At Steps to Success, LLC, we work in teams.  Every home program is supervised by an experienced Consultant, all of whom are Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA), an expert in behavior who creates programs for the Associates to teach your child.  The Behavior Analysts work closely with your family and provide recommendations to change targeted behaviors while also closely supervising and training the Associates.

What is Behavioral Consultation?

Before discussing what behavioral consultation is we need to define behavior. Behavior is a part of everything we do, every choice we make and every action we take. Looking at the way behavior fits into our lives helps us better explain why we do what we do. Sometimes children behave in ways that are initially difficult to understand. By looking at children’s actions through a behavioral approach and attempting to determine why they engage in a particular behavior, we can help find alternatives to inappropriate behaviors and teach appropriate ones.

Behavior can be caused by the antecedents (what happens before a behavior) or by the consequences (what happens after a behavior). There are four underlying causes of behavior:

• Sensory (a behavior that feels good),
• Escape (a behavior that results in escaping the demand.),
• Attention (a behavior that gets attention- either positive or negative),
• Tangible (a behavior that results in being given something.)

Everything we do can be explained by one of the reasons above, or a combination of these.

A behavior analyst is an expert in applied behavior analysis, a science based on the values of behavior, applied to improve socially significant behavior and to demonstrate that the techniques are responsible for the changes in that behavior. Applied behavior analysis is a scientifically proven technique for helping children, at risk of, or diagnosed with Autistic Disorders, Asperger’s and PDD. However, it is not exclusive to these children and can be applied in any situation and with any individual.

At Steps to Success, LLC, we work in homes to help parents with a variety of problems that they face. Consultants can help address problems including, but not limited to, toilet training, picky eaters, tantrums, bed time routines, attending doctors appointments, non-compliance and many other behaviors. Consultation is achieved through a variety of methods including, but not limited to:

1. observation
2. discussions
3. recommendations

The purpose of consultation is to find ways to appropriately handle the behaviors targeted for change and then teach this to family members. In this way parent participation is absolutely critical to the success a family will have in changing inappropriate behaviors. Although consultants can spend a great deal of time within a home setting, the parents are in the home dealing with the child and their behaviors (appropriate or inappropriate) a far greater amount of the time, so it is critical for the parents to learn the steps to help their child be successful.

Behavior consultation is not meant to be a long lasting therapy. A consultant’s role is to advise the parents on the issue of concern, ensure that there is follow through on recommendations and that expectations for the child remain consistent. There are cases that require months or years of parent consultation due to the nature of children, yet the goal is always the same to make recommendations and ensure follow through on recommendations.

Consultants can also help set up discrete trial training programs to help teach children skills through activities in a one to one setting. Discrete trial training is an effective way to teach all populations of children and is one of the most widely recognized effective techniques for teaching children diagnosed with Autistic Disorders, PDD, and Asperger’s disorders. Sometimes, a behavioral consultant instructs the child, but often an associate, working under the supervision of the behavior analyst, is the direct teaching instructor. In these cases, a behavior analyst works as the supervisor and parent consultant for the case, with the associate working to follow through on teaching programs created by the behavior analyst.

As behavior analysts and consultants, Steps to Success, LLC work as part of a team with caregivers and other professionals to provide the most effective methods for helping children reach their full potential. Whether parents think they need a one time consultation or weekly consultation, an individualized model is always created to best suit the needs of the family and child.