Start therapy for your child

We specialize in ABA therapy for children diagnosed with Autism in our therapeutic clinic located in Skokie, Illinois.

Our mission at ABS Behavioral Services is to provide high quality individualized and group services to teach meaningful skills based on the child’s interest, personality, and desires. Whether it’s tackling behaviors, teaching school readiness and pre-academic skills, or how to thrive in friendships and social situations, our goal is to create a safe space for children to learn essential skills that maximize their access and interest in the world around them.

ABA therapy for children

We provide ABA therapy and specialty care for autistic children ages 0-6 years old. ABS shares clinic space with OT, ST, and PT providers ensuring collaboration that promotes your child’s progress and development. If your child is between the ages of 7-9 and you feel that their current learning setting is not making progress or meeting your child’s needs and you are looking to make a change, we encourage you to contact us.

Autism treatment plan

A minimum of 10 hours per week is required for treatment. Schedules can be flexible to accommodate your schedule. Our therapy clinic is open Monday through Friday. After school time slots are extremely limited.

ABS Behavioral Services
8707 Skokie Boulevard, Suite 402
Skokie, IL 60077

Accepted insurance for treatment

Illinois requires an autism diagnosis in order for treatment to be covered by insurance. We are in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, CIGNA, and United Behavioral Health (UBH). We work directly with these companies to determine eligibility and benefits and file claims on your behalf. At this time, we are not able to support Medicaid or state-funded insurance policies (services would not be covered by insurance).

See our therapy clinic

We understand the importance of meeting a child where they are, teaching in a way that is functional, fun, and engaging through play and one-to-one learning (DTT), prioritizing safety and boundaries, and generalizing to the natural environment.

FAQ

Below are frequently asked questions on autism and treatment.

What is ABA?

ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is an individualized approach to changing behavior. When we create a program for a client, we look at what behaviors we want to increase (communicative behaviors, appropriate play, etc.) and what behaviors we want to decrease (screaming, hitting, etc.), and then we create a program that targets that client’s specific needs. We break complex behaviors into tiny, teachable components, and use prompts and reinforcement to help the client master the tasks.

How can ABA help my child?

ABA can be used to teach a number skills and help alter many behaviors. This includes performing better at school, participating in extra-curricular activities, addressing speech problems, accomplishing family-centered goals (e.g. sitting at the dinner table, engaging in family activities, etc.) and addressing problem behaviors (e.g. tantrums, biting, head banging, etc.).

What makes ABA different from other available treatments?

ABA is the only evidence-based and data-driven treatment currently available. Although other treatments have theory behind their purpose, ABA is the only treatment that not only has scientific theory and research behind it, but many years of data to show its effectiveness. ABA uses objective data sources to measure a socially significant change. This ensures that the changes observed are not subjective or influenced by personal biases.

Are you certified to provide ABA therapy?

Yes. Specialized training and degrees are necessary to create, implement and analyze the effectiveness of a specific program. The qualifications necessary to be an ABA therapist may vary depending location, but having the correct certification ensures that the programs and implementation of the programs adhere to the ABA standards. This is reflected in the BACB (Behavior Analyst Certification Board) certification process, as well as education in ABA at the master or doctoral level.

What does an ABA program look like?

The lessons that we teach will be different for each client, but the program will look similar. Before a program is started, we will do an assessment of skills and behaviors to get a better understanding of the client’s current level of functioning. Next, we will choose the specific lessons for the client and develop an individualized program. An ABA program typically consists of 10-40 hours a week of therapy. As the client progresses, programs will expand so that the client may generalize their new skills to other settings. This could include parent training, community outings, or supervised play-dates. An ABA program is a long-running program that typically continues for at least 2 years.

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