Reopening the Doors to Center-Based ABA Services: Clinical and Safety Protocols During COVID-19

Abstract

In the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. organizations that provide applied behavior analysis (ABA) programs to individuals with autism spectrum disorder have implemented a variety of safety precautions to minimize the spread of the virus, often shifting center-based services to the home or telehealth. Considered essential workers, ABA providers are exempt from government directives to close, so they have both the freedom and the great responsibility to make their own decisions about how best to keep their clients safe while continuing to provide medically necessary services. In the coming weeks and months, ABA providers will be faced with the decision about whether to reopen centers. This article does not address that decision, except to acknowledge the urgency to reopen, both to help clients and to remain solvent. Political rhetoric and contradictory public information further complicate this daunting decision. Because ABA providers do not have legal guidance to shift the burden of such decisions to local and state regulators, the burden is theirs alone. The unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic means that no decision is clearly wrong or right, and every decision has consequences. Although ABA providers do not have their own state guidance, many states have issued guidelines for childcare providers whose operations have continued throughout the pandemic. This article analyzes that guidance, identifies common variables potentially relevant to ABA organizations, highlights clinical considerations and procedural compliance, and provides ABA organizations with the tools to make the best decision for their clients, in their community, and on their timeline.

Designing Website-Based Scholarship Management Application for Teaching of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in Decision Support Systems (DSS) Subjects

“…The calculation is continued by calculating the value of the Priority Vector to find out the portion of the priority value for each criterion. The maximum number of all portions of the priority value is one, which is obtained from the calculation using the formula (2). The calculation is continued by adding up each criterion row with formula (3) and then calculating the consistency ratio for each line (partial) with formula (4).…”

“…These impacts can be in the form of good or bad impacts, according to the accuracy in choosing the time, atmosphere, place and the decision itself. This is because every decision has consequences [2,3]. The emergence of these consequences is influenced by various factors in the decision-making process.…”

COVID-19 Pandemic and Impact on Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Converting these services to remote delivery can be challenging as ABA frequently includes observation of behavior that is often beyond the reach of a video camera and requires support of another household member. Although ABA services in some U.S. states were deemed “essential,” agencies lacked on-hand protective personal equipment (PPE) and policy guidelines to ensure safety of providers, individuals with ASD, and their households at the start of pandemic (Kornack et al, 2020 ). Some who switched to providing telehealth understood it was an atypical form of the service, and may have struggled with prioritizing in-person services amid potential risks (Colombo et al, 2020 ; Cox et al, 2020 ).…”

Classical and alternative disinfection strategies to control the COVID-19 virus in healthcare facilities: a review

“…The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended high-touch surfaces be cleaned and disinfected repeatedly to continually prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Many hospitals implement policies for more rigorous cleaning and disinfecting, especially on high-touch surfaces to prevent the transmission of virus (Kornack et al 2020 ; Shabto et al 2020 ; Wang et al 2020a , b ). Portable medical equipment like computer on wheels or pumps can also be considered as high-touch surfaces (Jinadatha et al 2017 ).…”