First Steps in ABA: What to Expect When Starting Therapy

Step 1: Initial Assessment

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Before therapy begins, the ABA team will conduct a comprehensive assessment. This may include:

• Observations of your child in natural environments,
• Interviews with parents and caregivers,
• Standardized assessments to evaluate skills and behaviors.

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The goal is to understand your child’s strengths, challenges, and what motivates them.

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Step 2: Creating the Therapy Plan

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Based on the assessment, the team will design an individualized treatment plan. This plan outlines specific goals (like improving communication, self-help skills, or reducing challenging behaviors) and strategies tailored to your child's needs.

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Expect clear, measurable objectives so that progress can be tracked over time.

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Step 3: Starting Therapy Sessions

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At first, sessions might be shorter and gradually increase as your child gets used to the therapist and the structure. Therapy could take place at home, in a clinic, at school, or in the community — or a combination of settings.

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In the beginning, the focus is on building a trusting relationship between the therapist and your child and introducing basic skills through fun, motivating activities.

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Step 4: Parent Training and Involvement

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A critical part of ABA therapy is parent involvement. You’ll likely be asked to participate in training sessions to learn strategies that you can use at home. Consistency across environments speeds up progress and helps skills generalize beyond therapy sessions.

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Step 5: Regular Monitoring and Adjustments

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ABA is dynamic — plans are updated regularly based on your child's progress. Therapists will collect data during sessions to measure outcomes and make necessary adjustments to strategies or goals.

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Conclusion

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Starting ABA therapy can feel overwhelming at first, but knowing what to expect helps make the process smoother. With a good plan, a supportive team, and your active participation, you’re setting the stage for meaningful growth.