All three children have shown marked improvement in their behavior and social skills after entering a program called applied behavior analysis, or ABA, which has become the standard for autism intervention. ABA programs are tailored for each child after behavior therapists like Erin Faulkner of Quality Life Concepts assess strengths and weaknesses and write programs to improve behavior and increase skills.
“The programs are tailored depending on skills, and the style of how we teach may vary based on the learning style and needs of the child,” Faulkner said.
“I believe heart and soul in those interventions,” said Amy Brooks, whose daughter had a small vocabulary and was prone to running away when she was first diagnosed with autism. “There’s no doubt Jacey has come as far as she has because of the ABA program.”
