What is ABA?
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a therapy focused on the art of behavior change. ABA aims to help students increase adaptive behaviors and decrease harmful ones through positive reinforcement. With ABA therapy, students are taught micro-skills needed to complete everyday tasks and navigate real-world scenarios. Treatment is specific to each individual student and their unique needs.
This approach does not involve medication.
Therapy Can Improve:
- Communication and language
- Social skills
- Improve attention and focus
- Memory
- Academic performance
- Daily living skills
- Self Help Skills
- Decrease problematic behavior
Why RCM Health Care Services?
RCMโs approach to ABA Therapy is fully collaborative. Insight from parents, teachers, and guardians is welcomed and encouraged throughout the process. RCMโs Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) are committed to building and maintaining strong relationships with students and their families to create the best possible treatment plan. Six-month progress reports will be available to all parties and parents can ask for updates from an RCM RBT at any time!
How Our Services Work
All services must be approved through insurance. We currently have school settings, in-home settings, and community settings. School settings are based on the recommendations from the school, and home and community settings are based on insurance approval.
If your child has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, there will be an intake and assessment by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to determine eligibility. Once approved by insurance, RCM will assign an RBT to each case. RBTs will work in collaboration with parents and guardians to determine the best possible treatment plan and schedule that accommodates everyoneโs needs.
Our data-driven treatment plans are based on assessments and new goals are set every 6 months pending performance. Treatment frequency is based on the childโs need. Availability is based on family and staff availability with a possibility for weekend services.
School Contracts
RCM Health Care Services is one of the major providers to the Department of Educationโs RBT Program in Hawaii. Students who have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) with an approved Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) may be assigned an RBT by the Department of Education.
In-Home Services by RCM Health Care
In-home services are designed to help students learn the daily living and self-help skills they need to succeed in everyday life. By conducting treatment in a familiar and comfortable environment, therapists can facilitate interventions better and students can focus on lessons stress-free. In-home services also provide excellent opportunities for parents, siblings, and guardians to participate in treatment methods.
A parent or guardian must be present for in-home services with the RBT.
For the most effective results, RCM recommends two hours as the minimum time spent for an in-home session at a dedicated work area where students can receive instruction and practice skills.
Techniques:
- Discrete Trial Instruction
- Modeling
- Natural environment teaching
- Practice
- Prompt & prompt fading
- Role play
- Shaping
- Social stories
- Task analyses
- Visual aides
In-Community Services by RCM Health Care
In-Community services are designed to help students learn how to conduct themselves across a variety of public settings. From ordering food to taking transportation, community outings give students the exposure they need to become more adept at navigating different situations. Community trips are excellent skill strengthening opportunities for families and they help keep students engaged in the learning process.
A parent or guardian must be present at community outings with the RBT.
We often recommend In-Home and In-Community services be combined and incorporated with one another to ensure students are retaining skills and can generalize them to public settings as well.