There are numerous benefits of Applied Behavior Therapy (ABA) that are well-researched and documented.
However, as with any other form of autism therapy, there are some drawbacks to consider. Today, we’ll show you a total of 11 pros and cons of ABA therapy that you should know.
Let’s begin!
6 Pros of ABA Therapy for Kids
ABA therapy is a behavior therapy used to treat kids with autism. It has shown to be quite effective and helps reduce ASD symptoms, but it wouldn’t cure them all.
Here are the main benefits of this therapy:
1. Easy to learn for parents
Parents of children with autism play a vital role in the child’s development. Even though kids undergo specialist treatments from ABA therapists, these experts also advise parents to learn the techniques and use them at home because the techniques are rather easy to learn and use.
2. Research-based therapy
The ability to provide such a successful treatment has been praised immensely by private organizations as well as governments worldwide.
Research, findings, and reports on successful cases conducted by various experts conclude that ABA therapy for kids is the best form of treatment.
3. Professional therapists conduct ABA therapy
The staff at ABA therapy clinics consists of expert individuals in the fields of psychology, children’s psychology, and developmental psychology.
When parents are introduced to them, their certifications and credentials are also presented to verify their expertise and overall background.
4. Increases cognitive abilities and skills
Not paying attention to the child’s behaviors and skills can be detrimental to its development. These therapies focus on improving their cognitive abilities as well as honing their existing skills and learning new ones in the process.
5. Parents can have a say in the treatment
It is quite understandable for parents to want to be directly involved in their child’s development. With this in mind, numerous clinics employ specialists who work closely with parents and cater to their every need.
This allows parents to have a direct say in the programs and how they are administered to their children.
6. Can be tailored specifically to each child’s needs
ABA therapies are subject to constant changes as one child’s autistic diagnosis varies from another one’s. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all method here, as every child is different and needs a unique approach.
5 Cons of ABA Therapy for Kids
ABA therapies are known to be quite costly and often become too repetitive or restrictive. While many find them helpful, others have shown contempt towards it.
That said, here are some cons of ABA therapy for kids:
1. Difficulty in finding quality therapists
While many clinics employ top-notch specialists, others have increasing difficulty in finding the right personnel. Legal requirements per state also play a huge role in the number of specialists residing within, making it difficult for parents to seek out professional and expert help.
2. Time to see results can vary
We mentioned before that every child’s autistic diagnosis is different and requires a unique approach and treatment. The same thing applies to the time needed to see the results.
These often vary from one child to the next, as there is no actual way to accurately predict how long it will take for the ABA therapy to show results.
3. Therapies can last long
The average ABA therapy lasts 10 hours per week. However, it is quite common for these therapies to last a lot longer than the required amount, which can cause issues with parents’ schedules. This brings us to address the next drawback – costs.
4. It can be more expensive in some regions
High costs are one of the biggest drawbacks of this therapy and can prevent children whose parents cannot afford ABA therapy, from actually acquiring the much-needed treatment.
Usual costs per hour range from $120 to $150, with monthly sessions going from $4,800 to over a whopping $20,000. These are costs that are just not viable for a lot of parents, unfortunately.
5. Can suppress intuitive thinking
These therapies treat children in a way to do things that may end up becoming too repetitive and robotic. This method can often be regarded as discouraging independent thinking, even though the stated therapy aims to help the child in need. For this reason, it’s mandatory that you find a good ABA therapy provider.
Wrapping up
ABA therapy is the best-known method of treating children with autism by focusing on behaviors, cognitive abilities, and improving skills.
However, just as any form of treatment, it has its many benefits and drawbacks. We’ve listed some of the most important ones in an effort to help raise awareness, especially in parents with autistic children.
