How effective is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy?

Just how effective is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy? Several studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of this therapy since it gained popularity via the Lovaas method. The great thing about this therapy is it is so comprehensively tested most insurances cover it for children with Autism. ABA is proven to be extremely beneficial.

Here are several sources that state just how crucial ABA is for children with autism:

Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 2011; Vol 23: pp 616–620: Found that behavioral interventions are effective for cognitive abilities, language, adaptive behaviors, social skills and reduced anxiety/aggression.

American Journal on Mental Retardation, 1993; Vol. 97, No. 4: pp 359-372: Children who received ABA were tested again at an older age and were found to have benefited from long-term progress.

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1987; Vol. 55, No. 1: pp3-9: 9 out of 19 children attained average functioning after 40 hours a week of ABA.

Pediatrics 2012; Vol. 130; S186: Forty-eight autistic patients received ABA at the age of 2, their IQ and communication improved significantly.

Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism, National Research Council: States; 40 years of testing ABA has shown that it decreases problem behaviors and teaches new skills to those with autism.

American Psychological Association website: “Since medications on their own rarely improve behavior, behavioral interventions are crucial.”

ABA is not an experimental therapy that pokes and prods at your child in hopes of finding a ‘cure’ or something that might help. ABA is a proven method that will help your child with autism reach a level of skills and functioning you may never have thought possible.

The Guilt of Active Ignoring and Why You Shouldn’t Feel It

It’s difficult navigating the autistic space when a child does something for attention. On the one hand, it’s hard because you want to give them all the attention in the world; on the other hand, they have a lot less ways than other kids of gaining the attention they need.

As caregivers it can lead our heads in a spin; is ignoring their behavior when it is attention seeking the right thing to do? Are we neglecting their needs? Shouldn’t we be their strength of communication for them by speaking/acting/advocating for them?

With Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) therapy a technique called active ignoring is used in certain circumstances, where the child is trying to get attention, or what they want, with socially unacceptable behavior, like spitting, whining, or violence.

We don’t ignore them because we want the child to feel abandoned or unheard, but because it encourages the child to search for new ways to gain the attention. We can’t explain with our words why they shouldn’t spit, so we have to explain with routine and patterns (or basically, in the way an autistic child can understand).

It’s important to not feel guilty when you’re ignoring whining for food, or other things that seem necessary or even neglectful to ignore. Remember, you are actively ignoring inappropriate behavior that won’t serve them, not ignoring their needs. You will meet their needs, just not right that second.

For example, you’re playing with their sibling so they take his toy, this forces you to turn your attention onto them to ask them to give it back. They now have your attention moved from their sibling and onto them. In their minds they’re not worried about the social repercussions, all they know is they have gained the thing they wanted;. You looking at them and talking to them instead of their sibling.

You need to speak the autistic child’s language here. Turning your attention to them to scold them doesn’t teach them anything when they don’t understand a full range of empathy, verbally explaining the situation does nothing when they don’t understand everything you are saying.

However, giving the other child tons of attention, taking the toy back without even looking at them, blocking the snatching, and actively ignoring, teaches: this action doesn’t get a desired result. But (and this is where we as caregivers can breathe a sigh of relief) once the undesired behavior stops, or the child uses a more appropriate way of asking for attention, you can lavish them with praise and affection.

The two should always be used together, otherwise ignoring will be in-effective and seemingly random for the child. This is all about routines and patterns, and giving your child a way to communicate and to latch onto that they understand.

Active ignoring is different from ignoring a child. You actively make a conscious decision to ignore a specific behavior and give attention to other behaviors. It can feel unnatural at first, but once you see your child blossoming into speech, or other appropriate means of asking for your attention, your relationship will be much stronger.

Parenting Styles: Techniques can influence an autistic child in many ways

When it comes to Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) therapy consistency is key. This is true for all parenting styles; Autistic children are no different from every other child in the world. If they can find a way to get what they want, then they will utilize it.

For instance, if a toddler wants a lolly-pop and you say no, then they ask somebody else and they say yes, they may ask different people until they get candy because it worked before. It’s important that all parents and those raising a child (because it takes a village) are on the same page.

An ABA therapist in effect helps you to raise and teach a child who doesn’t respond as well to traditional teaching methods we as caregivers see in our own families and mainstream media. Because consistency is paramount, it’s imperative you keep constant communication with your therapist. Moreover, all parents involved are on the same page. I say this because one parent, one caregiver, or one daycare/school can undermine an entire week of ABA therapy if they aren’t clued in to how everyone is reacting to a behavior in a child.

It’s the two steps forward one step back issue. If you want ABA to run smoothly and quickly, allowing anyone to take the child a step back will make the process much longer.

If your child attends a daycare, goes to school, has separate households and more than one set of parents, every single person needs information on what techniques are used in certain situations.

