OUR MISSION
The Behavior Analysis Center for Autism will provide the most efficacious applied
behavior analysis services to children and young adults with autism. BACA will improve
the quality of life for every client by ensuring staff receive and apply intensive,
on-
BELIEF STATEMENTS
- Specific measures must be taken to enhance generalization of all skills of our clients and to promote generalization we must provide training in the home and open our doors to outside professionals.
- Findings in the field of behavior analysis must be shared with the community and are not the intellectual property of any one body or business.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
- Create an enriched learning environment at each facility through the utilization of B.F. Skinner’s analysis of Verbal Behavior within the framework of Applied Behavior Analysis to teach children with language and social deficits.
- Provide natural environment training (NET) in the community and home, and meeting with families and outside professionals to create a cohesive team to benefit our clients.
- Promote education and research, participate in local and national behavioral associations, and share materials and findings with other professionals.
OUR HISTORY
The Behavior Analysis Center for Autism (BACA) opened its doors in October 2009. BACA was established by Dr. Carl Sundberg and a group of highly trained Board Certified Behavior Analysts who have been working with Dr. Sundberg for several years. Dr. Sundberg has been working in the field of behavior analysis for 25 years, studied under Dr. Jack Michael, and received his Ph.D. from Western Michigan University. He is currently teaching masters level classes in Verbal Behavior at Ball State University and was a past president of the Hoosier Association for Behavior Analysis (HABA).
APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS (ABA)
ABA approaches have proven to be so successful that in 1999 the Surgeon General of the United States concluded that ABA was an effect treatment of choice for children with autism. Our primary method of language instruction is based on B.F. Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior.
Skinner provided us with the tools to conceptually analyze language from a behavioral perspective. The basic components of the application were developed in the 1970’s at Western Michigan University by Dr. Jack Michael, and a group of his graduate students led by Mark Sundberg.
OUR STAFF
BACA currently has 16 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and four Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA) staff members, seven consultants/therapists currently working on their certification, an onsite Speech Pathologist, and one Occupational Therapist. All therapists have a minimum 4 year college education and have gone through rigorous training upon coming to BACA, in addition to ongoing training provided by the consultants and Dr. Sundberg.
