How many hours of ABA therapy does a client need per week. This question is asked thousands of times daily across the field, and the answer typically rests on a single variable: the behavior analyst's clinical judgment.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Jade Health
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Join Free →Clinical judgment is typically a Behavior Analyst's driving force when determining a patient's ABA therapy treatment dosage (i.e., the number of hours of therapy a patient should receive per week to optimize progress). Because clinical judgement is a subjective variable that may be underdeveloped in some Behavior Analysts, particularly those who are newly certified, more formal strategies are needed to better guide decision-making as it relates to medically necessary treatment. In this presentation, strategies will be discussed outlining ways to make decision-making more objective and standardized across all Behavior Analysts, regardless of their history and prior experience. Preliminary validation data from a standardized decision-making tool will be presented, and implications for practice will be discussed.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| QABA | 1 | General |
| IBAO | 1 | — |
| BICC | 1 | Ethics |
Dr. Lauryn Toby is a licensed psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She is the Director of Behavioral Health for an integrated primary care clinic in Indiana. Dr. Toby has over 10 years experience in the field assessing and diagnosing autism, working with patients with severe and challenging behavior, and has spent time in rural settings establishing behavioral support and diagnostic services in areas with limited resources. She previously taught for Drake University’s ABA program in Des Moines, Iowa. Dr. Toby has published in multiple journals and has written book chapters on the topic of co-morbid conditions in individuals with autism. She recently released her first book, Psychology Essentials for Behavior Analysts. Dr. Toby is passionate about integrated care and improving the interdisciplinary practice of behavior analysts. Her current research interests include the use of decision-making models to enhance the training of BCBAs, non-traditional symptom presentations in autism, and the intersection and application of psychological principles to behavior analysis to enhance training for new clinicians.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
252 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.