ABA is a very effective but easily undermined therapy. This is why having a therapist you trust enough to implement all of their ideas, will make your ABA journey smoother. This is why communication across all platforms will ensure ABA works as well as it should.

If you ever feel that ABA isn’t getting the results you expect, you need to investigate and ensure that everyone is on the same page, and has followed through with the techniques correctly before changing them up or ending ABA all together.

How to help your child with scrolling

Recently a family had trouble with their 2-year-old autistic son scrolling. Scrolling is when your child goes through several answers to a question before landing on the correct answer. This could look something like;

You hold up a picture of a cow > instead of saying cow and getting the reward your child says > duck, dog, cat, cow!

Whenever a new quirk in your child’s behavior arises you should always talk to your therapist about it so they can draw up a comprehensive plan, but there are some generic answers to this problem; which are commonly used by applied behavioral analyses (ABA) therapists.

A lot of ABA therapists seem to agree scrolling happens when the child’s error-correction isn’t performed correctly by the therapist.

What this means is, when a child is learning what a new response it is up to the therapist to prompt the child from most invasive, to least invasive.

‘A ‘most invasive’ prompt would look like “what is this shape?” And when the child doesn’t respond correctly the therapist immediately prompts them by telling them the answer to be repeated, then praises them. The least invasive method would ask the question and then wait for the child to answer it correctly the first time without prompts.’

Sometimes a child wants to give the correct answer a little too badly, and repeats a bunch of answers in hopes to land on the correct one. The scrolling could then occur when the therapist allows the child to reel off answers and praises them when they land on the right one regardless of all of those errors. Funnily enough, now the child has learnt that, cat, dog, cow, duck, is what you say to get a reward when shown a duck.

But it’s not too late to reverse the problem! Your child won’t do this forever. All the therapist has to do is clarify that spieling off ten words until they get to the answer isn’t the correct response to the question at hand.

To do this, when the child starts to scroll after a question is asked you pause, make it clear they are to wait, and then you re-introduce the question. If the child continues to scroll after three attempts, ask the question and use the most invasive prompt to illicit the correct answer, then praise.

A method like this, or something similar, is likely what your therapist will do to correct this charming, and a little bizarre quirk that a lot of children with autism develop especially as early learners. It is a simple problem to both develop and fix and should be no problem for your therapist to help your child overcome.

Terms that can be useful during ABA therapy

As a parent Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) uses a lot of jargon words that leave us confused and wondering what the heck the therapist just told us! Arming yourself with the professional language of ABA will help you understand what the analyst or therapist may be saying when discussing your child with you (or even each other).

ABA – Applied Behavioral Analyses.

ABC – A three step behavior process that stands for, antecedent, behavior and consequence.

ASD – Autism spectrum disorder

Abscissa – The horizontal line graph that measures the time a behavior occurs.

Active Behavior – A behavior which can change, such as running, jumping etc, sitting still is not an active behavior.

Active Responding – When a child is expected to behave by solving problems, speaking, writing etc rather than just listening.

Advocate – Somebody who speaks out on behalf of a person.

Americans with Disabilities Act – Federal civil rights law protecting those with disabilities.

Annual Goal – A goal that you wish your child to reach within a set time period.

Antecedent – What happened before a behavior.

Approach – Choosing which form of treatment will be used, ‘the approach used’.

Augmentative Communication – Any communication made without using speech, such as pictures, sign, or electronic devices.

BCBA – People with this qualification are able to oversee and supervise programmes.

Behavior – Not always something bad, this is when a child does a behavior that is measurable, such as a meltdown or manding.

Chaining – This is the word used to describe when a therapist teaches a child a task using multiple steps. These can be taught backwards or forwards and still be successful.

Chronological age – How old the child is biologically.

Cognitive – Referring to thinking skills, which includes receiving and understanding information. This could be done by placing a square in a square shaped slot by understanding where the square needed to go.

Consequence – What happens after a behavior occurs.

Consultant – Anyone your therapist consults with/creates plans with, or a person who trains people.

DSM – Diagnostic manual for all mental disorders. This let’s a therapist know the criteria for each diagnoses.

DTT – Discrete trial training. This is when a skill is taught multiple times, usually by giving a demand and expecting a specific response, followed by praise.

Deprivation – When a motivator is removed/lessened so it is very desirable.

Development age – How old the child is ‘developmentally’, measured by tasks and skills they can complete based on the neurologically typical age range for those skills.

Developmentally Delayed – When a child is delayed compared to their peers.

Echoic – When you ask a child to repeat something and they repeat it on demand.

Echolalia – Where a child repeats what is said back to you almost compulsively. So instead of answering a question they repeat parts of the question, or the entire sentence.

Elopement – The official term for a child running away, or bolting.

Environmental Modification – Where the environment is changed to reduce barriers affecting instruction, behavior and teaching.

Expressive language – The use of language to convey meaning.

