstract language concepts that can be difficult for children like pronouns and prepositions and causal reasoning are focused on once children learn beginning and intermediate skills. Play skills, starting with closed- ended activities and then eventually encompassing peers,  imaginary skills,  abstract language, and open-ended tasks are targeted as children gain skills.

Expected Outcomes from ABA Therapy

Research involving ABA therapy has been consistent in showing that expected outcomes for children with autism who receive intensive ABA hours far surprass children who do not. That’s why New York State has approved ABA therapy for children of up to 20 hours per week, and why it mandates that insurance most cover ABA for plans written in the state of NY.

Outcomes of course vary by child, like any other medical treatment. Some children eventually no longer qualify for an autism diagnosis, and participate in mainstream educational settings. Other children move onto settings that are smaller and focused on teaching language and social skills explicitly. Finally, some children matriculate in schools designed primarily for children on the autism spectrum where they continue to receive ABA or other intensive services. We are experienced working with children in all three groups and strive for the best possible outcome for any child. We do not screen children at intake for incoming skills but we do look for families whose philosophies of intensive treatment hours match ours.