Frequently Asked Questions

River Rock Behavioral Therapy is a healthcare service that provides behavioral health support to individuals in need with a goal of implementing effective therapy by addressing the root of common issues often found in the healthcare industry.  

You can book an appointment with River Rock Behavioral Therapy by visiting our appointments page, here.

River Rock Behavioral Therapy offers behavioral health therapy and consultation services to children 18 months and older, including adults.

Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence-based therapy that focuses on behavior and learning through psychological intervention involving behavior conditioning. As an FDA approved treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder, applied behavior analysis is applied in natural social settings to assist children and adults with Autism in learning new skills and decreasing harmful, problematic, destructive, and/or disruptive behavior.

ABA therapy is a specific type of therapy for children with autism that aids in the development of new skills, shapes and refines previously learned skills and decreases socially significant problem behaviors. 

Board-Certified Behavior Analyst designs the treatment plan once a skills assessment has been conducted.  Therapy is often implemented by a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and overseen by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst.

ABA therapy has been proven to help children with autism learn communication, social, living and school-readiness skills. So, what is ABA therapy for autism and how does it work?

• Qualified and trained BCBA’s (Board Certified Behavior Analysts) lead and oversee a child’s therapy program
• After a detailed assessment of a child, the BCBA will create a unique program      with consideration given to the child’s ABA therapy goals, preferences and the overall family goals.
• Goals will be developmentally appropriate for that child and will include things      like sociability, communication, play, self-care, motor development and      academic skills.
• Highly qualified and trained therapists will help a child achieve these goals      through detailed instruction plans that break down skills into skill sets.  The child will then work on the most basic skill sets and build up to more complex skill sets, with each skill set building off of the previous one.
• Therapists continually collect data on your child to determine which skill sets are      improving, which one’s are not, and how the therapy program may need to be      modified in order to make sure your child achieves their goals
• Regular meetings with family and staff take place to allow for planning, review of      child’s progress and to make any needed adjustments.

• A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) is a graduate-level certification in applied behavior analysis. Professionals certified at the BCBA level are independent practitioners who provide behavior-analytic services.
• BCBAs may supervise the work of Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts® (BCaBAs), Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), and other professionals who implement behavior-analytic interventions.
• Your child’s BCBA will serve as both an advocate for you and your child, as well as a clinician who specializes in making sure that individualized needs are met.

The Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) is a paraprofessional certification in behavior analysis. RBTs assist in delivering behavior analysis services and practice under the direction and close supervision of an RBT Supervisor and/or an RBT Requirements Coordinator, who are responsible for all work RBTs perform. RBT’s are certified by the BACB.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board has been the leader in behavior analyst certification for over two decades. The BACB is a nonprofit corporation that was established in 1998 to meet professional certification needs identified by behavior analysts, governments, and consumers of behavior-analytic services. The BACB’s mission is to protect consumers of behavior-analytic services by systematically establishing, promoting, and disseminating professional standards of practice.  You can follow the link to the Behavior Analytic Certification Board website here.

In plain words, every person's behavior or action is affected by reinforcing or punishing a behavior.  During ABA therapy we focus on reinforcement and positive strategies to aid patients in coping with day to day tasks, behavioral coping strategies, and promoting independence in a variety of settings including but not limited to home, school, and community settings.

Individualized data is taken during each therapy session by the behavior technician, and the BCBA oversees the implementation of therapy by the behavior technician.  With River Rock Behavioral Therapy, patients will receive monthly progress reports.  For insurance-funded ABA services, parents are updated on a regular basis through parent trainings with the BCBA and a full-report and treatment plan are updated every 6 months, or as required by insurance.

ABA therapy can take place in a variety of settings, including at home, in schools, ABA clinics, and other community settings as part of individualized therapy including but not limited to daycares, parks, grocery stores, libraries, and the dentist.

Unfortunately, ABA therapy has only been FDA approved for insurance-funded therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  However, ABA therapy has been scientifically proven effective for other non-autistic diagnosis as well.  If you are experiencing financial hardship and you or your child is in need of services, please fill out a CONTACT FORM and we will reach out to you within 48 business hours.