Extinction burst – When a child suddenly starts doing the behavior more often, or at a higher level, once a re-enforcer is removed.

Extinction – Removing what re-enforced your child to do something, such as giving attention to whining, which results in the child doing this less.

Fine motor – The small movements you perform with your body. With Autism you may see that a child has a hard time picking things up with his/her fingers or writing.

Floor-time – When a child moves away from table-learning, this is often child led learning.

Generalization – Being able to apply what you have learned to all situations. Such as learning how to ask for juice in therapy, then asking the same way at home.

Gross Motor Skills – Large muscles in the body perform gross motor skills. This could be jumping or running.

Hand-Over-Hand – When a therapist will literally move your child’s body to show them what they mean by a demand. For example, they may ask them to pick up a block and when the child doesn’t understand or refuses, they will take their hands and help them pick up the block with plenty of praise.

High functioning Autism – A child with Autism who has a great grasp of age appropriate skills but is unable to socialize with ease.

Hypersensitive – Very sensitive to outside stimulation.

Hyposensitive – Not at all sensitive to outside stimulation.

IEP – Individualized education plan. A legal document outlining the educational plan for your child when they are considered to have special needs.

Intervention – Using a plan of action to change an undesired behavior.

Intraverbals – When a child uses speech without visual prompts, such as being able to tell you what they did at school that day.

Level, 1, 2, 3 – Under the DSM criteria each level requires more and more support, with 1 being minimal and 3 being substantial.

Low Functioning Autism – A child who is quite delayed, may not speak etc.

Mand – This is a verbal criterion, and is when a child uses words to ask for something or make a demand. This is usually the first form of language that children learn. Juice, when asking for juice, would be an example of manding.

Mouthing – When a child puts things in their mouth.

NET – Natural environment training is child led therapy or learning from the current environment.

Neurologically-typical – Another way to say ‘normal’. This is when a child develops at a normal rate.

Normal – When a child develops normally. Some people may find this term offensive.

Peer-Mediated – When a child a similar age to yours is trained to interact with your child and teach social skills.

Perseverative Behavior – When a child engages in excessive, repetitive behavior that is not stimming such as asking for an object several times in a row.

Picture Exchange Communication System – Or PECS is used when a child has limited verbal skills, often they are given pictures to exchange with you in order to communicate.

Pivotal Response Training – Where a child is taught pivotal areas of development which are targeted to affect several areas of development at once.

Prompt dependant – When a child has gotten to the point where they consistently need to be prompted to do a specific task and won’t do the task independently.

Prompt – When a therapist prompts a specific response they are looking for, this could be verbally, physically, visually etc.

Punisher – This does not refer to punishing the child, but rather a consequence of an action which reduces a behavior. This could mean having a child move away from a situation where they are being disruptive and being allowed to re-join once they behave appropriately, in this case it could both protect the child and other children/objects involved.

Re-enforcer – When a child is given a motivation to complete a task, such as a favorite toy.

Receptive Language – This is ‘good listening skills’ where a child can follow directions that are non-verbal.

Recovered – When a child no longer fits the diagnostic criteria for ASD.

Regression – Where a skill a child previously knew has reduced or vanished from their repertoire. Or when a behavior eradicated many years ago, comes back.

SLP/OT/PT – Professionals who help with areas of the child’s development. Speech and language therapists (SLP) help with speech delays, OT helps with occupational therapy issues (play), Physical therapists help with fine and gross motor skills.

Satiation – When a re-enforcer no longer works because it has been over-used.

Scripting – A verbal stim of some sort, such as a song that’s repeated over and over.

Scrolling – When a child is asked a question and they go through several responses before reaching the correct response. As in; if they are shown a circle and they say, square, rectangle, circle!

Self-Injurious Behavior – When a child hurts themselves purposefully.

Sensory Integration – Tools used to help a child reach internal sensory needs, this could be a weighted vest or blanket.

Shadow – Somebody who follows your child around in the classroom as a helper.

Stereotypic/Repetitive Behaviors – Also called stimming, this could be repetitive motions such as spinning and flapping.

Tact – A tactile is a verbal term, this is where a child can name objects they can see.

Target Behavior – A behavior the therapist is interested in increasing or decreasing.

Task Reduction – In some cases a child is frustrated by the amount of demands put on them so they are reduced to help increase success levels.

Transitions – A lot of children with Autism have transition issues, this is issues with moving from one location to another or one activity to another.

VB – Or verbal behavior; a branch of ABA that concentrates on speech behavior.

Variable Ratio – When a child is given a demand, or is expected to make a response and is given a re-enforcer every set amount of times. For example, 3-5, the child receives a re-enforcer every time they complete a task 3-5 times.

Vocal/Verbal vs Non-Verbal/Vocal – When a child can use language or not.

