Tips For Parents Of Children Receiving ABA Therapy For Autism
One of the best treatments currently available for children with autism is applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy. If your child is living with autism and you have decided to try ABA therapy, then the following tips will help you get the most out of the treatment:
Tip: Avoid the Tendency to Work With Your Child at the Kitchen Table
No matter how old your child is, they aren't going to want to continually sit at your kitchen table and work on skills. In fact, you should continually work on the ABA therapeutic techniques away from the table. Sit on the floor or play on their bed. Work with your children where they like to be and it will greatly improve their learning and skill development. Sit and the table and you will likely have a battle on your hands.
Tip: Increase Social Skills by Spending as Much Time Working with ABA Techniques as Possible
Since one of the main goals of ABA therapy is to increase your child's social skills that have been affected by autism, make it a point to spend as much time together as your child can stand being actively involved with you. During this time, make sure you work on both social skills as well as the skills ABA therapy is aiming to teach.
Tip: Enlist the Help of Your Other Children
If you have other children in your family, teach them basic ABA techniques they can use to help your autistic child. This helps give you a break and it will greatly help your autistic child's growth because they will have many more hours of active skill building each week.
Tip: Change Tactics if Something Isn't Working Well
If you are working with your child and they seem unable to learn the skill you are trying to teach, then modify your technique rather than getting frustrated. There are always multiple ways to teach a skill and your ABA therapist can assist you in this area.
Tip: Use Play to Reinforce Skills
All children learn the best through play and exploration. While society pushes early education that is all about reading, writing, and arithmetic, ABA uses play to reinforce the skills you are trying to work on. It is vital you keep this at the forefront of your mind and make a change towards seeing the exceptionally high value that comes from reinforcing skills through play rather than educational pursuits.
Tip: Find a Therapist Who is Experienced with ABA Therapy Techniques
In conclusion, it is important you find a therapist in your local area who is well versed in ABA therapy techniques. Since ABA therapy is very specialized, working with a qualified therapist is the best way to get the most out of this type of therapy for your child.
Reach out to a place like Excel ABA for more information and direction.
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