Our approach is individualized, play-based, and centered on what works best for your child.
What to Expect Upon Intake
What Is a Behavior Assessment in ABA?
A behavior assessment helps identify the cause and purpose of challenging or interfering behaviors in order to teach appropriate, functional alternatives.
It typically includes the following steps:
Indirect Assessment
This is the information-gathering phase:
• Interviews with parents, teachers, or caregivers
• Questionnaires and checklists (e.g., Functional Assessment Interview, ABC checklist)
• Review of previous reports, medical history, or IEPs
The goal: gather insight into the behavior’s history, triggers, and impact on daily life.
Direct Observation
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) observes the child in real-life settings (home or school), looking for:
• What happens before the behavior (antecedents)
• The behavior itself (what it looks like)
• What happens after the behavior (consequences)
This is often called ABC data collection (Antecedent–Behavior–Consequence).
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
If needed, a more formal FBA is conducted. It may include:
• Controlled conditions (Functional Analysis)
• Hypothesis testing about the behavior’s function
• Identification of whether the behavior is for attention, escape, access to items, or sensory stimulation
Behavior Plan Development
Once the behavior’s function is known, the BCBA creates a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) that includes:
• Strategies to reduce problem behavior
• Teaching replacement skills
• Reinforcement systems
• Data tracking methods
Goal of a Behavior Assessment:
To replace problem behaviors with positive, functional ones—improving the child’s ability to thrive at home, school, and in the community.