 

Understanding how ABA therapy works can help your child out in many ways

As a parent involved in Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA), it’s fantastic to jump in with two feet. At first it can be a scary experience, watching your child tantrum as the therapist waits it out when you’re used to soothing—and let’s be honest, panicking. But there is also a blissful feeling of control that comes with the charts and numbers applied to these things.

Our therapist had us tracking tantrums and your ABA therapist will likely do the same. How long where they lasting for? How many incidents of property destruction, violence, or self harm occurred? How bad was the destruction, violence or self harm? Suddenly this overwhelming experience becomes a numbers game. You detach from that fear and become a detective, getting to the route of the problem.

“Yes, he/she tantrumed for 20 minutes today, but looking back in the chart we can see they also tantrumed for the same amount on this day last week. Perhaps an incident of property destruction has gone down by one or two times in that last week? Perhaps we can identify something different about that day causing more tantrums?” Each reduced number and dash on the page becomes a little ray of hope.

ABA isn’t just a therapeutic experience for the child. Suddenly you’re not alone in this world of crying, screaming or strange and wonderful things your little one does. Here is somebody by your side, battling this world with you and your child, helping you navigate it together. And if you’re anything like me, you begin to miss these moments you share with another human being who understands your child’s nuances as well as you do (and sometimes even more). 

Jumping into ABA with two feet is scary, but it can be the most rewarding thing as a parent you could ever do with your Autistic child. Like being handed a magnifying glass to see into the cogs and turns in their mind. Finally you have the tools to conquer the behaviors, understand them, and help your child get to the other side of Autism. 

The impact of relationships for family and friends of an Autistic child

When there is disruption in the household between two people it affects everyone, and that can happen a lot with an Autistic child. Siblings of Autistic children may not interact with their ASD brother/sister, or there may be arguments and misunderstanding between them. This happens a lot because let’s face it sibling relationships are difficult as it is, but throw in a child who has trouble communicating, playing outside of their comfort range, with little understanding of social interaction, and there’s bound to be some issues. This isn’t anyone’s fault and the great thing about Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) is this can change for the better!

First it must be remembered that the other sibling may be hurting in this scenario. They often have a lot to take on with their Autistic sibling already; they may feel alienated, burdened, ashamed, guilty or frustrated. This is why it is not only the ‘typical’ child that should engage and interact. The Autistic child should be encouraged to join the other sibling with whatever they are playing. This can be done by physically moving the child to that location, following them and using encouragement. The caregiver should be with the Autistic child giving praise, support and allowing the other sibling to feel as if their brother/sister has entered their world.

Another technique that your ABA therapist may use is simple free play. Playing in the same area as each other in a new environment, such as a ball pit, play pen or the beach will foster a positive experience together. Which will help to build bonds; just as it would with another other siblings in the world.

Lastly, your therapist may have the other sibling reward the child with Autism. They could have your ‘typical’ child give the child with ASD a treat when they complete a task so the child with Autism recognize the sibling as somebody positive. After all, children of all ages work well with praise and build confidence and positive relationships upon this, why not get the other sibling involved? 

ABA can work to make any relationship stronger between your Autistic child and the other party, and sibling relationships are precious.

A tool that can help to reduce your child's anxiety

Children who have Autism often have trouble with transitions. A transition is just a fancy way of saying, going from one activity to the next, or one place to the next. Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) has plenty of tools in its toolbox to help your child overcome the meltdowns, or negative behaviors that occur after or during the transition.

This article talks about visual schedules…

Autistic children love routine and love knowing what’s going to happen next. Think about it this way:

A friend says they’re taking you away for the weekend. They want you to pack everything you need within 2 minutes so you can leave right away. If you don’t pack in time, you’re leaving any way and can’t gather what you need. You aren’t allowed to know the location, who is going to be there, or any clues to what you might need with you.

The scenario is a little exciting sure, but incredibly stressful. Do you pack jeans? Something formal? Hiking gear? Will you need soap? Will you need a towel? Can you gather your tools to be successful on this trip fast enough?

Springing a transition on an Autistic child is a lot like the above scenario. Without a schedule there is no walk-through, your child doesn’t know what to prepare for, what tools they might need from their coping toolbox, who might be there or how they’re expected to act socially. When a new activity is dropped on them out of nowhere, it’s akin to trying to pack a suitcase in 30 seconds flat…Oh and listen to what your parent tells you to do and do it right away! It is horribly overwhelming.

Knowing this, it’s a little wonder your child might be tantrumming, throwing their toys, or just plain sulking and refusing to go. After all, they probably don’t have the same tools an adult would, to navigate the situation.

A visual schedule is essentially pictures of all the locations your child will be visiting that day. Perhaps it’s different classes, or Grandma’s house. Whatever it is, take a picture and put it up on an hour by hour schedule and talk to your child about what you will be doing that day. Warn your child 30 minutes before you have a transition, and use the picture during a transition, to explain what is happening next. 

Once your child becomes familiar with the routine, and locations, things may get better. This is just a quick explanation, your ABA therapist can use these tools and more to help reduce your child’s anxiety.

