Do Children Really Need 40 Hours of ABA Therapy Each Week?

Many ABA centers recommend 40 hours of ABA therapy per week for most children they see. While this schedule may be convenient for the ABA company and may fit well for full-time working parents, it’s important to ask: is this amount truly beneficial for every child?

Research suggests that the idea of every child with autism needing a strict 40 hours of ABA therapy each week is not universally accurate. Quality ABA, which focuses on the unique needs of each child, often requires a more individualized approach. A study titled “Data-Driven, Client-Centric Applied Behavior Analysis Treatment Dose Optimization Improves Functional Outcomes,” published in the World Journal of Pediatrics in 2023, indicates the importance of designing ABA therapy dosage based on individual needs and data-driven assessments. This study highlights that while the 40-hour benchmark is common, an optimal dosage should be personalized, using ongoing data to achieve better outcomes (Ostrovsky, Willa, & Cho, 2023).

Another study, “Applied Behavior Analysis and the Lead Intervention for Autism in Early Childhood: Meta-Analysis, Meta-Regression, and Dose-Response,” published in the Clinical Psychology Review in 2010, also indicates the importance of variable therapy dosages. It suggests that the 40-hour dosage may not be necessary for best-quality ABA therapy and should be modified based on the child's specific needs and circumstances. This aligns with the idea that supreme quality ABA therapy prioritizes designing intervention packages to fit each child's needs, ensuring more effective and meaningful progress.

To achieve the best quality ABA, practitioners can use tools designed to help determine the right ABA dosage needed for each child. “An Evidence-Based Framework for Determining the Optimal Amount of Intervention for Autistic Children,” published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health in 2021, provides a structured approach to this process. This framework combines empirical evidence, clinical expertise, and parental input, advocating against a one-size-fits-all model such as the 40-hour guideline. Instead, it calls for flexibility and ongoing assessment to find the optimal therapy dosage designed for each child's specific needs, which is a hallmark of quality ABA therapy for autism.

Studies consistently show that the amount of therapy should be designed around each child’s individual needs, developmental stage, and specific challenges. An individualized approach that combines expert guidance with input from parents can lead to more effective therapy and better outcomes for children. The belief that all children with autism require 40 hours of ABA therapy is false. For supreme quality ABA, providers should adopt a personalized approach to determining the right amount of therapy by focusing on the unique needs of each child. This shift towards individualized treatment dosage recognizes the diversity among children with autism and can lead to more meaningful progress. After all, each child's needs and journey are different, and the best quality ABA therapy should reflect that.

References

1. Ostrovsky, A., Willa, M., & Cho, T. (2023). Data-driven, client-centric applied behavior analysis treatment-dose optimization improves functional outcomes. World Journal of Pediatrics, 19(5), 753–760. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12519-022-00643-0

2. An evidence-based framework for determining the optimal amount of intervention for autistic children. (2021). The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 5(12), 896-904. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(21)00285-6

3. Applied behavior analytic intervention for autism in early childhood: Meta-analysis, meta-regression and dose–response meta-analysis of multiple outcomes. (2010). Clinical Psychology Review.