ABA Therapy has both enthusiastic supporters and ardent opponents. Supporters emphasize that it is a research-supported approach, teaching important skills and significantly improving the lives of many children. Opponents argue that it can be robotic, punitive, and potentially traumatic for autistic children.
We would like to clarify two important points right from the beginning. First, families and municipalities working with us are asked from the very beginning of the therapy process whether they wish to include ABA services in the child’s treatment plan. Second, we view Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy as a tool. Much like a knife can be used to either cut bread or harm someone, ABA Therapy can be applied in either a positive or a negative way.
If a family or a municipality specifically requests ABA techniques in the child’s treatment plan, we can accommodate this. However, if the family prefers to exclude ABA services from their child’s therapy, we respect their wishes and use alternative techniques such as Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), or Positive Behaviour Support (PBS).
When our child psychologists use ABA Therapy, they follow three principles:
1. Use only positive interventions (e.g., intrinsic motivations, rewards, praise), avoiding punishment or coercion.
2. Obtain the child’s assent or agreement with the programs, while respecting the child's preferences, needs, and autonomy.
3. Adopt a trauma-informed approach, central in Today’s ABA, to minimise any risk of causing frustration or trauma.
If you opt for it, an ABA therapist will first assess your child’s strengths, challenges, preferences, and needs. They will then develop an individualized treatment plan with you, prioritizing significant goals and targets. Treatment goals may include language and communication, cooperation and instruction following, social and daily living skills (e.g., socialising, understanding emotions, dressing, washing hands, etc.), visual and imitative abilities, and more. Our trained child psychologists and behavior therapists will implement the plan using only positive interventions, always obtaining your child’s assent. They will closely monitor the effectiveness of the treatment and your child’s responsiveness, enabling you to assess the progress achieved.
You can find our Autism Center in Leiden, while our team operates also in The Hague, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and surrounding areas. We offer therapy at home, in our center, and at schools.