A key piece of self-management puzzle is trying to identify emotional states and how they impact relationships

Emotional regulation for an Autistic child or adult is an important skill to have; being able to read body language and know when your behavior is appropriate can help you keep relationships and jobs.

If your Autistic child can’t recognize emotions in others or explain their own emotions, it can lead to a lot of undesirable behavior. They could get aggressive, they could bully, they could say inappropriate things, lose jobs, break relationships and much of it could be down to a misunderstanding.  Because an Autistic child doesn’t look at people’s faces often, or make eye contact, they miss a lot of the social interaction cues that babies learn early. Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) aims to put this development back on track. There are a few ways this can be done. One is with a picture system where each emotion is shown and the child points it out. Another is by displaying the emotion on your face, exaggerating it, and teaching the child to recognize it. But ultimately, the therapist will be aiming to make social interaction rewarding for your child. The more social interaction they are exposed to, the more they will learn through opening up discussion, and encouragement. Another way that therapist teach older children who have begun school, is with social stories. These are basic, short stories that explain a social scenario. They run through emotions, situations and appropriate way to respond to scenarios in a form that a small child could understand. 

Once a child understands emotions in themselves and others, it will be easier for them to read situations and react appropriately. Keeping their relationships healthy and giving them a much needed skill that they can utilize for the rest of their life.

If Your Child Has Aggression Along with Autism, Then Here Are Some Reasons to Why.

Aggression in Autistic children is common, but it can be an embarrassing thing to deal with – even for the child. Aggression interferes with so much; from school, to play dates and sadly sibling relationships.

There are many reasons a child with Autism might act out by pinching, biting, shoving or hitting.

1.     They may feel stressed; if their routine is off, or they are in a place that triggers sensory issues

2.     Aggression could be the only way they have to communicate right now

3.     They could be trying to get out of a situation with an adult or child, or avoiding something they don’t want to do

4.     They could even be looking for you to react

None of these things mean that your child is ‘bad’. But Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) helps to put a stop to these behaviors once a for all. ABA looks at why the child is reacting in this way. Getting to the root of the issue gives us the tools to fix it. Once the therapist gets to the root of the issue, they can transform the violence into positive acts.

Your ABA therapist might do this using redirection. Such as showing the child a positive alternative. If your child is shoving a child away, they will teach the child to verbalize their feelings instead. If a child is told they can’t touch something, they will be given something they can touch instead. Using negative reactions, such as scolding, and scowling, only teaches the child they can distract you from the situation, avoid situations with ease or get attention with this negative behavior. It doesn’t teach them what they should do instead.

The goal of ABA is to teach your child positive behaviors, through positive rewards. So ultimately your child can grow to be confident, happy and ready to face the world without the use of aggression.

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Is Your Child Sync with ABA Therapy and School? If Not Here Are Some Tools You Can Use to Get ABA Therapy and School Aligned.

Applied Behavioral Analyses therapy (ABA) helps to change behaviors that hinder your child’s development – when they have a diagnosis of Autism and other similar issues. But this therapy alone will not push your child to the heights of their learning abilities. It’s important that all areas of the child’s life are in sync – which is why it’s great to have an ABA therapist willing to be in contact and work with schools.

All Therapists Should be in Sync with ABA

Some schools provide OT, speech and other services that help improve your child’s quality of life, but they have the luxury of syncing these lessons together. If your ABA therapist is on the outside of this team, they can’t work as a whole. This is why, as a parent and ABA therapist, it’s important to be on top of the lessons the child is learning in all areas of their lives.

But what if your child is struggling in school and not progressing with peers? Or the school is not providing any therapy at all?

Some Autistic Children Do Not Cope in School

A child who absolutely cannot function in a social, verbal learning environment due to sensory issues will often exhibit strong sensory pre-occupation; they may seem inattentive, or exhibit bad or repetitive behavior. This is typical for a lower functioning Autistic child. It can be so distracting for your child and sometimes even painful, it’s almost impossible for them to learn in a school environment.

If this sounds like your child, ABA and homeschooling/shorter days should be thought about. Postponing regular schooling to correct sensory/learning problems doesn’t make you a bad parent. If a child cannot concentrate in a group setting, they won’t be gaining anything out of it anyway.

However, some schools simply aren’t trying hard enough. Hiring your ABA therapist to go in and investigate the school environment should be step one. They can identify the issues in the classroom and report back what isn’t working for your child and work with your child’s teacher who likely hasn’t been trained correctly. Using this method you can fight for better resources – and sometimes, unfortunately, it will be a fight.

Is ABA More Important than School?

