, ,

What are the Pros and Cons of ABA Therapy?

There are many different treatments available for children who are diagnosed with autism, or any of the developmental disorders covered under the umbrella Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD.

One of the leading treatments available is called applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy. In fact, ABA therapy is the preferred treatment method for many children who are diagnosed with ASD, as it helps them to build the social and communication skills that they need to succeed.

But, what is ABA therapy and what are some of the pros and cons of it? Below, we’ll dive deeper into all the details of these questions.

Table Of Contents

What is ABA Therapy?

ABA therapy is a tried-and-true treatment for children with autism. It’s a science-based approach that rewards patients for exhibiting behaviors that are desired, while not doing so when they exhibit a behavior that isn’t desired.

Today, there is no punishment system in place if a patient exhibits an undesired behavior. Instead, the ABA therapist will simply not provide the reward that they do when the patient exhibits a desired behavior.

ABA therapy has been proven to be a very effective method of treating autism in children. There are many reasons for this, which we’ll get into more below.

ABA Therapy Pros

There are many advantages that ABA therapy provides. Here is a list of some of them.

  1. Proven effective: There is a lot of research that has proven that ABA therapy is an extremely effective treatment for children with ASD. Studies about the treatment have been conducted for more than 50 years now, which helps to alleviate any potential concerns.
  2. Trained professionals: ABA therapy is administered by trained and certified professionals who specialize in behavioral analysis. These highly-educated individuals know what they’re doing and have been specifically trained to help support children with ASD.
  3. Personalization: A major benefit of ABA therapy is that it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. It can be fully personalized and customized to each patient. The ABA therapist will create a program that works specifically with each patient’s needs, and that program can be altered, adapted and changed over time.
  4. Improved skills: Another major benefit of ABA therapy is that the skills the children learn during sessions are applicable outside of sessions as well. This means that children can truly use what they learn in ABA therapy sessions to help them succeed in life.
  5. Parent/caregiver involvement: ABA therapy also integrates parents and other caregivers into the process. This is an essential aspect of ABA therapy, as it ensures that parents, caregivers and other family members can continue to support the patient in all facets of life, and in all environments.

ABA Therapy Cons

As with anything, there are some potential downsides to ABA therapy as well. Here is a list of some of them.

  1. Intensity: One potential downside of ABA therapy is how intense it typically needs to be for it to be successful. Sometimes, patients will require as much as 40 hours of ABA therapy every week. It’s a very intensive treatment plan and one that often requires a lot of time and dedication.
  2. Expensive: Depending on where you live and what type of insurance you have1 2, ABA therapy could be expensive. That’s not surprising after you read that your child may require multiple hours of ABA therapy every week. Fortunately, there are coverage options available through many states and many insurance plans. Learn more about insurance coverage for ABA Therapy
  3. Focus: Some people believe that ABA therapy isn’t very holistic, since it doesn’t seek to address all aspects of autism. ABA therapy focuses heavily on the behavioral aspect of ASD, while not prioritizing the psychological or emotional aspects as much.
  4. Availability: It’s possible that ABA therapy may not be readily available where you live. This is unfortunate, but true. Generally speaking, ABA therapy is more available around major cities and metro regions, though that may not always be the case.
  5. Robotic: Due to its rewards-based approach, some people may believe that ABA therapy produces results that are robotic. Some critics believe that, instead of teaching patients to think and act independently, ABA therapy instead seeks to produce the same results/reactions to everything. It can seem more like a drill than an education, in this regard.

Blue Gems ABA is a Leading Provider of ABA Therapy

While there are some cons to ABA therapy, the overwhelming pros make it one of the most preferred treatments for children with ASD. The fact that the program can be highly customizable to every child, and that it helps patients build the social and communication skills they need to succeed in life, is why it’s a leading treatment for autism.

At Blue Gems ABA, we believe wholeheartedly in ABA therapy. Our trained and certified ABA therapists can help provide excellent, science-based treatment to your child with ASD. And if you believe your child may have ASD, we can perform a full analysis to diagnose as well.

For more information, contact us today.

References

  1. https://bluegemsaba.com/does-insurance-pay-for-aba-therapy-in-north-carolina/
  2. https://bluegemsaba.com/does-insurance-pay-for-aba-therapy-in-nebraska/