Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
What is MGA Behavior Therapy?
MGA Behavioral is a center-based program that provides targeted 1:1 early intensive behavior intervention (EIBI) therapy and supportive social skills training to adolescents and young adults. The underlying foundations and guiding principles of the program are to provide patients the skills necessary for achieving their greatest potential of independence and community integration through a holistic scientific approach rooted in applied behavior analysis (ABA). This goal is accomplished through the application of the science of behavior analysis and precision teaching methodologies to build patient skill repertoires. The purpose of this manual is to provide a clear outline of the program philosophy and structure along with the necessary training materials, environmental conditions, and instructional strategies utilized and exercised at MGA.
What do we do at MGA Behavior Therapy?
We provide early intensive behavioral intervention services to children with developmental disabilities based on the science of human behavior.
What does that mean?
The simplest answer to that question is that we leverage the environment, incentives/rewards, and proven instructional methods to create behavior change or stated differently, to help children learn skills.
What is behavior?
Behavior is anything an organism does to act on its environment. Meaning that anything we do from moving physically, to speaking to another person, to thinking to ourselves is behavior.
What controls behavior?
Contrary to popular belief that people’s behavior comes from the mind, behavior is a combination of factors composed of a person biology, life-experience, and socio-cultural background. Behavior analysis is the science of identifying all those key factors that contribute to a persons unique expression and systematically isolates certain areas that could help improve where someone might be struggling or has some deficits. Going back to the question of what we do. We do this by leveraging the environment and building incentive systems to teach and guide people to learn those missing pieces.
Who are we responsible and accountable towards?
We have a responsibility to all parties involved. This means other than the patient; we are also responsible to the families, the school districts, and anyone else that is affected by intervention. Understanding “who” the client is, assists in framing the role of the clinical professional, while establishing a clear expectation of the responsibilities and obligations that come with this relationship.
As clinicians, we support individual rights under the law. As mentioned above, MGA’s philosophy aims to provide a positive, supportive, and enriched environment that fosters patient progress and growth.
