Essential Speech and ABA Therapy
Sandy Springs, Georgia

Welcome to Essential Speech and ABA Therapy,
Where Children on the Autism Spectrum have a TEAM Behind Them!

By bringing ABA Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Occupational Therapy together under one roof, we streamline treatment to help children reach their full potential! This collaborative model ensures a team approach to meeting your child's needs, as our Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), and Occupational Therapist (OT) work together to craft a treatment plan personally tailored to your child.

At Essential Speech & ABA Therapy, your child’s care is our top priority. Our locations are independently owned and operated, which means that each facility is uniquely equipped to meet your child’s needs while helping them achieve independence!

We focus on early intervention services, providing expert care for children between the ages of 18 months and 6 years old.

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Our Services

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy helps children with ASD promote, maintain, and develop the skills needed for school and beyond. 5 These may include:

Self-care skills (such as dressing, eating a meal, and managing personal hygiene)
Productivity skills (i.e. emotional regulation, participation, handwriting, and organization)
Leisure skills (participating in hobbies, developing motor skills for PE/sports, and maintaining friendships)

After your child’s initial assessment, our OTs will identify several key areas for improvement. These may include, but are not limited to: independent dressing, eating, grooming, and fine motor skills. Together with our BCBAs and SLPs, our OTs craft individualized care plans that help children with ASD thrive in any environment. Our OTs meet regularly with family members and program staff to review progress or adjust goals if needed.

ABA Therapy

Applied Behavior Analysis (also referred to as ABA) is a therapy based on the science of learning and behavior. ABA therapy utilizes several evidence-based practices to increase communication skills and deter interfering behaviors.

ABA Therapy can help your child master the following skills:

Daily living skills
Self-care skills
Attention
Social skills
Stress management
Emotional development
Language skills
Play and leisure skills

ABA therapy uses several strategies (such as Positive Reinforcement) to teach the above skills. Evidence-based practices are often compiled into a Behavior Support Plan to reduce interfering behaviors and replace them with more adaptive skills.

Positive Reinforcement

At Essential Speech and ABA Therapy, we use a strategy called Positive Reinforcement. In Positive Reinforcement, a therapist identifies a goal behavior. When a child successfully repeats the goal behavior, they are rewarded. Positive rewards encourage the child to continue using their newly acquired skills. Over time, this leads to meaningful behavioral change.

Speech Therapy

Speech therapy can be used to treat language disorders, speech disorders, and swallowing problems. For children on the spectrum, speech therapy can address many communication-related challenges and provide benefits that improve their quality of life as they age.

There are five key benefits to speech therapy:

Expressing wants and needs: Your speech therapist will work closely with your child to help them advocate for themselves. SLPs will teach them common phrases such as “I want..”, “I need..”, or “I didn’t get one.” Nonverbal children will learn how to use sign language, gestures, picture boards, or alternative augmentative communication devices.
Recognize verbal and nonverbal cues: An SLP will help your child interpret body language, such as facial expressions, gestures, etc. Your child will also learn how to initiate communication without prompting.
Develop friendships and interact with peers: Speech and language therapy can help children with ASD socialize. An SLP can help children understand casual conversation and learn how to make friends.
Articulate words and sentences well: Many children on the autism spectrum have trouble articulating sounds or using the correct word in sentences. They may also struggle with abstract concepts, such as time, idioms, hints, or indirect instructions. An SLP will help your child overcome these difficulties.
Understanding and processing language: SLPs can help your child follow simple and complex directions, and understand language concepts such as colors, sizes, shapes, and prepositions. SLPs will also help your child understand and answer questions related to stories, conversations, or activities.

Our Team

Danielle Jones, M.S
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

Danielle has over 6 years of experience working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. Before transitioning into the BCBA role, Danielle has worked as an RBT, Case Manager, and Behavior Specialist who provided ABA treatment to both adults and early learners. She earned her Bachelor's degree in psychology from Spelman College and completed her Masters in ABA from Georgia State University.

As a BCBA, Danielle has developed a particular interest in verbal behavior and social skills training with early learners through her experience. Her favorite thing about being a BCBA is observing client growth over time, and seeing clients and their families celebrate small and large milestones met through consistent and ethical treatment. With her unwavering passion and dedication to the field ABA, Danielle continues to strive to make a positive and lasting impact on the families that she serves.

Amanda R. Simmons, M.S
Office Manager

Amanda has worked in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis for over 8 years in various roles such as Registered Behavior Technician, Finance Manager, Clinic Manager, and Operations Manager. She graduated from Ball State University in July 2023 with a Masters in Special education and a certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis.

She’s passionate about ABA because it is essential in helping people with autism make changes and learn new skills that improve their day-to-day lives. She decided to pursue BCBA licensure to have the opportunity to work closely with individuals to make a substantial, positive impact not only in their lives but their families' lives, and ultimately improve their overall quality of life.

We proudly serve several communities near our Center: