Applied Behavior Analysis
Compassionate, evidence‑based care for children with autism spectrum disorder
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a proven, individualized approach that helps children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) build meaningful skills and reduce behaviors that interfere with daily life. Through ABA, children strengthen communication, social interaction, learning and self‑care—supporting greater independence and confidence over time.
ABA is widely recognized as a safe and effective treatment for ASD, especially when started early. Research shows that early, intensive behavioral support can significantly improve cognitive, language and adaptive skills in young children. In Michigan, insurance coverage for ABA is mandated, making this care more accessible for families.
The Importance of Early Support
Starting ABA as early as possible gives children the best opportunity to develop foundational skills and reach their full potential. Our program provides personalized, data‑driven treatment and actively involves parents and caregivers—because progress happens fastest when families are supported, informed and empowered.
What Makes ABA at Pine Rest Different
At Pine Rest, your child’s care is guided by board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) who specialize in pediatric treatment and follow best‑practice guidelines from leading medical organizations. Together with your family, we create a treatment plan tailored to your child’s unique strengths, needs and goals.
Areas we may support include:
- Communication and language
- Social and peer interaction
- Daily living and self‑care skills
- Learning and academic readiness
- Play, recreation and leisure
- Motor and physical development
We continuously measure progress and adjust goals as your child grows, ensuring care remains responsive and effective. Parents and caregivers receive coaching and practical strategies that can be used at home, school and in the community.
ABA evaluations and services are provided by board‑certified behavior analysts. We accept most insurance plans and offer financial assistance to help make care more accessible.
At Pine Rest...
- We empower parents and caregivers with techniques that can make a difference in their child’s life.
- We track data on all areas being addressed to ensure treatment progress can be easily measured, and procedures and goals can be adjusted as needed.
- We strive to provide the broadest range of research-based treatments that are in-line with National Institute for Mental Health and American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can most benefit from ABA?
ABA is considered a “best practice” treatment for individuals on the autism spectrum by the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association.
ABA has also shown to be effective in teaching people who struggle with traumatic brain injury and addiction.
In short, ABA can be beneficial for all, including neurotypical individuals.
What is the main goal of ABA treatment?
ABA focuses on increasing appropriate behaviors, such as language skills, autonomy and independence, while decreasing problematic behaviors to allow the patient to live a happy, fulfilling and meaningful life.
The skills taught by ABA are highly individualized and prioritized based on the goals of the learner and/or the family. Language, adaptive living, vocational, leisure/play, planning and organizing, self-advocacy, and managing money are all examples of skills that can be taught using ABA interventions.
At Pine Rest, our ABA treatment motto is always “compassion over compliance.”
My child gets nervous at doctor’s offices. Does ABA have to be done in a clinical setting?
While initial assessments are most effectively performed at the clinic, our clinicians individualize treatment plans for each learner so that future sessions can take place in comfortable and familiar environments such as at home, school or out in the community.
Some people say that that ABA can result in over-dependence on reinforcement rewards. Is this true?
One of the core components of ABA is reinforcement, i.e. when a positive consequence directly follows a behavior and increases that behavior in the future. Although reinforcement is necessary to teach skills in ABA, our program works to systematically decrease the amount of reinforcement being used with the learner over time.
Some ABA learners may initially only be motivated by more contrived reinforcement (e.g., toys or snacks). In this case, natural reinforcement (e.g., social praise, high fives) is paired with more contrived reinforcement over time, which helps build motivation by natural reinforcers. More contrived reinforcement methods can then gradually be discontinued.
I’ve heard that only trained professionals can administer ABA treatment. Won’t that get expensive?
Highly motivated family members can participate in ABA with great success, continuing the treatment at home and engaging in the treatment process along with trained professionals.
What should we look for in an ABA program?
While there is no single best treatment for all children with ASD, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently noted common features of effective early intervention programs. These features include:
- Begin as soon as a child is diagnosed with ASD.
- Provide focused and challenging learning activities at the proper developmental level for the child.
- Provide special training for parents and family members.
- Measure and record each child’s progress and adjust the intervention program as needed.
- Guide the child in adapting learned skills to new situations and settings while maintaining learned skills.
- Use a curriculum focused on language and communication, social skills, self-help and daily living skills, research-based methods to reduce challenging behaviors (such as aggression and tantrums), and strengthen school-readiness skills (such as letter recognition and counting).
Why Choose ABA at Pine Rest?
- Communication skills
- Academic skills
- Social skills
- Self-care
- Recreation/play and leisure
- Physical education/motor skills:
Our program designs a personal treatment plan for each child to enhance their communication, social, self-care and motor skills. We empower parents with techniques to support their child’s development and continuously measure progress to adjust goals. Our board-certified behavior analysts and board ensure treatments align with top recommendations from the National Institute for Mental Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
ABA evaluations and services are provided by board certified behavior analysts (BCBA).
We accept most insurance plans and offer financial assistance to make care more accessible.
Locations
Our teams utilize powerful tools and strategies based on Applied Behavior Analysis to reduce problem behaviors and teach life skills. We have been successful in expanding communication, social, independent living, recreation and academic skills in a measurable fashion.