ABA can help a child learn to learn, help a child overcome sensory issues and engage in the world outside of themselves. If your child can’t participate in a school setting, perhaps thinking about intense ABA therapy before school would be the best way to go. As a parent it’s best not to feel guilty about this; a child learning how to live in the world is more important than the skill of counting which can be taught at any age. With that said…

A child is not required to enter school until they are 6 years of age on or before September 1^st of the year they will enter school. But if pushing back school entirely makes you uncomfortable, you can also consider shorter school days in order to add extra ABA therapy or even home school entirely.

ABA therapy should be a compliment to your child’s schooling and should always come first if a child is struggling greatly. As a parent, it’s important to communicate with schools and our children’s therapist to know what course of action needs to be taken.

For more information please visit our Website @ www.buildingblockresolutions.com

Analytical Behavioral Therapy Applied by Parents Over Therapist

Analytical behavioral therapy (ABA) is a great therapy for Autistic children and studies have shown that parents who do this at home get better results. There are several online courses to help us learn how to do this, but we can also ask our therapist what they would recommend we do at home. Having said this, there will be times where we as parents won’t get the same fast results that a therapist would. For example, one of my children couldn’t use sign language no matter how many hours of effort I put in. Along came a therapist, and he signed within the week. It’s upsetting when a therapist can teach our child better than we can, but there are reasons for it…

You Are Not a Failure

It’s important to not be discouraged that it’s taking longer to implement new behaviors without our therapist's input. This isn’t because we are bad parents, or we are doing anything wrong. We as parents need to remember that our child see’s us as the caregiver. We are the love and comfort source that our children seek out. When we start withdrawing wants to teach, it can become a power struggle. Our therapist has the advantage of setting up this kind of relationship from the start, our kids know they mean business and they cannot be manipulated.  A child may dig their heels in or simply become confused when we suddenly change the way we relate to them. Because of this, it is always best to have a therapist conduct ABA therapy alongside you.

Your Child May Get Stubborn

Power struggles with any child are frustrating, but it’s game on when an Autistic child fixates better than you. One of my two-year-old Autistic children is a classic example of this. He insists on touching outlets, climbing on objects, and generally touching anything that would get a quick fear reaction. Reacting with fear gives the child power over you, but as a parent, it’s natural to be afraid your child will get hurt. This is something a therapist would be able to control far more than you, rendering ABA difficult for you as a parent but not impossible.

You Can’t Change the World

On top of this, a therapist is able to change the environment and reduce stimuli the way we as parents can’t. This is a great tool for Autistic children but is unrealistic outside of a therapist’s office. We can’t change the world to suit their needs, unfortunately, and so we are more likely to run into triggers before the child is ready to handle them.

ABA must become a lifestyle in your home for the best success. But you are not a failure if you cannot implement the same changes as your therapist. There are restrictions that we as parents have, preventing us from gaining that same success a therapist would. But with time and patience, your child will overcome whatever stands in their way.

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Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) Helps a Child to Catch Up!

Children with Autism often lose years of learning, other times an Autistic child stays on the same level of learning, so it seems as if they will never gain new skills. This can cause parents a lot of anxieties about what exactly is going to happen when school comes. We may wonder things such as, ‘if our child is struggling to even speak, how will they have basic knowledge in shapes, numbers and letters?’

Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) helps a child to catch up.

It may seem without ABA they struggled to progress at all, but with it, their learning will take off like a rocket. ABA teaches rapid-learning (learning through observation and step-by-steps or DTT), so your Autistic child not only gains more skills and knowledge but catches up to other children their age. And ultimately they learn how to learn efficiently.

In the first year, it may seem this will never happen. Your child has to learn the basics in ABA and they may not generalize much (meaning what they do in class they may not do at home).  This is because it takes time for your Autistic child to learn the skills of basic learning. But once they have this mastered, their progress will seem to come out of nowhere.  (Of course, it hasn’t, your child’s therapist has helped implement it!)

Your child will have the opportunity to catch up to their peers through ABA, the research and science have proved this. And because of this, your little two, three or four years old who seems so behind may well be the top of his/her class one day.

Can Applied Behavioral Therapy Help a Child Who is Non-verbal?

Many children on the Autism spectrum have trouble with speech. This could be because of Apraxia which is a motor disorder that makes it hard for children to use their mouths to form words, or maybe they simply can’t communicate as well as the rest of us. This doesn’t mean they can’t communicate in other ways such as picture cards, behavior (good and bad), sign language and electronic devices.

But can Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) help a child who is non-verbal?

The short answer is yes.

ABA is essentially performing an antecedent (an action, a request), the child performs a behavior, and then there is a consequence for the behavior. Either they get it right and there're positive displays of fun and cheering, or the child is shown again. If they still get it wrong a hand is placed on theirs to guide them to the answer so they are correct (queue cheers and happy words).

Think of all the ways a non-verbal child could respond to this without words. They could hand over an object, use picture cards or electronics to communicate speech, point, or even sign their response. Not being able to speak would not hinder your child to learn. 

