About Early Intervention Center
In 2001 the ACT Network opened up The Early Intervention Center (EIC) in order to fulfill a portion of their mission. The EIC’s dedicated staff provides center-based services based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
What is ABA?: Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) refers to a specific treatment area in the field of
autism. In general, it is an educational approach to treatment where skills are broken down into small components and systematically taught using the principles of reinforcement. It is a part of a larger branch of psychology known as Behavior Analysis. Utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis to treat children with autism became very popular after Dr. Ivar Lovaas published a study in 1987. The study reported that 48% of the children that received his therapy achieved normal functioning. That is, they were indistinguishable from their peers.
Since then, ABA as applied to children with autism has come a long way. There are several therapy techniques. The treatment made famous by Dr. Lovaas utilizes a method known as Discrete Trial Training. Since then, Behavior Analysts such as Dr. Mark Sundberg have gained recognition for their work in the area of ABA and autism. Dr. Sundburg has developed the idea of normalized teaching and integrating B. F. Skinner’s theories on verbal behavior into treatment programs. Yet another ABA practitioner is Andy Body. He developed the 
Picture Exchange Communication System to teach children with autism a way to communicate. The one constant of all of these methods are that they utilize the principles of behavior analysis.
There is some misconception that using ABA creates children who look more like robots then actual children. This idea is outdated because of all of the new advances in the field of ABA. A good ABA program has an emphasis on generalization so that the children can utilize the skills they are taught in other areas. Not all one-on-one programs are ABA programs. In order for a program to be considered ABA it needs to be developed and managed with the principles of behavior analysis.
The field of behavior analysis is very complicated and it takes years of education and experience to develop a firm grasp of its concepts and principles. For this reason, there is a national certification that individuals can receive (Board Certified Behavior Analysts) that indicate that they are well educated in the field. In order to achieve this certification a person must take the required course work, field work, and pass an extensive exam. After achieving this certification they can then become recognized by their peers as proficient in this field.