Tag Archive for: neurodiversity

Creating an Autism-Friendly Home

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A Parent Perspective: Incorporating ABA Into Your Home Environment

Scrolling through social media one day, this post completely captured my feelings of home: 

ABA friendly home

I love my home. I love being at home. And I love inviting people over to my home. It’s literally my favorite place to be. It reflects my personality, my priories, and it is a place of comfort and safety for me and my family. 

For many families, including mine, raising a child with autism can present challenges in creating a comfortable, safe, and autism-friendly home environment. Adjustments and sacrifices become necessary. But even with minimal changes, our homes can be a more peaceful haven for everyone. 

Throughout the past decade, I’ve learned to embrace modifications in my home to accommodate my son with autism. Incorporating visual cues, sensory toys, and safety features has had a positive impact without major home renovations. 

In this blog post, I’ll share simple and effective ways to create an autism-friendly or ABA-friendly home. I’ll focus on communication, play, sensory experiences, sleep, and safety. We’ll explore how to transform your home into the best possible space for your family, implementing ABA techniques when possible.

As the therapists at ABA Connect constantly remind me, making play a priority is essential to the progress of our kids. As we accept our kids and their unique needs, we can foster a fun and loving home environment that also honors their humanity. 

autism friendly home environment

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-gray-shirt-sitting-beside-girl-in-yellow-shirt-8422262/

Enhancing Communication at Home: ABA Tools for Effective Connection

Communication is vital for building strong relationships, including with our children on the autism spectrum. At ABA Connect, we understand the importance of finding effective ways to connect and communicate with our kids. Here are some practical ABA communication tools that you can implement in your home.

  1. Visual Supports: Utilize visual schedules, picture cards, and first-then boards to break down complex tasks into simpler steps. These visual aids help your child understand expectations and navigate daily routines more independently. 
  2. AAC Devices: Keep your child’s Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device charged and easily accessible if your child uses a device. Keeping it in the same location when not in use empowers your child to express their needs, wants, and thoughts effectively, even if verbal communication is challenging.
  3. Break Requests: Always provide your child with the option to ask for a break, alone time, or express their need to say “no.” This fosters self-advocacy and allows them to regulate their sensory needs or emotions, promoting a more comfortable and respectful environment.
  4. Consistency and Structure: Maintain consistency in using communication tools and visual supports. Display a visual schedule to provide a clear overview of the day’s activities. Use timers to help your child understand transitions and manage time effectively.

By implementing these ABA-friendly communication tools in your home, you can enhance communication, reduce frustration, and strengthen the connection with your child. 

To learn more about developing practical strategies to create an environment that supports effective communication and promotes growth for your child with autism, contact ABA Connect.

Creating a Playful ABA Environment at Home: Nurturing Development through Play

In our journey with autism, we’ve discovered that the most effective therapies are those that feel like play. At home, it’s essential to foster a fun environment that promotes development and allows children to engage in the joy of play.

If you have a dedicated playroom, it can be a valuable space for practicing sustained attention and independent play. Customize the room with toys that your child finds entertaining and comforting, including items for stimming. Consider incorporating technology or enticing books, providing a range of options to suit your child’s interests.

Make sure to distribute play toys throughout the house. You can set out easily accessible baskets or designated areas where your child can find comfort and engage with preferred toys. Consider bookshelves that function like file cabinets to facilitate easy access to books. This encourages independent book exploration without causing frustration or disorganization. The things your child loves can be placed strategically in different rooms, enticing exploration and engagement wherever your child may be.

Collaborate with your BCBA to organize a playroom or bedroom space that suits your child’s needs. It may involve limiting the number of toys to prevent overstimulation and rotating toys periodically to keep things interesting. Introducing new toys gradually allows your child to warm up to different experiences and expand their interests over time.

By creating a playful ABA environment at home, you provide opportunities for your child to develop and thrive through play. 

