Preliminary Practice Recommendations for Telehealth Direct Applied Behavior Analysis Services with Children with Autism

Araiba et al. (2023) watched two children with autism receive direct ABA through a computer screen. The team coached parents and delivered lessons over video chat.

After each session they asked families what worked and what felt hard. They turned those notes into a short list of do's and don'ts for remote therapy.

Parents said they were happy with the telehealth sessions. Kids still learned skills and problem behavior dropped.

The authors boiled the wins into practice tips: test your Wi-Fi first, keep materials in view, and give parents quick feedback after each trial.

Ferguson et al. (2018) looked at 28 older telehealth ABA papers. Every study showed a good result, but most were weak designs. Araiba's 2023 tips answer that gap by telling you exactly how to run strong remote sessions.

Neely et al. (2021) warned that we still lack proof for telehealth behavior-reduction plans. Araiba's cases show one way to do it safely, but the warning still stands: collect data and watch for side effects.

Gerow et al. (2021) let parents run short functional analyses on Zoom. Four of seven homes got clear answers; three needed extra tests. Araiba's guide adds those extra steps: have a back-up plan if the brief FA is unclear.

You can keep a full ABA program running when families move, when weather is bad, or when clinic slots are full. Use the paper's checklist to pick cameras, position materials, and coach parents in real time. Start small: one goal, one room, one parent. Measure face-to-face time, not just session length, to be sure kids stay engaged.