Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is considered the most effective, evidence based practice, for children on the autism spectrum. Informative breakdowns about ABA can be found at the BACB and Healthline.

ABA therapy sessions are different with each company. At New Summit Behavioral Therapy, sessions mainly occur in the client's home or via tele-health. A licensed therapist or Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) will arrive to implement the therapy based on the approved treatment plan. The session will occur in a variety of settings but it will benefit to have a quiet designated space that has an appropriate space for learning. Therapy will utilize a variety of teaching methods including discrete trial instruction (DTI) and natural environment teaching (NET). ABA focuses on socially significant behaviors and deficits while seeking to bridge gaps that children on the spectrum may have. Areas of focus include functional communication, social and emotional skills, challenging behaviors, and self-help skills. Learning is encouraged through the use of motivating operants and reinforcement. Therapy sessions are 2.5-3 hours in length, per therapist. Children with greater therapy hours will have multiple sessions and therapists within a day. When first beginning therapy sessions, the first couple of weeks are reserved for the therapist to build rapport with the client, and little to no goals/targets will be worked on during this time. The last 15 minutes of every session are reserved for final data input, session notes, and parent communication.

The cost of therapy depends on your insurance coverage. Therapy is approved and billed through your insurance provider, however you may be responsible for a co-payment and/or a deductible. If you do not have medicaid as a secondary, you can expect to meet the individual out-of-pocket maximum each year. Specific questions about coverage should be addressed between you and your insurance company.

New Summit specializes in early intervention and thus usually only takes clients between 18-months and 7 years-of-age whom have an austim medical diagnosis, as required by insurance. Clients older than 7-years-old, or clients with high severity/intensity self-injruious or aggressive behaviors may be referred to other providers in the region.

New Summit Behavioral Therapy provides ABA therapy in the home as well as clinical settings. For therapy in the home, a parent/guardian has to be present within the home for the duration of the session. Clinic-based therapy can occur without the parent/guardian being present. New Summit believes that a combination of home and clinic based services provides the most cohesive approach of therapy to promote generalization across settings.

Goals are determinied from the intial intake form, parent interview, and the intake assessment. Goals are re-evaluated every 6-months and monitored on a routine basis, each month, to ensure progress is being made.

New Summit Behavioral Therapy is in-network with PacificSource Health Plans and Community Plans, Providence Health Plans, and Oregon Heath Plan. For insurance we are not in-network with, single-case agreements (SCAs) may also be an option. Please contact us at info@NewSummitABA.com if you have further insurance questions. As of December 2024, New Summit Behavioral Therapy has pulled its contract with Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield and will be considered out-of-network or have an SCA. At this time, New Summit Behavioral Therapy is unable to serve TriCare or Trillium insurance plans regardless and out-of-network services are not an option.