Join us at ABA Connect as we explore practical strategies to optimize playtime, engage sustained attention, and cultivate an atmosphere that promotes growth and enjoyment for your child with autism.

Creating Sensory Spaces at Home: Nurturing Sensory Needs for Your Child

Understanding your child’s sensory tendencies is a crucial step in creating a sensory-friendly home environment. Whether they seek sensory input or avoid overstimulation, there are numerous ways to incorporate sensory elements into your space.

Let’s explore some favorite sensory-friendly additions that can support your child’s sensory needs:

  1. Crash Pad: Create a designated crash pad area where your child can safely jump, crash, and release energy.
  2. Indoor or Outdoor Trampoline: A trampoline provides a dynamic sensory experience, offering bouncing fun and proprioceptive input.
  3. Lycra Swing or Disk Swing: Install a lycra swing or disk swing in a secure area, allowing your child to experience soothing vestibular input.
  4. Ball Pit: Set up a ball pit filled with soft balls for tactile exploration and deep pressure input.
  5. Tunnel: Incorporate a tunnel for crawling, promoting spatial awareness and body integration.
  6. Peanut Ball or Balancing Ball: These versatile tools can enhance balance, coordination, and core strength while providing sensory input.
  7. Sensory Sock: A sensory sock provides a cozy and calming space for your child to relax and regulate their sensory system.
  8. Weighted Blankets and Weighted Vests: These comforting items offer deep pressure stimulation, promoting relaxation and a sense of security.
  9. Chewlery: Chewable jewelry, such as necklaces or bracelets, can provide oral sensory stimulation and serve as a safe outlet for chewing needs.
  10. Fidgets: Keep a variety of fidget toys on hand, offering tactile and proprioceptive input to help your child maintain focus and self-regulate. This is one of my favorites.

Remember, every child’s sensory preferences are unique, so it’s essential to observe and explore what works best for your child. But when you incorporate sensory elements into your home, you create a nurturing environment that supports their sensory needs and promotes overall well-being. 

Creating an ABA-friendly home environment is well worth the investment; it not only celebrates your child but also supports your child’s development.

Ensuring Safety: Modifying Your Home for the Safety of Your Child with Autism

When it comes to creating an ABA-friendly home environment, prioritizing your child’s physical safety is as crucial as nurturing their emotional well-being. Implementing safety measures tailored to your child’s specific needs is essential. Here are some key considerations to enhance safety within your home:

  • Childproof Locks: Install childproof locks on cabinets, drawers, pantries, and fridges to prevent access to potential hazards, such as knives or medicines.
  • Playroom/Bedroom Safety: Create a playroom that is free from choking hazards, especially if your child tends to put objects in their mouth. Also, have a dedicated room full of only soft surfaces if you have a child who likes to throw their body around. This designated space allows you to focus on other tasks, like taking a shower or cooking while ensuring your child’s safety.
  • Sleep Safety: Sleep is a big deal for kids with autism and their parents. In recent years, tent beds have transformed everyone’s ability to sleep well at night. My personal favorite is the Abrams Safety Sleeper. It can be strapped to a regular bed frame or set on the floor.
  • Physical and Visual Impairments: If your child has visual impairments, consider adding grab bars near steps and implementing visual cues for changes in surfaces. These safety mechanisms provide guidance and prevent accidents.

Don’t hesitate to consult your ABA therapist for expert advice on maintaining a safe environment for your child. They can share insights into effective safety products that have proven beneficial for other parents, offering valuable recommendations for your situation.

Remember, every child is unique, and safety modifications should be tailored to their individual needs. By implementing appropriate safety measures, you create a secure environment that fosters your child’s overall well-being. 

Embracing Your Child’s Needs through ABA Tools at Home

Creating an ABA-friendly home environment for your child with autism requires some adjustments and adaptations. It may not align with your initial vision of a typical household. However, embracing your child’s unique needs and preferences will make your home feel comfortable and safe for everyone.

