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.   

ABA Therapy at Home V.S. The Therapist's Office

 

  Applied behavioral analysis (ABA) is a therapy that teaches your Autistic child how to learn with positive re-enforcement. They are taught in a thrilling, gentle way, which opens up new paths for them. But should your child be doing their ABA therapy at home? Or in the therapist’s office?

ABA in the Therapists Office

When ABA is performed in this structured way it simulates similar learning environments your child will encounter over the years in schools, colleges and universities. Performing ABA therapy with your child in such an environment may help them focus when at school, due to a familiar feeling of structure. ABA teaches child skills and behaviors that are needed for environments like schools, such as concentration.

By performing ABA therapy in an office, or out of the home, your child doesn’t have their usual clutch items to cling to, such as toys and family. This is something that will happen as they get older and enter ordered environments. Being away from familiar items can cause anxiety and distress for a child, something that a therapist can address and help your child overcome.

Also, Autistic children often have issues with distractions; some of these are sensory problems such as loud noises. In a home it’s hard to avoid the sounds of traffic, phones ringing, and people talking, but a therapist can design their space to suit your child’s needs to get the best out of ABA.

ABA at Home

Of course, home based therapy can be wonderful for a child who struggles with new places and new people. Sometimes a child has specific behaviors that need addressing within the home, such as meal times, or escaping out of the front door! This can’t be addressed easily in an office as it’s hard to simulate. It’s also convenient for the parent to keep up with high hours of therapy if it’s done within the home.

Another thing to consider is that it can depend on how old your child is. A child who doesn’t need to be in nursery or a school setting yet (1 – 3 years) may benefit more from having therapy in an environment they know. ABA also doesn’t need any fancy equipment that you don’t already have around your home and working with loved toys will be enjoyable for your child.

Balancing working in a structured environment and a therapist’s office is the best way to achieve a perfect balance with ABA therapy. But otherwise, the approach will depend on your child. ABA therapy is a wonderful experience for most Autistic children and it’s important they are as comfortable as possible where ever it’s performed.

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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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ABA Training for Parents

 Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a fantastic therapy for an Autistic child, as it helps to achieve something called generalization. This is when a child is able to perform actions in all areas of their lives. If you’ve ever seen your child use certain words, or perform certain tasks at school but not at home (or the opposite) ABA therapy can help!

But to do this we as parents need to be heavily involved. Research has shown that parents who are involved with their child’s ABA therapy are more likely to succeed. ABA therapy is labor intensive and takes a whole team, a parent who has a big say in this team is able to co-ordinate more efficiently – after all you see your child in all areas of their life.

A child whose parent isn’t deeply involved with ABA therapy, or don’t understand the goals and outcomes the therapist is looking for, may find that their child is only able to perform certain actions around the therapist. This can be frustrating, and can even knock our self-esteem as parents. We want to feel a sense of control and be able to teach our own children, ABA therapy not only gives you an active role to play but helps you feel as if you are helping your child in ways you couldn’t before.

There are many organizations that provide ABA training for parents, including some online schools. Getting as much information about ABA therapy, from schooling, to online, to your own therapist will help your child reach the goals that you want them to achieve. 

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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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