In fact, VB is a branch of ABA that teaches children how to communicate. So ABA techniques can help teach your child to speak too. It uses much of the same principles including errorless learning. This means your child is never wrong and receive prompts as much as needed – which like ABA are faded out as the child learns.

As parents, we use ABA tools all the time. We ask a child to get up to the table to eat, the child does, we praise the child. This is partly ABA! Being able to speak or not speak would never hinder your child to learn positive behaviors and in turn learn that the world will reward them for all the good that they do.

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Will A Child Only Respond To The Way It's Taught?

There is a question that is often asked about Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) and it is ‘will my child become a robot?’ When a parent see’s a child taught the same thing over and over it’s a natural conclusion.

“My child only responds this way because he is told to.”

Truly, we are all taught how to react to certain situations by our experiences – in fact, it is a perfectly human thing to do. We say please and thank you because our parents kindly taught us manners and reminded us again and again to use them. We are scared of clowns because we learned they were menacing through experience.

ABA isn’t an alien form of learning where the techniques are only used with Autistic children; it is a therapy that fundamentally teaches a child how to learn. But others use these techniques too, an addict can use ABA techniques, the same is done to encourage workers, or reduce disordered behavior. In fact, behavioral therapies, in general, are one of the largest, most used therapies out there.  Not just for Autism, but disorders and everyday problems all across the board. Psychologists learn behaviorism (the study of human behavior) almost as soon as they learn about the human mind. And ABA is just a form of behavioral therapy, teaching a child what behaviors affect the world around them and what one’s will create positives or negatives in their lives.

Much has changed since the 1960s version of ABA which most base their opinions on. Much has changed in psychology since the 1960’s in general, one only has to look at the state of mental institutions back then, to see huge changes. Not only this but Autism is diagnosed differently, and we know more about the disorder. ABA evolved too; it now promotes flexibility and models several ways to respond to environments.

But if you still fear your child will turn into a robot, you can talk to your therapist about ‘programming for generalization’ something that all ABA therapists will know about. This means, once a child can remember how to react in situations safely and effectively, they can begin to add on their own quirks and abilities – something that ABA ultimately aims for, anyway. You can see this in ‘neurologically normal’ children too (robotic responses that morph into their own personalities). When first learning to speak, we are taught to say milk to a bottle, or hungry when we want something to eat. But at some point, those words take on a flow of their own and our child speaks, adding their own mannerisms and thoughts.

ABA, when done right, is not a therapy that creates a robot, it is a therapy that teaches a child how to learn, how to function in this world, and how to stay safe and happy, whilst still satisfying their needs.   

Qualifications for a Good Therapist

Choosing the right therapist for Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is important. Finding one that not only works well with your child but can talk you through what you can do is an important part of the process. But what sort of qualifications and personality traits makes for a good therapist for your child?

Desired Qualifications for your ABA Therapist

Your therapist should have at least a bachelor’s degree in childcare, psychology, child development, behavioral analysis or related field. (They will need a doctorate to run a private practice.) It is also required they have a state license. This will ensure they are a trusted therapist who is covered to treat your child in the way they should be treated.

Most states require your therapist to have a doctoral degree, complete internship experience, gather one or two years of practical experience and sit the state licensing exam to perform ABA therapy. But some have supervisors to allow them to practice too.

Do some Research; Shop Around for the Right ABA Therapist

Some other ways to gather information is to call around and talk to other patients and their families. If they feel involved with their child’s therapist and have a good rapport with them this is a good sign that your therapist will work well with your family.

Not all therapists will click with you right away, sometimes you need to meet with several therapists to find one that you feel comfortable leaving your child with. After all, worrying about your child’s progress and the therapist they are with, instead of staying positive and enjoying the experience, will cause issues in the future.

How Should Your ABA Therapist Act?

Once you have hired your therapist it is important that they are reliable, stick to a good routine, and enjoy spending time with your child. If the therapist doesn’t enjoy your child’s company, laugh with them and have fun with them, this can put a dent in your child’s progress. They should also be reaching out to teachers, your child’s doctors and integrating themselves into the team that makes up your child’s treatment.

And the number one way to tell if you’ve found the right therapist who knows their stuff, is if your child is making progress under their guidance. You can always try a new therapist later if this isn’t the case, sometimes it’s best just to make the leap with a therapist you like and see how it goes.

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Finding The Right Therapist

Before your child starts Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) therapy there may be many things you need to know about ABA and your therapist. ABA therapy can increase your child’s learning abilities which helps in all areas of their life, so it’s important to find the right therapist.

But what questions can parents ask to get the right results?

What are your qualifications?

A good response would be – somebody with a BA in fields pertaining to psychology and child care, and a certificate in ABA.

What experience do you have? Can you refer me to other parents you have worked with?

A good therapist for your child is one who has worked with Autistic children before. You can discover a lot by calling other parents who have worked with the therapist.

What happens during an ABA session?