By incorporating sensory spaces, communication tools, play areas, safety measures, and maintaining consistent routines, you create an environment that promotes their development and well-being. Make their favorite stimming toys more accessible. And establish a sense of familiarity by keeping routines and toys in designated spots.

Ultimately, your home should reflect the love, understanding, and acceptance you have for your child. By embracing their unique journey and making necessary modifications, you are giving them support. And creating a nurturing environment helps them to grow, learn, and express themselves.

Continue to explore and implement strategies that align with your child’s specific needs. And remember, you’re not alone. Reach out to ABA Connect and other parents in the community for guidance and support. Together, we can create ABA-friendly homes that foster the happiness and development of our children with autism.

Join us on this journey of making your home a nurturing haven — an autism-friendly home environment. By implementing some of these things, your home can be a place where everyone can thrive. 

If you have any questions or comments about ABA therapy, please leave them below. The team at ABA Connect is happy to help answer your questions. 

And if you found this post helpful, please like, share, and follow for more content on autism or ABA therapy.

If you are interested in a positive, play-based approach to ABA, contact ABA Connect.

 

How to Practice ABA Skills at Home

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I can’t wait to get home and work on everything my child learned in therapy! Said no mother ever. 

Therapy is not just hard work for my kid; it’s hard work for me. I know a consistent approach is essential to the transference of skills and extinguishing harmful behaviors. But it’s not always fun or easy.

Over the last six years, I’ve learned a bit about the generalization of ABA skills from a therapy session to real life. It’s never like I expect it will be or I want it to be. But the good news is it doesn’t have to be perfect! I can keep practicing.

To stay calm and focused, I think of practicing ABA skills at home in three ways, which I’ll share in this blog post. By the end, you can implement or adapt some of these things to your home life.

Together we journey down this bumpy—but never boring—life of raising a child with autism!

 

ABA Skills

Foundational ABA Skills to Practice at Home 

It is helpful to go back to the basics. Fundamentally ABA is about understanding how the environment influences behaviors. It’s about understanding what brings about positive changes in behavior so you can respond accordingly. 

ABA Connect utilizes play and positive reinforcement, providing rewards or consequences to increase desirable behaviors. By reinforcing positive behaviors, our kids are motivated to repeat them in the future.

So when you intentionally or unintentionally practice ABA at home, try to model how your ABA Connect therapist works with your child. It’s perfectly okay to be playful, fun, and silly when working with your child to help extinguish challenging behaviors and promote desired behaviors. 

Practicing ABA Skills In Response to My Child’s Behavior

If one of my child’s undesirable behaviors sneaks up on me or, more aptly, sideswipes me unexpectedly, the first thing I try NOT to do is my instinctual response. I suspend whatever I want to say or do in mid-air. 

But instead of holding my breath, I let my brain and body take a deep breath and ask, How should I respond? 

When responding to your child at the moment, it’s essential to do so in a way that supports their growth. 

For mine, that can be ignoring when he pinches me for attention and instead telling him to “Tap me.” Or if he’s sucking on his hand incessantly, I gently remove it from his mouth and redirect him to another activity, often chewlry.  

I’m constantly asking myself, 

What is the function of my child’s behavior? 

What is he trying to communicate to me? 

Thinking from his perspective typically informs my approach at the moment. 

I understand this requires you to think on your feet, which is challenging. But if your first response is to THINK about what’s next, you’re already implementing ABA in your home.

Great job. Well done! 

Practicing ABA Skills In Daily Routines

Some of us naturally think proactively.  Whether you do or don’t, there are probably a few routine parts of your day that you can plan. If you plan out the steps to mealtime, playtime, and bedtime, for instance, you won’t have to think about what ABA strategies to use at the moment. 

How can you incorporate ABA skills into: 

Mealtime – I have a Big Mac button that my child can press to tell me either “more” or “all” done. Giving him this communication prevents him from throwing his bowl or spoon when he’s finished eating. 

Playtime – I ask my child to pick up toys at the end of playtime. He’s not sorting toys but can get about ten medium-sized toys into a toy bin. That’s it. That’s my expectation.

