Fading Out Applied Behavior Analysis Services

Melissa Owen, BCBA, Executive Clinical Director, Puzzle Box Academy, Florida, USA.

Fading out Applied Behavior Analysis Services is the responsible thing to do. The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) has outlined some tips for ethically fading out aba services for practitioners and organizations (BHCOE, 2023).?

In 2021, we started a novel data collection method at Kaleidoscope Interventions. Once per hour, the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) assigned to a client would physically remove themselves from their client and collect data over 5 minutes.? This data was collected using a 30-second whole interval data collection method.? We collected data on the client’s engagement in problem behaviors and the appropriate/on-task behaviors, with this data evaluated weekly.??

Over time, we can get a picture of how our clients would behave without their RBT present, which assists us in determining when it is most effective to fade out ABA services.? If the client has consistently high rates of appropriate/on-task behaviors and low rates of problem behaviors, then ABA services should start to fade back.? Suppose we see consistently high rates of problem behaviors and low rates of appropriate/on-task behaviors. In that case, we must continue our current ABA hours and create more targeted interventions.??

Using this method, we successfully faded back services with our clients.

Ex 1) Stevie G. had a couple of outliers but demonstrated that he engaged in moderate-to-high rates of appropriate behaviors and low rates of problem behaviors without an ABA therapist.? As time passed, the low outliers points were due to non-compliant/off-task behaviors (considered low intensity). In contrast, previously, they were due to aggressive, property destructive, and verbal threats towards others (considered high intensity).? This was known by the notes taken by his ABA therapist while collecting the 5-minute probe data.

Ex 2) Momo initially had variable rates of appropriate behaviors and low rates of problem behaviors when his ABA therapist was removed. Targeted interventions were made to teach Momo how to follow the models of his peers and attend group instruction, which increased his frequency of appropriate behaviors.

The data also allows the BCBA to make more targeted interventions based on the time of day, specific activities, and/or environmental variables occurring during the probe.? For example, if a client consistently engages in high rates of problem behaviors during breaks but not during work activities, this would indicate that the client needs to work on various play/leisure skills and how to navigate having free time appropriately.? As we start to fade back ABA hours with our clients, we have increased the duration of these probes to 10 minutes to get more data on how the client is handling receiving fewer ABA services.??

To learn more about Puzzle Box Academy and our Year-Round programs, preschool to 12th grade, visit our website, www.puzzleboxacademy.com.?

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Relevant Published Works:

Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) (2023). Suggestions for Ethically Fading Out ABA Services. https://www.bhcoe.org/2016/11/suggestions-ethically-fading-aba-services/