What is ABA?

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Applied Behavior Analysis is a sub-field of psychology that focuses on objective behavioral science. ABA is used for many socially significant problems, many of which are related to work with children; however one of the most significant areas of application for ABA has been with children with autism. ABA programs are developed by carefully assessing each individual child for learning and behavioral strengths and deficits. Areas of deficit will be targeted for skill acquisition by creating sequential learning steps. These very basic learning units will be repeated many times to give the child ample opportunity to learn to respond correctly. Many of the best known and most effective treatments for autism were developed using behavior analytic principles and techniques: some examples include, discrete trials by Lovaas, PECS by Bondy and Frost, pivotal response programs by Koegel and Koegel, and natural language training by Sundberg and Partington. The list goes on. ABA practitioners are dedicated to helping children with autism by using the most current research in ABA and by ensuring our methods are constantly updated.

What is the Central California Autism Center (CCAC)?

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CCAC is a center-based program (rather than a home-based program). All therapy occurs on our site on the Fresno State campus. CCAC was developed by the Behavior Analysis program in the Department of Psychology at Fresno State. We do not adhere to one particular approach “label” (such as discrete trials), but rather adhere to “principle-based” teaching, considering both current research and decades of past research in the areas of human learning and behavior analysis. We apply these tested techniques and principles in state-of-the-art behavioral teaching sessions. Undergraduate students and graduate students currently enrolled at Fresno State will provide all therapy and supervision for our programs under the direction of Dr. Adams. Sessions will be one-on-one with a behavioral therapist (a student at Fresno State) who has been trained in the principles and procedures of ABA to create a conducive, reinforcing environment for facilitating optimal learning for the child.

How does a center-based program work? How is it different than a home-based program?

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Center models use the exact same methodology and teaching techniques that in-home programs use. The program books for each child are individualized according to extensive initial assessments and private sessions are all one-on-one just like in-home programs. Although empirical literature supporting or comparing center based outcomes to home-based outcomes is scarce, the research that has been conducted at nationally recognized centers, such as the Princeton Child Development Institute and The New England Center for Children, both located on the east coast, and the Bay School, and the STARs school, located in California, is plentiful. Centers provide most of the benefits of in-home programs as well as some additional benefits, such as ease of staffing and scheduling, improved training and supervision, constant access to high level staff (doctorate level psychologist or graduate students), and contact access to other therapists and children which can facilitate generalization and peer social skill training. Additionally, transitions to a group learning model rather than a one-on-one learning model can be more easily facilitated when the child is ready to progress to a more typical style of learning. These are just some of the benefits of center based models. Centers are directed by some of the most respected authorities in autism and in the field Behavior Analysis. Many centers have the benefit of being linked to a university and having a research component which encourages adherence to the most rigorous empirically validated treatment models and keeps the staff on the cutting edge of the most recent breakthroughs in the field of behavioral treatment for autism spectrum disorders.

How does a center-based program work? How is it different than a home-based program?

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There are several ways in which CCAC will include parents, siblings and other family members in a child’s full program.

1. Orientation: At the onset of beginning with CCAC, parents are required to participate in a comprehensive orientation session. This will include an overview of ABA, and procedures specific to our program as well as other general information useful for parents of children with autism.
   
   
2. A two-hour weekly team “clinic” meeting held at the center with the child’s entire team will review all progress and discuss possible changes.
   
   
3. Weekly “homework” assignments: Parents will be asked to focus on a specific skill(s) for acquisition each week, as well as a behavior reduction task each week (if appropriate). Parents will be required to collect data on their work (a minimum of 1 hour per day) and will bring the data to the next clinic team meeting for review with the team and case supervisor. These assignments will help with generalization, development of parent skills, additional data collection and more.
   
   
4. On-going parent continuing education seminars. These education seminars will run 15 weeks in the fall and 15 weeks in the spring and will address topics of relevance for parent training, designed to enhance the parent’s skills of teaching their child and managing behaviors at home. These will be held weekly and are mandatory (required to attend 10/15 per semester).
   
   
5. Home-sessions: A minimum of 1 session a month will be held in the family’s home for purposes of parental skill development, opportunities to work on programs specific to the home environment and overall generalization.

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Who are our clients?

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CCAC will serve children 18 months to 6 years of age with a diagnosis of autism or a related disability. We work with the regional center and will work with the schools in transitioning to classrooms and other enrichment programs. Our space will be limited to about 6 children until the program expands.

What about funding?

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Our center is an approved service provider with Central Valley Regional Center. We will accept families who wish to pay privately or who have some funding but wish to supplement additional hours. Our rates are bare bones to cover some essential costs. Every effort is made to make fees as manageable as possible. Particular needs may vary family to family, so please talk with Dr. Adams to make arrangements.

Who runs the center?

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The CCAC is run by graduate and undergraduate students at CSU, Fresno. Students conduct therapy sessions, develop programs, assist with assessments, assist with training and supervision, conduct research, and assist in running all other aspects of the center under the direction of Dr. Amanda Adams. Our center is directed by Amanda Adams, Ph.D., is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Dr. Adams will be on site at the center during as many sessions as possible. Experienced graduate students will be the on-site supervisors at other times. Dr. Adams joined the Fresno State faculty in 2006 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology. Dr. Adams has over 10 years of experience in autism work in a variety of settings including university programs, school districts, private companies, and consulting firms in California, Florida, Nevada and Hawaii. She has published in several peer reviewed journals, written book chapters, and has been a speaker at regional and national conferences. .