Bedtime – Bedtime is a natural time for routines. It’s potty, bath, brush teeth, and bedtime cuddles for my child. To get through these steps efficiently and with minimal redirection, I use a lot of First/Then language, “First, you need to do X. Then you’ll get your puppy (his favorite stuffed animal) once you’re in bed.” 

Consistency and repetition are your friends. They help reinforce ABA skills for your child. As hard as it’s hard to have rigid routines, it can also be a gift because it allows you not to think about every which way the situation could go down. You and your child know what to expect in the mundane parts of your day. 

Daily routines make teaching other family members the skills you learned from your ABA parent training session easy. 

If you can teach your child’s father to say “use your words” at mealtime rather than deal with him throwing the plate or give a sibling permission to ask your child to make a choice using their AAC, you are well on your way to implementing even more ABA strategies at home. 

Practicing ABA Skills When You’re Feeling Run Down

Let’s face it you’re tired. It’s exhausting raising children, and when you have a neurodivergent kiddo, it takes an extra dose of lovingkindness and patience. In addition to doing all of your ABA homework, you’re raising other kids, maybe working a full-time job, making meals, helping with homework, and scheduling vacations. 

Lack of time is one of the biggest obstacles to maintaining a consistent ABA plan at home. We tend to have great intentions, but all of us fun out of time and energy at a certain point. When this happens, give yourself some grace and try again the next day. 

If you’ve gotten to near burnout, sitting down with your BCBA and discussing parent goals may be helpful. 

Going Forward with the Help of ABA Connect

Feeling overwhelmed by your parent or caregiver role in ABA therapy is expected. However, at ABA Connect, our therapists can help you prioritize what you are working on with your child at home. There may be a million things you need to tackle but trust the process of taking each one at a time in order of importance. 

The most important thing is not to give up. Contact your child’s BCBA for support and guidance when you feel overwhelmed. They can help you triage some of your challenges.

Your only focus may need to observe your reactions to your child’s behavior. 

Or, you may need to implement a solid routine to give you a bit more margin in your life. 

And if you genuinely need to take a break and not do ABA for a bit, don’t worry. Take a break and then come back to it with fresh energy. 

If you have any questions or comments about ABA therapy, please leave them below. The team at ABA Connect is happy to help answer your questions. 

And if you found this post helpful, please like, share, and follow for more content on autism or ABA therapy.

If you are interested in a positive, play-based approach to ABA, contact ABA Connect.

 

Supporting Your Child’s ABA Journey with Confidence

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Understanding the ABA Parent Training Process at ABA Connect

Before my son Nathan came along, I thought I was a pretty good parent. I knew the fundamentals of providing a nurturing, loving home environment for my child with healthy boundaries and room to develop a sense of self. 

Things were well down the path of normal (whatever that is) when I had my second child. Before he was officially diagnosed with autism, I knew I needed professional help. 

ABA provided the parent support and training I needed.

You know your child best. But you may benefit from some insight, guidance, and encouragement from your ABA provider. I know I did.

This blog post will explore the ABA Connect parent training process, its benefits, and how it can empower you as a parent of a child with autism.

ABA parent training session

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Giving Caregivers ABA Tools So Their Family Life Flows as Comfortably as Possible

During the initial parent consultation process, you may feel overwhelmed by your child’s behavior or disappointed you can’t communicate with your child. You are for sure sleep deprived! And you may even be grieving and having difficulty seeing hope for things improving. 

There is hope with the help of ABA!

ABA can guide you toward a better vision of your child’s future. During parent training, you are given tools to help your child and your family achieve a better overall quality of life.

What is ABA Parenting Training?

ABA parent training equips you, as a caregiver, with practical skills and knowledge derived from the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. It aims to empower parents to implement effective strategies, promote skill development, and address challenging behaviors in their child with autism.

