ABA Intervention

ABA at B.E.E.

At Beyond Expectations, your child will be matched with our trained Behavior technicians. Throughout their day, your child will receive ABA intervention using only research based techniques to improve and develop skills. At B.E.E., children have a variety of activities throughout their day focused on learning social skills, functional communication, daily living skills, and more. All of your child's programs are created based on the results of a VB-MAPP assessment, shining light on individual skill deficits and strengths. The principals of the VB-MAPP have a long history of research backing and and replication. This means that your child will be receiving care that has been proven effective.

Children aged 18 months - 17 years are eligible for ABA intervention services at B.E.E.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an individualized, systematic approach to behavior change focused on skill building. Using a data driven decision making model, goals are focused on developing and maintaining socially significant behaviors. The goal of ABA is for generalization of all skills into the natural environment; the core reason for collaborative approaches such as parent training and guidance.

What is ABA?

Meet Our ABA Clinical Team

Seamus Schoen

Owner, Clinical Director, Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Ann Marie Kondrad

Owner, Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Ph. D

Courtney Siebenaler

Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst

Paige Polhamus

Masters Level Clinician

Why are ABA staff on their phones?

Our staff uses a data collection program called Rethink. Rethink allows our staff to easily access client's behavior intervention plans and collect data to identify which events trigger behaviors, track behavior changes, maintain consistency in treatment, and determine the effectiveness of treatment. Our staff also uses Teams to communicate internally so we can provide immediate support to our staff and clients and keep our team up to date on important information.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an ABA intake look like at B.E.E.?

Intake Appointment

The ABA intake process at B.E.E. begins when you reach out via interest form, phone, or email and express interest in establishing ABA services. Once our Office Manager receives your referral, we will contact you by phone to schedule your intake appointment, which typically lasts 30 minutes to an hour, but may take longer if needed. Your child does not need to be present at the intake appointment, but the assessment step can be completed if they are. Please bring insurance cards and a copy of the diagnostic evaluation to your intake appointment. You may also sign a release of information for the diagnostic evaluation, so B.E.E. can obtain a copy from the practitioner. At your intake appointment, you will receive a tour of the suite, complete the intake paperwork packet, and partake in the parent interview. During the parent interview, you will discuss relevant history, medical illnesses, therapy history, goals, services that are already in place, and challenging behaviors face to face with the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). At this point, you will be added to our waitlist and given an estimate of when services will begin.

Assessment

The assessment process usually occurs in one or two observation sessions at the center, around 2-4 weeks after the intake appointment. Depending on the child’s age and level of care desired, they will either complete the VB-MAPP or Social Savvy and/or Skills Streaming assessments. Using the information gathered during the intake appointment, assessment sessions, and collaboration with the family, the BCBA that conducted your intake will create goals for the Plan of Care, the blueprint for your child’s treatment.

Medical Necessity Letter and Submission to Insurance

A Medical Necessity Letter is the final piece of information needed to submit to insurance. This letter includes the number of service hours and level of care approved by your child’s primary care physician. This letter can take up to seven business days to be returned to B.E.E. The Plan of Care, Medical Necessity Letter, diagnostic information, and, if applicable, school Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and evaluation are then submitted to insurance for authorization approval. The authorization process typically takes between 6 to 8 weeks but may take longer depending on insurance.

Beginning Services

Once we receive authorization from insurance, we will schedule your start date and officially begin providing services!

ABA What does a typical schedule look like?

Your child’s basic schedule at B.E.E. is established using the number of service hours approved by the Medical Necessity Letter and insurance authorization. Using these guidelines, B.E.E. will work with you to establish a schedule that best suits your child’s treatment needs. Because every child’s schedule is customized to fit their needs, schedules can be full-time or part-time, with flexibility for specific days or time frames.

Will my child have opportunities to work with other children?

Depending on individual needs, most clients will spend a majority of their day with a group of peers. These groups follow a daily schedule that includes a variety of activities such as structured games, circle time, learning centers, arts and crafts, and more, with an emphasis on fostering social skills.

How much play time will my child have during the day?

The schedules at B.E.E. blend play and treatment together to create an environment that is both therapeutic and engaging for our clients. All activities that our clients partake in are focused on learning social skills, functional communication, daily living skills, and other necessary building blocks for life.

How does B.E.E. manage challenging behaviors?

Our staff are trained to appropriately manage challenging behaviors such as tantrums, non-compliance, elopement, aggression, self-injurious behaviors, property destruction, and more. Our staff are also equipped with alarm buttons so they can quickly alert for support. B.E.E. implements the least restrictive method possible and avoids physical redirection unless there is a threat to safety.

Can parents observe their child's sessions?

B.E.E. has an open-door policy for immediate family as observing sessions can be a useful way for parents and guardians to see how programs are implemented and challenging behaviors are managed. B.E.E. encourages parents or guardians to sit-in and observe sessions!

How is insurance billed? How do I pay a deductible?

Please contact our office to confirm if we accept your insurance and contact your insurance company to receive information on deductibles and co-pays.

What qualifications do your staff have?

All of our staff are required to complete mandated reporter, cultural humility, and CPR trainings. Our team also has mandated monthly trainings.

Behavior Technicians (RBTs)

We require our behavior technicians to complete a 40-hour Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) training and sit for their Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification exam within 6 months of their start date.

Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA)

Our BCaBAs hold at least a bachelor's degree, are trained in ABA, have passed their BCaBA certification exam, and are supervised by the BCBAs.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

Our BCBAs hold at least a master's degree, have completed coursework in ABA, and passed their BCBA certification exam.

How do I know if ABA is right for my family?

If your child has skill deficits in activities of daily living, functional communication, social situations, intense or challenging behaviors and you feel that your family could benefit from parent guidance and trainings with these skill deficits, ABA may be a good fit for your family. Please contact our office with more information and we can assist you in deciding if ABA is right for your family.