Supporting Your Child’s ABA Journey with Confidence

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Understanding the ABA Parent Training Process at ABA Connect

Before my son 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.

The Importance of Caregiver Involvement

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As a caregiver of a child with autism, you want to do everything you can to support your child’s development and well-being. One of the most important things you can do is to be actively involved in your child’s ABA therapy. ABA therapy is most effective when caregivers are involved in the process, as it helps to reinforce skills learned in therapy and promotes generalization of those skills to the home environment. 

Research has consistently shown that parental involvement in ABA therapy is associated with better outcomes for children with autism. In one study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders in 2015, researchers found that caregiver involvement in ABA therapy was associated with greater gains in communication, adaptive behavior, and cognitive skills in children with autism (Ingersoll & Berger, 2015). Another study published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis in 2007 found that caregiver involvement in ABA therapy was associated with greater social skill gains in children with autism (Trembath, Balandin, & Togher, 2007). 

So, what does caregiver involvement in ABA therapy look like? It can involve attending therapy sessions with your child, observing therapy sessions, working with your child’s ABA therapist to develop goals and strategies for therapy, and practicing skills learned in therapy at home. It’s important to communicate regularly with your child’s ABA therapist and to ask questions if there is anything you don’t understand. 

By being involved in your child’s ABA therapy, you can also learn strategies to better support your child’s development and behavior at home. For example, if your child is working on communication skills in therapy, you can reinforce those skills by using them at home and by providing positive feedback when your child uses them successfully. 

Overall, caregiver involvement in ABA therapy is crucial for the success of the therapy and for your child’s development. As a caregiver, you are your child’s biggest advocate and supporter, and your involvement in ABA therapy can make a significant difference in your child’s progress and well-being. 

At ABA Connect, we recognize the importance of caregiver involvement in each child’s program. We work alongside your family to ensure that you feel that your desires are reflected in your child’s treatment plan. We also incorporate caregivers into sessions and specific caregiver training with the BCBA so that you are able to support your child’s development outside of the therapy session. For more information, please contact us at 833-225-9393 or email us at info@abaconnect.com

References: 

Ingersoll, B., & Berger, N. I. (2015). Parent engagement with a telehealth-based parent-mediated intervention program for children with autism spectrum disorders: Predictors of program use and parent outcomes. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(12), 3877-3886. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2523-0 

Trembath, D., Balandin, S., & Togher, L. (2007). The importance of parent–therapist collaboration in a play-based intervention program for children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(3), 475-479. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2007.475-479 

 

Is ABA Best for My Child?

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

Trying to decide if ABA therapy is right for your child? Consider this parent’s perspective.

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 therapy.

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 therapy 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.