  • Your training includes reinforcement, prompting, shaping, and behavior management skills. These practical applications of ABA will help you in daily routines and interactions your child will have with others.
  • As part of the ABA parent training process, you will collect data and provide parent-reported observations to help track progress and inform decision-making. 
  • You may also benefit from shadowing sessions or observing your child’s therapists in action. You can learn to interact with your child in the same manner as their therapist.
  • Sometimes, a therapist will observe your interactions with your child to help solve some of their specific issues. This can happen in the clinic or the client’s home. Parent training in a client’s home allows the BCBA genuinely understand the family’s difficulties in their daily life and troubleshoot more effectively.
  • The parent/caregiver training process also creates a collaborative approach, fostering a supportive network for your whole family to achieve their goals together.
  • As you gain confidence in implementing ABA strategies, you maximize learning opportunities for your child and reduce their challenging behaviors. 
  • Parent training goes beyond the child’s ABA sessions and aims to empower you to generalize the skills your child is learning to other settings such as school, the grocery store, and the community.  

Getting Started with ABA Caregiver Training

During your initial parent training session at ABA Connect, you will sit down with your child’s BCBA and determine what your goals and priorities are for your child. There may be an overwhelming number of skills and behaviors your child needs to work on. Start identifying the most pressing things to work on for you and your family.

Your BCBA will then begin writing goals and training strategies that align with your priorities. The skills we work on in therapy should be the ones that are truly important to your family. 

ABA Connect therapists take into account your family’s cultural and familial considerations. We understand that different family dynamics exist, such as grandparents needing ABA training. Consider arranging a time to discuss ABA goals and conduct training sessions with these individuals. We value the input of all caregivers. 

While the initial parent training sessions are typically held privately between the BCBA and the parent caregiver, they can transition into observing a session in the clinic or at home. 

Monitoring ABA Progress and Adaptating the Plan Appropriately

Monitoring your child’s progress is a crucial aspect of parent training. Regular contact between the BCBA and parent caregivers allows for ongoing discussions about how things are going. It provides an opportunity to discuss new challenges and make any necessary adjustments to the implemented strategies. 

If a particular strategy is not working as expected, your BCBA can work with you to explore alternative approaches. 

There is always something new to try with the help of ABA.

Reducing Caregiver Stress and Building Parenting Confidence

Parent training significantly reduces stress within the household by providing caregivers with the necessary tools and knowledge to support their child effectively. 

Ultimately, we prepare families for the transition out of ABA services. When that time comes, we want you to feel confident to continue implementing effective strategies throughout your child’s life. By building your knowledge of ABA, you can confidently address new challenging behaviors that may arise.

However, once your child graduates from ABA Connect, we are always here to help. Whether you need to troubleshoot a new issue or re-enroll your child in services, we want to feel you have everything you need to advocate for your child and your family. We can also refer you to a support system of individuals to help encourage you on this journey. 

Often parents of our clients become advocates for ABA strategies and can pass on their knowledge to other individuals in the child’s life who may not have direct contact with ABA providers. Becoming an advocate for your child ensures the generalization of skills across different environments and with the people your child interacts with.

The Benefits of ABA Parent Training:

  • Empowering parents as primary caregivers – Parental involvement in the ABA process often teaches them to manage unexpected behaviors effectively. 
  • Enhancing parent-child relationship – ABA parent training strengthens the bond between parent and child by promoting positive interactions, effective communication, and shared experiences.
  • Promoting generalization of skills – Parents learn how to apply ABA techniques and strategies in various settings, helping their child generalize learned skills beyond therapy sessions.
  • Building a supportive home environment – ABA training can assist parents in creating an autism-friendly home environment that supports their child’s unique needs and fosters overall well-being.

Improve the quality of life for your child, yourself, and your whole family!

The parent training process at ABA Connect empowers parents and caregivers to support their child’s development effectively. By identifying priorities, setting goals, and providing personalized training, we strive to reduce stress, build confidence, and create a collaborative support system for the entire family. 

