Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy (ABA) is amazing because it isn’t designed to tackle autism by itself.

Sometimes Autism isn’t the only diagnoses that a child on the spectrum is diagnosed with. A child who has autism may also be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Anxiety, Depression and more. There is a 30% chance your child may also have a specific phobia, and a significant number have intellectual disabilities. Autism isn’t as straightforward as some may believe which is why it’s difficult to tackle it with most conventional therapies.  

Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy (ABA) is amazing because it isn’t designed to tackle autism by itself. It is a therapy used in all areas of life, from career, to sports, to businesses and other disorders. When you put your child into an ABA programme, you’re not only providing help with life skills they lack (due to the way their brain functions), but also skills to help with a variety of issues and other disorders.

If you’re concerned your child may have issues outside of autism, such as ADHD, you can ask your DR to refer your child for further testing. Here are some symptoms and behaviors:

ADHD: Aggression, excitable, fidgeting, hyper, impulsive, irritable, no restraint, repetitive words and behaviors, absent-minded, no focus, forgetful, short attention, angry, anxious, bored, excited, mood-swings.

ODD:  Aggressive, antisocial, impulsive, irritable, screams, self-injures, vindictive, argumentative, angry, anxious, depressed, lack of attention.

Anxiety: Tired, restless, sweating, hyperventilates, irritated, racing thoughts, intrusive thoughts, excessive worry, fear, feelings of impending doom, nausea, trembling.

Depression: Apathy, discontent, guilt, hopelessness, not interested in anything, seems bored, mood-swings, tired, insomnia, agitated, cries a lot, no appetite or extreme appetite, slow movements, suicidal thoughts, no concentration, weight gain or loss, repeats thoughts, obsessive thinking.

ABA therapy steers autistic children to work through sensory overload until it's no longer an issue

Many children with autism suffer from sensory overload. This could be sensitivity to noises, sensations, lights, textures, temperature and more. The issue with these sensory problems is they impede things your child needs to do.

We work with a boy who has autism and he hates people touching his finger-tips. Therefore, it is almost impossible for parents to cut his nails because he will scream and thrash around. But he also uses his nails as weapons to hurt himself, so cutting them is necessary. It’s a catch 22 and there are a lot of times this happens for our autistic children.

Take for example a potty; if they are scared of how it sounds or how it feels to sit on one, they won’t want to relieve themselves. It will be impossible for them to learn how to potty train. They may not like the way a hairbrush feels or a shower sounds. It hinders their life in a way you don’t always expect; sensory issues can stop your child from being able to care for them self.

That is why Applied Behavior Analyses (ABA) is so important. The therapist can use ABA as a way to run programs that eradicate this sensory issue for good. The name of one technique is systematic desensitization. This is where, a child is exposed to the stimulus on purpose and taught relaxation techniques.

For my son and his nail clipper issue it looked like this:

-        -Nail clippers were used on other people

-        -Nail clippers were brought close to him

-        -They brushed the nail clippers over his fingers

-        -They used the nail clippers to cut one nail

At every step this boy screamed and cried and fought, but eventually he could cope with that step. It became normal to him and he calmed himself.

Dealing with things like that alone is scary, especially seeing your own child in that level of fear or pain. An ABA therapist helps to steer them through these issues until they are no longer a big deal.

Tips for Potty Training

Autism can cause a host of issues when it comes to potty training and there are many reasons. Some of these issues stem from a general development delay, communication issues and anxieties that accompany toileting.

The Trouble with Communication

There may be some problems with communication where the child is unable to express that they need the potty, or do not understand the line of questions associated with the potty such as: “Do you need the bathroom?”

Even body language can be a problem with children who have Autism; you may notice that your child has no warning signs before an accident, such as playing with their underwear or jumping up and down.

With Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) techniques like Verbal behavior methods or PECs can teach a child to understand and communicate more efficiently so fewer accidents happen. Specifically a visual schedule or social story can help a child who has trouble understanding language; this is several pictures showing what will happen when a child goes potty, from sitting on the toilette, to wiping, to washing their hands.

Sensory Issues and Potty Training

Another common issue for Autistic children is the sensory side of using a potty or diapers. Sometimes the bathroom is colder than other rooms in the house, the floor could be cold, the potty hole could be too intimidating, the diaper could comfort, the child may need a stool to stabilize their feet and may detest the sound of the toilette flushing. These are all things that spike anxiety and make potty time unpleasant. Most of these things can be adjusted, explained, and worked through together.

Make Potty Time Fun Again

As with many classic ABA methods, re-enforcers encourage a child to enjoy their potty time. This could be rewarding them with stickers, candy, or a special toy every time they successfully use the potty. Some parents use a special toy area that the child has access to after they have successfully used the bathroom. You can set this up in the corner of the room or in the bathtub.

Transitioning to the Potty

Finally, children with Autism often have transitional problems. This too may impact your potty training in a way that ‘typically developing’ children may not have to deal with. Moving straight from an activity or location can be traumatic for a child with Autism and they may have accidents to try to avoid potty time all together. Giving plenty of warning and being consistent can help.

 

ABA therapists have strategies for every situation that occurs, and they have probably seen it all before, or at least heard about it. This will make potty training so much easier on the parent and guarantee a greater chance of success.

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.