A therapist who is re-assuring, kind, and takes time to explain how a session will be for your child is a good therapist. This will also tell you what your child is likely to go through and allow you to agree with their methods.

How many hours per week will my child need to be in therapy?

It’s good to know this so you can build your schedule around therapy.

How often can you update me on my child’s progress?

It’s important to know if ABA is working well for your child and as parents sometimes we can be impatient. A therapist knows how well ABA is working for your child and can give frequent updates to help you feel settled in your child’s progress.

Can you work with my child’s school?

Having a therapist who can keep your Autistic child’s teachers up to date on methods to help your child is a bonus.

Do you provide training or support for family, so that ABA can continue from home?

Children whose parents continue ABA at home succeed more often.

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Introducing Incidental Teaching to ABA Therapy

  Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy is a fun activity that teaches your child how to engage in the world, learn basic and complex language, skills and behavior.  There are many types of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), the Lovaas Method is one type and we have discussed Discrete Trial Training (DTT) that the Lovaas method uses. But another type of play for your child during ABA is called Incidental teaching.

Incidental teaching is when an environment is created for the child that motivates them to learn about the world around them. This means putting objects out of reach but still in sight, in a room set up to encourage your child to ask for the things they want. Instead of the therapist initiating engagement, as with (DTT), the therapist will wait for the child to mention the object or talk about it. The therapist then prompts the child to talk about the object or ask for the object.

You can do this at home too. If you place your childs favorite toy somewhere they can see it but can’t reach it and then your child points or approaches the toy, you could say the word of the toy as a prompt. For example, ‘teddy’ and wait to see if the child asks for the teddy. If they child asks for the teddy you can hand them the toy.

This sounds so simple because it is something we as parents do a lot, and something you see over and over with non-autistic children. But we know Autistic children have a hard time initializing conversation. However, it is because Autistic children struggle in this area that this therapy works. It not only encourages language but helps your child engage with their environment, which motivates them in the future by practicing engagement, and consequences of engagement.

As time goes on the therapist will fade out all prompts until the child is able to approach the object and ask for it when they see it, or perhaps without even seeing the object in question.  This can also be used to teach reading, create complex conversations and teach propositions (on, in, under).

This therapy is a fun, exciting way for a child to learn about the world around them in an exciting, gentle environment.

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Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy And Discrete Trial Training

One type of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy is called the Loovas Method; the most heavily researched therapy for Autism which demonstrates some of the best outcomes. If your child has been diagnosed with Autism at a young age and you’re thinking about ABA therapy, then your child could be on the road to success.

As a parent we worry about the legitimacy of all therapies, how they will help our child, and what exactly goes on inside the therapist’s room. The Loovas Method relies heavily on Discrete Trial Training (DTT) and some incidental teaching.

What is DTT?

Discrete trial training is when a skill is broken down into steps instead of being taught as a whole. For example, when teaching shapes, the therapist would give two shapes and ask ‘which is the circle?’. Once the child can point out different shapes, then they would teach the child to say the shapes. Each skill is taught slowly, easing your child into the learning process without overwhelming them.

There are 5 steps to DTT

1.     The Antecedent (when the therapist sets up the question, perhaps by showing two shapes)

2.     The Prompt (where the therapists asks a question, or performs an action to get a response)

3.     The Response (where the child responds)

4.     The Consequence (for either a correct response, or incorrect response)

5.     The Pause (where the therapist allows it to sink in)

A Further Explanation of the Prompt

There are three types of prompts, an independent, a partial and a full gesture. This means that your child will either be: fully shown what to do, half shown, or not be shown at all. A therapist will generally start with a full prompt and begin to fade this until it becomes independent.

A Further Explanation of the Consequence

It’s scary as parents when we hear the word consequence, and we ask ourselves if it means punishment. This shouldn’t be the case with a qualified ABA therapist. A consequence only means something that happens after a response. If the child performs correctly they are showered with praise. But if the child cannot perform the task (which will happen sometimes) they are simply corrected and shown the right response.

The Loovas Method is just one school of ABA therapy, a therapy that can change the life of an Autistic child. Children who have completed this therapy have gone on to achieve a normal intellectual and educational functioning by the time they are 7 years old.

There’s always hope for a child that’s struggling.

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Studies show that in the case of childhood therapy, a therapist should focus on relationships rather than the actual child. This means that children are happier when they see the happiness in their caregivers and loved ones. When they see that the people in their lives are happy and healthy it affects the children in a positive way. Consequently, when the people in their lives are living unhappy, unhealthy and stressed out lives, it affects the children in a negative way.

Behavioral therapy focuses on both the child and the environment in which the child grows up. Behavioral therapy helps the child to feel that they are growing up in a nurturing stable environment. It is understandable that adults do have problems and every day issues that they face; however, the most important thing on their mind should be the portrayal to the children. Children thrive better when they witness healthy, happy relationships among the people in their lives.

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