Parenting a child with autism can be a challenging journey, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. You play a vital role in your child’s development and progress. When done right, parent training gives you valuable tools and strategies to help you support your child’s growth and create a nurturing home environment. 

Remember, you are not alone on this journey. ABA Connect is here to guide and support you every step of the way!

If you have any questions or comments about ABA therapy, please leave them below. The team at ABA Connect is happy to help answer your questions. 

And if you found this post helpful, please like, share, and follow for more content on autism or ABA therapy.

If you are interested in a positive, play-based approach to ABA, contact ABA Connect.

Is ABA Best for My Child?

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A parent’s perspective of ABA and how it can help.

Shortly after my son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), I remember sitting in the pediatrician’s office, wondering what to do next. I was exhausted from years of hoping he was “okay” to grieving that he may be different from who I expected. But his diagnosis was a turning point for me; I knew it was time to do something. 

I was concerned about some of his unusual behaviors. He would suck on his hands for hours, bang a rattle against his front teeth, or grab at people for attention. Some of the things he did annoyed us. Some of them were obvious attempts to communicate. But, most concerning was that some of his behaviors could escalate or become self-injurious if we didn’t intervene. 

As I vented my frustrations about these usual behaviors to my son’s doctor, she graciously shared with me that she, too, had a child with autism and would write a referral for ABA therapy. Then she said, “It’s the only thing that helps.”

That phrase stuck with me. After five years of ABA, I wholeheartedly agree. It’s the only thing that works. But I would add one clause. ABA works best when you find the right ABA provider.

To find the right ABA provider, you need to know what you’re looking for.

finding the right ABA therapist for your child

Photo by Marisa Howenstine on Unsplash

The easiest way to understand and explain ABA.

ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis. It’s about analyzing the function of a behavior. To understand why a behavior occurs, you must understand what happens directly before and after the behavior.

Many ABA therapists teach the ABCs of behavior:

  • Antecedent – observing what happens before the behavior 
  • Behavior – the behavior you are trying to understand
  • Consequence – noticing what happens directly after the behavior 

Consequences don’t have to be negative; they can be positive too. Awareness of the negative and positive consequences of behavior is beneficial for understanding how to shape behaviors. ABA may sound simple in theory, but it takes a lot of patience in real life. 

Learning a new ABA way of parenting.

ABA therapy takes some getting used to—both for your child and you. It requires you to adjust your parenting style. Most of us parent the way we were parented or not parented. When you switch to ABA, you may be unable to use the principles you were raised by or to simply follow your gut. Changing to an ABA parenting style requires humility, teachability, and patience.

It’s hard to admit that your parenting isn’t working with your child. The first thing that struck me about ABA was that my behavior affected my child’s behavior. I needed to be like a detective and understand why I did what I did and how my child responded. I had to notice what my instincts were and suspend them in midair.

Fortunately, you will have a team of ABA therapists led by a Board Certified Behavior Therapist (BCBA) who help guide you. Remaining open to their input is essential to the process. 

Parenting from an ABA perspective also requires you to try to understand things from your child’s perspective. As tiring as it can be, it’s also fascinating. It enables you to understand and connect with your child in the long run.

Not all ABA clinics practice the same philosophy. 

There is a learning curve to understanding ABA as a parent. In the beginning, I learned there are different ways ABA is delivered. Having an idea of the different philosophies of ABA may help you determine what is a good fit for your child and family. 

Highly-structured ABA clinics utilize a lot of table work and routine.

ABA is a relatively new form of therapy, but even within the last 20-25 years, so much has changed. Many of the early therapy centers provided highly structured learning. Some still do. The idea is that structure and routine are highly preferable for individuals with autism. Many ABA clinics are like classrooms where kids must sit down and learn at the table all day long. The phrase “drill and kill” originated in this kind of setting. It may work for some, but others find it incredibly dull.

Early childhood ABA clinics focus on getting pre-schoolers ready for school.  

