Helping Every Child Move Forward
Welcome to the Children's Autism Center, previously known as Child's Play Plus. Our experienced team offers broader access, practical resources, and high-quality ABA therapy tailored to your child's unique needs. In March 2024, the Children's Autism Center took over operations of Child's Play Plus.
Common Questions
These are the questions families most often ask about Child's Play. For more detail, see the resources page in the top menu.
- Autism
- Occupational therapy
- Speech
Questions About Autism
What is autism?
Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is an umbrella term for a range of brain development conditions that vary in severity from one child to the next. It is characterized by difficulties with social interaction and with verbal and nonverbal communication. These conditions may also involve intellectual challenges, trouble with attention and coordination, and unusual reactions to sensations or to specific people. A detailed symptom checklist is available here.
What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?
ABA is typically used to pinpoint a patient's specific needs and then create individualized instruction aimed at reducing autism symptoms. This method has proven effective because it identifies which skills the patient lacks and determines how those skills can be strengthened. ABA is now widely recognized as a safe and effective autism treatment, endorsed by many state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Surgeon General and the New York State Department of Health. Over the past decade, use of ABA has grown dramatically as a way to help people with autism live happy, productive lives. ABA principles and techniques can build basic skills such as looking, listening, and imitating, as well as complex skills such as reading, conversing, and understanding another person's perspective.
What does ABA intervention involve?
Effective ABA intervention for autism is not a one-size-fits-all approach and should never be treated as a canned set of programs or drills. Instead, a skilled therapist tailors the intervention to each learner's skills, needs, interests, preferences, and family situation. For that reason, an ABA program for one learner will look different from a program for another. That said, quality ABA programs for learners with autism share the following elements.
Planning and Continuous Assessment
- A qualified, trained behavior analyst designs and directly oversees the intervention.
- The analyst develops treatment goals from a detailed assessment of each learner's skills and preferences, which may also include family goals.
- Treatment goals and instruction are developmentally appropriate and target a broad range of skill areas, including communication, sociability, self-care, play and leisure, motor development, and academic skills.
- Goals emphasize skills that help learners become independent and successful in both the short and long term.
- The instruction plan breaks desired skills into manageable steps, taught from the simplest (e.g., imitating single sounds) to the more complex (e.g., carrying on a conversation).
- The intervention includes ongoing objective measurement of the learner's progress.
- The behavior analyst frequently reviews progress information and uses it to adjust procedures and goals as needed.
- The analyst meets regularly with family members and program staff to plan ahead, review progress, and make adjustments as needed.
ABA Methods and Approach
- The instructor uses a variety of behavior analytic procedures, some directed by the instructor and others initiated by the learner.
- Parents, other family members, and caregivers receive training so they can support learning and skill practice throughout the day.
- The learner's day is structured to provide many opportunities, both planned and naturally occurring, to acquire and practice skills in structured and unstructured situations.
- The learner receives abundant positive reinforcement for demonstrating useful skills and socially appropriate behaviors, with an emphasis on positive social interactions and enjoyable learning.
- The learner receives no reinforcement for behaviors that pose harm or prevent learning.
Additional Questions From Families
What about school?
While education matters, health and safety needs come first. Clients who regularly miss public school to attend ABA appointments may need to enroll as a home schooled student. This link will take you to the appropriate form, along with additional resources.
What kind of progress can be expected with ABA?
Competently delivered ABA intervention can help learners with autism make meaningful changes in many areas. However, changes do not usually happen quickly. Most learners require intensive, ongoing instruction that builds on step-by-step progress. The rate of progress, like the goals of intervention, varies considerably from person to person depending on age, level of functioning, family goals, and other factors. Some learners do acquire skills quickly, but this rapid progress typically occurs in just one or two particular skill areas, such as reading, while much more instruction and practice is needed to master another area, such as interacting with peers.
What caused my child's autism?
The following information is not meant to prevent, diagnose, or treat autism and should not replace personal consultation with a qualified healthcare professional as appropriate. One of the most common questions after an autism diagnosis is what caused the disorder. We know there is no single cause of autism. Research suggests autism develops from a combination of genetic and nongenetic, or environmental, influences. These influences appear to increase the risk that a child will develop autism, but increased risk is not the same as cause. For example, some gene changes associated with autism are also found in people who do not have the disorder. Similarly, not everyone exposed to an environmental risk factor for autism will develop the disorder; in fact, most will not.
Genetic Risk Factors for Autism
Research shows that autism tends to run in families. Changes in certain genes raise the risk that a child will develop autism. If a parent carries one or more of these gene changes, they may pass them to a child even if the parent does not have autism. Other times, these genetic changes arise spontaneously in an early embryo or in the sperm and/or egg that combine to create the embryo. Again, most of these gene changes do not cause autism by themselves; they simply increase risk for the disorder.
Environmental Risk Factors for Autism
Research also shows certain environmental influences may further increase, or reduce, autism risk in people who are genetically predisposed to the disorder. Importantly, the increase or decrease in risk appears to be small for any one of these factors.
- Increased risk: advanced parent age (either parent); pregnancy and birth complications (e.g., extreme prematurity before 26 weeks, low birth weight, multiple pregnancies such as twins or triplets); pregnancies spaced less than one year apart.
- Decreased risk: prenatal vitamins containing folic acid, taken before and at conception and throughout pregnancy.
- No effect on risk: vaccines. Each family has a unique experience with an autism diagnosis, and for some it corresponds with the timing of their child's vaccinations. At the same time, scientists have conducted extensive research over the last two decades to determine whether there is any link between childhood vaccinations and autism. The results of this research are clear: vaccines do not cause autism.
Related reading: PubMed study, PubMed study, PubMed study, vaccine studies and the evidence, and PubMed study.
Contact Us
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Whether you are new to an autism diagnosis or exploring ABA therapy for the first time, our team is here to help you understand the options. Browse the questions above, then reach out to the Children's Autism Center to talk through your child's needs and next steps.