North Shore Pediatric Therapy - Naperville

An ABA evaluation should be comprehensive in gathering information about your child in different environments. The intake process at North Shore Pediatric Therapy includes

interviewing the family, testing and observing your child in the therapy center setting, and observing your child at home.

The home observation is crucial to understanding your child’s skillset, making sure we are translating their strengths to our therapeutic environment, and creating the best teaching plan for the skills they will need to be successful in the world.

TIP: When evaluating other options, make sure to ask whether the evaluation occurs in more than just the therapy center environment.

ABA therapy uses the concept of reinforcement to teach skills needed to be independent and build and maintain social relationships. Reinforcement can include social praise or access to rewards!

We also teach skills using this same reinforcement technique to replace behaviors that may impede the child’s ability to learn, make friends, or communicate effectively.

Our ABA therapy is highly customized to your child’s skillset, goals, and clinical recommendations.

A formal ASD diagnosis, or a medical diagnosis, helps you get the support your family needs, especially within the context of accessing medically necessary therapies and services.

• Insurance Coverage for Therapies: Medically necessary therapies for ASD are often covered by insurance including, but not limited to, speech therapy, ABA therapy, and occupational therapy. 
• Financial Support: A diagnosis is required when applying for social security or disability benefits. 
• Plan for Care: A diagnosis helps identify your child’s support needs. For example, your child might need to develop social communication and self-regulation skills.
• Future Research: The more data we gather through evaluations, the more we can improve services for autistic children and adults.

Check out Autism Diagnosis: The Complete Guide for Parents for more information.

1 in 36 children is diagnosed with autism according to the latest reports.

Here are some reasons why:

• Medical professionals understand autism better. More doctors are trained to test for autism and other developmental and language delays.  
• The definition of autism has evolved in recent years which means that an autism diagnosis covers more conditions to help more people get the services they need.

For more information check out Common autism diagnosis questions: Answers from Dr. Melanie Hsu

Yes, but there is room for improvement. We don’t have a single, perfect diagnostic tool for autism and there are a lot of factors that contribute to an accurate diagnosis. There are a few “gold standards” that are used for diagnosis.

The goal of speech therapy is to help your child communicate effectively with other people across all environments. This may take the form of using gestures, simple signs, verbal speech, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).

Some other common things speech therapists can help with:

• Nonverbal skills, such as signs or gestures
• Forming speech in a clearer way
• Communicating thoughts and feelings clearly
• Understanding and responding to questions
• Discerning facial expressions and their corresponding emotions
• Noticing and understanding body language
• Feeding and swallowing
• Stuttering

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a therapy rooted in the science of learning and behavior. Using principles of ABA, children and adults can learn to improve their communication skills, social skills, and daily living skills while also addressing problematic or challenging behaviors. The primary goal of ABA therapy is to teach helpful skills that promote independence and reduce harmful behaviors. Here's our complete guide to everything you need to know about ABA therapy.

It's a big decision to make for your family! Applied behavior analysis (ABA) seeks to improve communication skills, introduce productive habits, and reduce harmful behaviors. Watch out for ABA providers who look to "cure" autism.

High quality ABA therapy does exist where the goal is not to “fix” children, make them appear “less autistic”, or change who they are. The goal is to help people learn all that they can so they can live to their potential while embracing their unique, individual personality traits. Here's our complete guide to start and end ABA therapy.