Other ABA providers focus on early childhood but don’t offer services for older kids. Children with autism have more complex needs as they grow into school-age and adolescents. And there are fewer experienced providers available to help them. Some clinics, like ABA Connect, offer early childhood, school readiness, and the social skills needs of older kids. 

Play-based ABA clinics, like ABA Connect, pair having fun with making progress!

In recent years, more clinics are emerging with a play-based approach. ABA Connect is the industry leader in playful ABA therapy that happens in a naturalistic setting. This approach considers the needs and wants of the child. 

ABA Connect therapists realized long ago that having fun in therapy and making developmental progress are not two mutually exclusive events. ABA Connect’s foundation is built on the idea that what motivates a child helps form positive outcomes for kids and their families. Instead of working against the grain, therapists are working alongside your child to help bring out more of who they are rather than trying to get your child to conform and fit a mold.

Learn more about how ABA Connect offers therapy as unique as your child.

There are many ways to force a child to comply using negative associations. However, wouldn’t you prefer a positive approach? ABA Connect uses positive reinforcement more effectively, kindly, and compassionately than some intense, high-pressure providers. 

It is crucial that you find an ABA program that will meet your child’s needs and help you learn how to work with them without shortcutting the process or using punitive reinforcement. 

Questions to ask when considering which ABA provider or BCBA to go with:

 

  • Do the therapists tend to have playful, fun, and inviting personalities, and if in a clinic, is the clinic setting welcoming and engaging?

 

  • Do they ask you questions about what your child likes and doesn’t like? Do they ask what your child’s strengths and weaknesses are? These are important things to incorporate into a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).

 

  • Do they enjoy being with your child and other children in the clinic? Can they give examples of progress in their treatment plans? Is there hope for a fulfilling life awaiting your child and family?

 

  • Do they have experience working with different communication modalities? Are they flexible and willing to use what your child prefers, even if that means learning an entirely new AAC software program?

 

  • Do they incorporate life skills and community exposure into your plan? So much of what ABA providers teach are developmental skills in progression. Developmental skills build on one another but can’t happen in a vacuum. Are those skills practiced in everyday life? For example, use a towel to dry your hands after you wash them. Or visiting the library without pulling all the books off the shelf and then walking away?

 

  • Are there opportunities to interact with other children to learn peer-to-peer relationships? Things like turn-taking, greeting one another, and working together to play or build something.

 

Seeing ABA at work!

Last weekend, our family was discussing something we watched on TV. Nathan sat beside me, watching YouTube Kids on his iPad. I couldn’t hear the conversation over the volume. I leaned over and turned the volume down without telling him what I was doing. Nathan then started to pull on my hair and scowl at me. 

Honestly, my first response was anger, but I tried not to show it and instead redirected his behavior by grabbing a stuffed animal and pretending to make him sneeze. He began laughing. Shortly after, I realized he was angry that I turned his iPad down without asking or giving him a choice to pause and wait until we finished talking.  

This example is just one of many everyday life skills that ABA can help with. It teaches you how to redirect behavior to something fun, empathize with your child, and understand how everyone in the family can adapt to make things easier for everyone.

Finding the right ABA therapist for your child.

After implementing ABA therapy in our family’s life, I can confidently say that it has been a game-changer for us. It has taught us how to understand and communicate with our son in a way we never thought possible. The skills we have learned have helped us create a more peaceful and enjoyable home environment. 

If you have a child with ASD, I encourage you to consider ABA therapy. It may seem overwhelming at first, but the benefits are worth it. Remember, finding the right therapist and resources for your child is vital. Don’t give up if you don’t see the changes you want immediately. Keep working with your child’s therapist, and don’t be afraid to make adjustments along the way.

If you have any questions or comments about ABA therapy, please leave them below. The team at ABA Connect is happy to help answer your questions. 

And if you found this post helpful, please share it and follow us on social for more content on autism or ABA therapy.

If you are interested in a positive, play-based approach to ABA, contact ABA Connect.