Behavioral Assessments for Children — The First Step to Targeted Support
Effective therapy starts with clarity. Behavioral assessments for children reveal why behaviors happen, which skills are ready to grow, and how to teach them in everyday life. At RCG Health Network, we use evidence-based tools, careful observation, and family collaboration to turn complex behavior patterns into a clear, step-by-step plan. The result is an individualized roadmap that directs ABA therapy, Speech-Language services, Occupational Therapy, and school supports—so your child practices the right skills, in the right order, with the right level of help.
What a Behavioral Assessment Actually Answers
A strong assessment does more than describe challenges. It answers practical questions: What triggers a behavior? What keeps it going? Which communication, sensory, or executive-function needs sit underneath the behavior? Which skills should we teach first to create quick wins at home and school? By defining function (the “why”) and establishing baseline performance (the “where we are now”), we make treatment measurable, teachable, and accountable.
Our Family-Centered Evaluation Process
We lead with listening. Your assessment begins with a structured family interview that captures priorities, routines, and concerns—mornings, mealtimes, homework, community outings, or classroom participation. We then observe your child in natural and structured contexts, looking at communication, attention, flexibility, play, learning readiness, and recovery after changes in plan. When appropriate, we incorporate teacher input to align school and home perspectives.
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA): Finding the “Why”
The cornerstone of behavioral assessments for children is the Functional Behavior Assessment. Our clinicians identify antecedents (what happens right before), the behavior itself (what it looks like, how long it lasts, how intense it is), and consequences (what happens after). We analyze patterns to determine function—access, escape, attention, or sensory regulation. Knowing the function allows us to design replacement behaviors that meet the same need more appropriately, turning daily flashpoints into teachable moments.
Skills Inventories: Measuring What to Teach Next
Skills Inventories: Measuring What to Teach NextAssessment extends beyond reducing challenges; it also maps the skills to build. Using developmental and ABA-aligned inventories (e.g., communication, social interaction, self-care, learning readiness), we set specific targets: asking for help with a short phrase, following a two-step direction, tolerating brief transitions, joining a small group for a defined duration, or completing a dressing routine with fewer prompts. Each target includes a definition, a teaching strategy, and a success criterion so progress is visible.
Sensory and Environmental Review
Behavior lives in context. Our OTs and BCBAs review sensory input (sound, touch, movement, light), task demands, schedules, and setting transitions that may amplify stress. We then recommend environmental supports—visual schedules, first-then boards, movement breaks, seating options, or simplified routines—that lower effort and increase participation without sacrificing expectations.
Turning Findings into a Plain-Language Plan
After we collect data, we translate it into a plan you can use immediately. You receive a clear summary of “what we saw,” “what it means,” and “what we’ll do next.” We prioritize one to three high-impact goals for the first six to eight weeks and outline how we’ll teach, prompt, and reinforce new skills. You also receive simple caregiver strategies—short scripts, visual tools, and step sequences—so practice continues between sessions.
How Assessment Drives ABA, Speech, and OT
Because RCG Health Network provides ABA Therapy, Speech-Language Therapy, and Occupational Therapy, your assessment informs all services. If the FBA shows escape-maintained behavior during writing tasks, ABA targets break requests and task momentum, OT builds fine-motor endurance and pencil grasp, and Speech shapes functional language for asking help and negotiating turns. Shared goals and consistent cues across disciplines speed generalization to home and classroom.
Data You Can See—and Decisions You Can Trust
We collect data to guide action, not to fill charts. Therapists track frequency, duration, latency, prompts required, and accuracy across people and settings. Weekly team reviews ask: Are we seeing trend lines in the right direction? Do we need to adjust prompts, reinforcement, or the teaching context? When a goal meets criterion, we plan for generalization—new materials, environments, and longer intervals—so skills hold outside therapy.
School Collaboration and IEP Alignment
Families often invite us to coordinate with teachers. With consent, we share assessment summaries, propose classroom supports, and align language for behavior plans and IEP goals. Consistent cues—at home, in therapy, and at school—reduce confusion and accelerate progress. We also provide plain-language updates that help educators understand what strategies are working and why.
What to Expect in the First 60 Days
Your first two months follow a reliable rhythm. Week one focuses on intake, observation, and baseline measures. Weeks two and three deliver your written plan and begin targeted sessions. By weeks four and five, you should notice early wins tied to your priorities—clearer requests, smoother transitions, or shorter recovery after changes in plan. At weeks six to eight, we formally review data, celebrate progress, and set the next round of goals. Throughout, you receive brief coaching and quick recaps so you always know what to do between visits.
Safety, Dignity, and Choice
Assessments—and the plans that follow—prioritize a child’s well-being. We teach assent and assent-withdrawal signals, offer meaningful choices, and build coping strategies a child can use independently. Clinicians follow clear protocols for privacy and crisis response and rehearse them like any other skill. Respect is not an afterthought; it is part of the clinical standard.
Why Families Choose RCG Health Network
Since 2012, RCG has paired compassionate care with professional follow-through. Families report responsive communication, consistent schedules, and personalized plans across ABA, Speech, and OT. That reliability comes from structured assessments, disciplined supervision, and a team that coordinates across services so your child practices the right skill at the right time.
When to Seek a Behavioral Assessment
Consider an assessment if your child struggles with frequent meltdowns, transitions, following directions, peer interaction, or communication of needs; if routines such as morning prep or mealtime feel unmanageable; or if progress has stalled despite previous strategies. Early clarity prevents months of trial-and-error and points your family toward practical change.
Start With Clarity—Move With Purpose
Behavioral assessments for children are the engine of targeted support at RCG Health Network. They turn everyday challenges into teachable opportunities and align everyone—caregivers, therapists, and teachers—around the same goals. If you’re ready for a plan you can see and a process you can trust, we’re here to help.
Contact RCG Health Network to schedule your child’s assessment and begin a data-driven path to progress.
Phone: 804-796-0073 • Email: [email protected]
• Address: 911 Sturbridge Drive, Richmond, VA 23236
