Claudia Matei

BCaBA-accredited psychologist and behavior analyst, Claudia has 18 years of experience working with children with ASD and other developmental disabilities. She currently coordinates educational programs at Autism Voice, actively contributing to the training of the community of specialists in autism. She holds applied behavioral analysis (ABA) workshops for parents and professionals, with the aim of building an effective partnership between the family and the therapist.

Claudia believes that every child has the resources to progress when they receive caring and structured support. Through her work, she supports families and professionals to build concrete steps that transform each acquired skill into a secure foundation for child’s independence.

Presentation at the ABA International Conference 2025

Meaningful ABA: Standards adding value to ASD intervention

Between scientific rigor and real-life interventions  

Abstract:

The standards in ABA therapy are not just a formality or a set of bureaucratic rules – they represent the foundation that ensures coherence, efficiency and ethics in interventions dedicated to children with autism spectrum disorder. In the absence of some clear benchmarks, the intervention risks becoming chaotic, dysfunctional and, sometimes, even harmful through inconsistency or unnecessary overuse.

This presentation brings to the forefront the idea that complying with the minimum standards is essential to provide interventions with direction and meaning, but also that these standards must be applied with discernment, in an individualized way, anchored in the needs of each child and in the context of each family.

We will explore together:

• What a well-structured intervention means, and why without this structure, progress is often minimal;
• How we can avoid extremes: unnecessary rigidity, but also creativity lacking scientific basis;
• What is the role of the family in maintaining the direction of the intervention and how we ensure that efforts are aligned, not dispersed.

A very special moment of the presentation will be the dialogue with an adult diagnosed with autism in childhood, recovered through an intensive ABA program. His perspective offers a vivid example of how meaningfully applied standards can change not only behaviors, but entire lives.

This theme is, in essence, an invitation to professional and human responsibility: how can we keep science and soul together in our work with children and their families?