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Main Points
ABA is one of the only science-backed therapies for kids with behavioral disorders, including Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
Early intervention with ABA therapy can help kids develop the skills they need for lifelong success.
In-home early intervention is the best approach for ABA because it meets and serves the child on their terms.
1 in 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder based on the most recent data. 1 in 6 children between the ages of 3 and 17 have been diagnosed with a developmental disability.
These numbers might sound scary, but it’s not what you think. It isn’t that autism is on the rise. It’s that more specialists are recognizing autism in children. This means kids are getting the help they need.
Early intervention in York, PA and the surrounding areas focuses largely on applied behavioral analysis. ABA is an evidence-based therapy with a decades-long foundation of success. The earlier we can get kids engaged in ABA, the better.
Importance of Early Intervention
Pediatricians can diagnose autism as early as 18 months of age in some children, and it’s recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to get your child diagnosed between 18 months and 24 months. The problem is that many kids with ASD go undiagnosed until the age of 5 or later.
The longer these kids go without intervention, the more struggles they may have later in life. From relationships and academics to self-care and career challenges, adults with autism who have not had a foundation of therapy may experience a life of increasing difficulty.
Parents and physicians look for these signs of behavioral disorders in toddlers:
Nonverbal Communication Issues
Lack of Response to Facial Expressions
Inappropriate Facial Expressions
Most children without autism will mimic an adult’s facial expressions when they smile or pull silly faces. Likewise, they will react with predictable facial expressions to different situations. If they’re happy, they’ll smile, and if they’re concerned, you’ll see it on their faces.
Children who fall outside of this predictability may have a behavioral disorder. Be sure to talk to your pediatrician, who can provide a screening and begin to plan for early intervention.
Why do we want early intervention?
Brain Plasticity
You may have heard of the “first five.” The first five years of a child’s life are arguably the most important in terms of development.
A young brain is more plastic and more malleable. This means it can respond better to therapy. Children with ASD who get early intervention can build skills that will last a lifetime, including early language development.
Social Skills
Early intervention means kids with ASD have a better chance of developing critical social skills. They will be more able to interact with others their age and form lifelong bonds with their family members. This reality means kids will have a much easier time in school and at home.
Academic Achievement
It’s not just social skills that improve, however. Academic skills are also more likely to improve when clinicians work with younger kids. Because young children with ASD can learn how to manage impulses and focus better, they can learn more and perform well in class.
Self-Care and Independence
When children with ASD work with a therapist from a young age, they also learn how to care for themselves. Hygiene can be a problem for kids and adults with autism, but it doesn’t have to be.
Kids can start building skills in self-care and independence that will carry them into adulthood. It is absolutely possible for adults with ASD to live independently and care for themselves well.
Mental Health
Finally, as early intervention helps prevent many struggles and problems, it also helps improve kids’ mental health. Not having regular outbursts at home or in school and not constantly dealing with conflict leads to better mental health.
Furthermore, the time kids spend with their clinician can establish confidence and self-love, whereas there may otherwise be inferiority complexes and shame.
ABA Therapy Overview
While there are many professed theories about how to help kids with ASD, ABA is the only one with more than 50 years of clinical research to back it up.
Founded by John Watson in 1910 and pioneered by Dr. Ole Lovaas in the 1960s, applied behavioral analysis is a groundbreaking therapy for behavioral disorders.
It is based on the theory that the brain responds to positive reinforcement. An ABA therapist will sit with a child and observe their behavior. They will then take time to consider how the environment and the events affect the child's behavior. From there, they will take small measures to train the child to respond to the stimulus in a more positive, productive way.
What is perhaps most exciting about ABA therapy is that it is flexible. Each therapist knows to adapt their approach to the specific situation and needs of the child they work with.
Misconceptions About Alternative Therapies
There are, of course, many other therapies out there for kids and adults with autism and other behavioral disorders. These include options like:
Music therapy
Floortime therapy
Art therapy
Occupational therapy
Changing diet
Herbal and nutritional supplements
While none of these therapies are necessarily bad, they are not scientifically proven in the same way ABA is. Of course, music, art, diet, and nutrition can all help kids with autism. Exercise, a good night’s sleep, and meditation can also help.
However, without clinical therapy that addresses specific responses to stimuli and recurring behaviors, these alternative therapies will likely be insufficient.
In-Home Early Intervention
ABYay! has established a practice for early intervention in York, PA, and the surrounding areas to help the kids in our area.
We have discovered that not only is early intervention best for kids with ASD, but also that in-home help is even better. In-home early intervention in York means a clinician comes to your home and works with your child. This is beneficial for a number of reasons:
Your child is more likely to feel safe.
In a clinic, your young child may feel uncomfortable, out of place, and even afraid. These emotions can interfere with therapy and cause delays in progress. At home, your child will feel more relaxed and open to intervention.
Your child is more likely to behave as they normally would.
We all know that kids are at their best and their worst at home. This is the natural environment in which it is ideal to have an ABA therapist on hand. You can trust that your kid won’t get help or learn something in the clinic and then forget all about it once you get home.
Your child is more likely to have fun.
Yes! ABA therapy can be fun. Indeed, ABA therapists focus on ensuring your child is having a good time in their natural environment. Remember, ABA always aims to provide positive reinforcement. Therapy for children with autism can be enjoyable, and it’s more likely to be that way in the child’s own home.
The clinician can observe your child in their own environment.
In their own environment, your child will respond to typical circumstances. The therapist can then observe these responses and have a better chance to study your child’s behavior. This allows the therapist to get a bigger, better picture of your child’s daily life.
The clinician can target specific behaviors and address them on demand.
From those observations, the therapist can then come up with targeted therapies that address your child’s behavior. With small, positive reinforcements, you can see real change in your child’s behavior in the safe surroundings of your own home.
Reach Out to Our Intake Specialists Today
One of the best things you can do for your child with a behavioral disorder is to get them engaged with ABA therapy as early as possible. Early intervention can save headaches and heartache now and farther down the road. Plus, early intervention in York, PA, will take place in your home, where you and your child can feel at ease.
ABYay! is proud to offer early intervention services to the families of York, PA, and the surrounding areas, including Harrisburg, West Shore, and Hershey.
Contact ABYay! today to talk to our dedicated intake specialists
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is early intervention free in York, PA?
A: Early intervention is typically covered by insurance. There are typically costs, though as there are copays and cost shares associated with the service through insurance.
Q: How can I get my child in early intervention?
A: Your first step will be to talk to your pediatrician. They can then get you in touch with York’s early intervention program.
Q: What are the advantages of early intervention?
A: The advantages of early intervention are many, but the biggest benefit is that you’ll be working with your child’s brain at a much more malleable stage.
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