Telemental Health Delivery of ABA Services

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is an effective therapy for developing skills and reducing a challenging behavior, most often for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities. A substantial amount of research over the past two decades has focused on the effectiveness and feasibility of delivering ABA interventions via telehealth, particularly for the treatment of a challenging behavior. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many ABA providers pivoted to delivering services via telehealth, and it has continued to serve as a viable alternative to in vivo services. This chapter begins with a brief overview of ABA therapies followed by a summary of the extant research literature on delivering telehealth-based ABA for skill acquisition and challenging behavior. The benefits and limitations of delivering ABA via telehealth are examined, with a focus on the factors that should be considered when choosing between telehealth and in vivo services. This chapter also provides a description of the training recommended for developing competence to deliver telehealth-based ABA. The chapter concludes with a case example that outlines the approach used for a young child with autism receiving telehealth-based ABA for a challenging behavior, from pre-assessment to the completion of treatment.