The main behavioral therapy method that we use is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).  First developed in the 1960s by psychologist Ivar Lovaas, PhD, at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), ABA therapy for autism makes use of the idea that when people—autistic or otherwise—are rewarded for a behavior, they are likely to repeat that behavior. In ABA treatment, the therapist gives the child a stimulus—like a question or a request to sit down—along with the correct response. The therapist uses attention, praise or a tangible incentive like toys or food to reward the child for repeating the right answer or completing the task; any other response is ignored.

At Galileo, we use ABA methods to:

• teach new skills, such as appropriate classroom responses;
• to transfer behavior from one situation to another, for example, from communicating with parents to interacting with classmates at school;
• alter conditions under which interfering behaviors occur;
• reduce inappropriate behaviors, such as self injury.

Our treatment approaches grounded in ABA are now considered to be at the forefront of therapeutic and educational interventions for children with autism. This methodology is highly effective in teaching basic communication, play, motor, and daily living skills.

Our teachers and therapists are always trained in the latest methods, and are always trying new techniques to fit to their students unique conditions.