ABA method therapy
A structured approach grounded in behaviour analysis, adapted to communication objectives.
ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is a structured approach that teaches skills by breaking them into small, measurable steps and reinforcing the steps achieved in a planned way.
At ORATIO the ABA method is used integrated into speech and language work: the objectives are communication and language, while ABA is how they are built and measured. Festë Beqa is certified in the use of this method.
When this approach makes sense
- When the child needs clear structure and planned repetition.
- When a skill has to be broken into very small steps to begin.
- When functional communication has to be built from the ground up.
- When objectives need to be measurable and trackable session by session.
- When the family needs a shared working language with the therapy.
Who it is for
The approach is most often used with children with autism and with children who need functional communication built from the first steps. It is not a single identical programme for everyone.
How much and how ABA is used is decided after the assessment, according to the child's needs and responses.
How objectives are set
We start from what the child does now, not from what is expected for their age. The current level is established, the next objectives chosen, and how their achievement will be measured is defined.
Objectives are written down concretely and tracked. That makes progress - or a plateau - visible, and the plan is adjusted on the basis of data rather than impression.
How the work goes
Sessions have a predictable structure, because predictability lowers anxiety and frees attention for learning. Within that structure, the skill is practised with planned repetition and what the child achieves is reinforced.
The decisive step is generalisation: the skill has to work with other people, in other places and in other situations. A skill that exists only in the clinic has not yet been acquired.
The parent's role
ABA works when it is consistent. Parents receive concrete guidance on how to respond, how to reinforce, and how to ask the same thing of the child in the same way.
Without that consistency the child meets different rules in the clinic and at home, and learning slows.
Frequently asked questions
- Is ABA only for children with autism?
- It is most often used in autism, but the principles of structured teaching apply in other cases where a skill has to be built step by step. The choice is made according to the child's needs, after assessment.
- How often should sessions take place?
- Frequency is set after the assessment, because it depends on the objectives and on how the child responds. There is no single number valid for everyone.
The first step is a conversation.
Book a first consultation, or write with a question. We answer on WhatsApp and by phone.