Having a child with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) can put an immense amount of strain on a family and primary caregiver. Finding the right support for you and your family can be challenging and stressful, but having the right systems in place can be essential to maintaining stability and structure for someone with ASD. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an approach to therapy for people with ASD, and your family might have found a trusted center that specializes in autism therapy in Sacramento (or your local area) – but what about at home? Supporting your child’s therapy journey at home is extremely important for consistency and stability for the whole family. This article will discuss how you can support and enhance your child’s ABA therapy for autism. Sacramento therapy centers and behavior technicians can offer parents and caretakers specific guidance for their child with ASD.
Ensure you understand the principles of ABA
Before implementing any strategies at home with your child, it is important that you understand how ABA works and what you can do to help, as well as what should be avoided. ABA is based on the principles of conditioning through reward and positive reinforcement. When certain behaviors caused by specific triggers are deemed to negatively impact a person’s (or others’) daily lives, ABA aims to eliminate the ‘old’ behavior and replace it with a new, more positive one. If your loved one is attending ABA therapy for autism in Sacramento, the therapy center and behavior technicians will be able to provide you with detailed information about how the therapy can improve daily experiences and interactions for your child, as well as what specific techniques might be most effective when working with your child.
Create a dedicated space
If you plan on spending some time reinforcing progress that has been made during therapy sessions, it is important that there is an appropriate environment in which to do so. As far as possible, these interactions should happen in the same place for consistency and should be free of potentially distracting items. However, items that might help the progress of these sessions may be present, especially if they are a part of the therapy plan. Asking the behavior technician who sees your child for autism therapy in Sacramento for advice on setting up your space and what objects or items to include will be a helpful start.
Daily routines
Incorporating the ABA techniques that your behavior technician has been using into your child’s daily routine is important for consistency and the reinforcement of desired behaviors/ responses. If your child is learning and developing new responses to stimuli in their therapy sessions but receiving different feedback at home, it can be extremely unsettling and hinder progress. These are some pointers to keep in mind:
Communication with behavior technician: You must communicate regularly with your child’s behavior technician to understand what strategies are being used and leading to progress, as well as how you can effectively incorporate them into your child’s routine. It is also important to know what might hinder progress during your child’s therapy sessions. Collaborating with your child’s behavior technician will also be a helpful avenue for them to understand if any strategies are not working or not appropriate for your child in their day-to-day life. The positive reinforcement in your child’s therapy sessions must be implemented in the same way at home, using the same ‘rewards.’
Positive reinforcement: Make positive reinforcement a significant part of your interactions with your child. Encouraging even seemingly small positive changes in behavior will lead to meaningful progress and long-lasting behavior changes that will make everyday life easier for your child to manage.
Track and monitor changes and adapt accordingly: As your child progresses through therapy, certain behaviors may become less frequent or disappear in favor of new ones. It is important to note and communicate with your child’s behavior technician. Whether as a product of their therapy or as a function of their changing developmental stages, new behaviors might arise that you would like to address. Tracking all positive or negative changes will benefit you and your child and help with their progress on their therapy journey.