<h2>APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS</h2> <p>TRICARE covers medical and behavior modification services for beneficiaries diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD affects essential human behaviors such as social interaction, the ability to communicate ideas and feelings, imagination, and the establishment of relationships with others.</p> <p>Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is another covered benefit, and it uses behavior modification principles, such as positive reinforcement, to increase or decrease targeted behaviors. ABA can help develop skills, such as speech, self-help, and play. It can also help to decrease certain behaviors, such as aggression or self-injury.</p> <p>Overseas, in very limited locations and circumstances, your child may be able to receive ABA services from a behavior analyst who is certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.</p> <p>For a listing of ABA Providers authorized and certified to deliver care overseas, <a href="https://www.tricare-overseas.com/beneficiaries/tco-media/documents/ABA-PROVIDERS-MARCH2023" target="_blank">click here</a>. The listing includes hours of operation, beneficiary age(s) served, telehealth capabilities, and ABA session settings available.</p> <p><a href="https://www.tricare-overseas.com/beneficiaries/tco-media/documents/ABA-ToolKit-May2023" target="_blank"><strong>Click here</strong></a> to access the TOP ABA Services Toolkit for Families.</p> <p>In addition to the questions and answers below, you can access additional resources about the TRICARE Autism Care Demonstration (ACD) here:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Access-Cost-Quality-and-Safety/TRICARE-Health-Plan/TRICARE/ACD" target="_blank">Comprehensive Changes to the TRICARE ACD</a></li> <li><a href="https://health.mil/News/Gallery/Infographics/2021/08/09/Comprehensive-Changes-to-the-ACD" target="_blank">TRICARE ACD Infographic</a></li> </ul> <h4>Who Qualifies for ABA Coverage?</h4> <p>ABA services are covered under the demonstration for all qualifying dependents of Active Duty Service Members (ADSMs), retirees, and TRICARE eligible Reserve Components, including:</p> <ul> <li>TRICARE Prime Overseas and TRICARE Prime Remote Overseas</li> <li>TRICARE Select Overseas</li> <li>TOP Reserve Select (TRS)</li> <li>TOP Retired Reserve (TRR)</li> <li>TOP for Life (TFL)</li> <li>TOP Young Adult (TYA)</li> </ul> <p>To qualify for the ABA services under the demonstration, the dependents, or child, must also:</p> <ul> <li>Have been initially diagnosed with ASD by a TRICARE authorized Physician Primary Care manager (P-PCM) or a specialized ASD provider.</li> <li>Dependents of Active Duty Family Members (ADFMs) must be registered in Extended Care Health Option (ECHO), which provides supplemental services, such as respite care (only available in US and US territories), Durable Equipment (DE), and additional OT, PT, and speech therapy services, to ADFMs with qualifying psychological or physical disabilities.</li> </ul> <h4>How Does ABA Therapy Work?</h4> <p>A board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) will meet with your child and complete a one on one observation. The BCBA will obtain a current and past behavioral functioning history, review any previous assessments, conduct interviews with parents/caregivers and develop a Treatment Plan. The treatment plan will include identified behavior targets for improvement, ABA specialized interventions to achieve improvement, immediate, short term and long term objectives and goals.</p> <p>ABA services are only authorized in countries that have providers with board-certified behavior analysts who are certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. The ABA benefit is not available in host nations where there are no board-certified behavior analysts within the TRICARE specialty care access standards. Tiered model services (assistant behavior analysts and behavior technicians) are not authorized in any overseas area.</p> <h4>How Do You Enroll?</h4> <p>ADSMs who are seeking ABA services for family members with ASD must be enrolled in their service’s&nbsp;{contentlink=/beneficiaries/plans-and-programs/special-programs/exceptional-family-member-program:Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)}&nbsp;and registered in ECHO, unless waived in specific situations.</p> <p>EFMP works to help military families with special needs during the duty-assignment process and after families have arrived at their new installation. For more information, contact your service branch or visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.militaryonesource.mil/efmp" target="_blank">www.militaryonesource.mil/efmp</a>.</p> <p>ECHO provides supplemental services to ADFMs with qualifying psychological or physical disabilities. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tricare.mil/echo" target="_blank">www.tricare.mil/echo</a>.</p>