Are you struggling with helping your autistic child learn new skills? For several decades, Applied Behavior Analysis, commonly referred to as ABA therapy, has become a widely accepted approach to help kids with autism. Here is everything you need to know about ABA and where to get ABA services Woodbridge, Va.
What is ABA Therapy?
It is a type of in-home therapy that helps children living with autism to learn new skills, and adopt new behavior to lessen problematic behavior, e.g., self-harm. ABA therapy works based on one idea- reinforcing some behaviors will lead to repetition.
Background of Applied Behavior Analysis
In the early 1900s, Dr. John B. Watson made the idea of behaviorism popular. He argued that rather than focusing on the mental and internal state, psychology should intend to pay closer attention to observable behavior. He then came up with the theory of behaviorism, desiring how humans learn and basing his argument on rewards and punishment.
Based on this theory, in the mid-1960s, Ole Ivar Lovaas came up with ABA therapy. He based the therapy on the principles of behavior, with the sole aim of avoiding institutionalizing children. Initially, Applied Behavior Analysis included 40 hours every week of intensive ABA, and the research of his findings proved ABA to be effective. Following this, there was a surge in early intervention programs, and ABA became popular.
ABA therapy has greatly evolved, and currently, the programs are customized and tailored depending on the child’s needs. The services are now inclusive of choice-making and planning, as the family helps make decisions about the treatment, what fits their family structure and culture, and the target goal. ABA services is now a blend of professional opinion and family input to come up with an effective program for every kid.
The 4 Principles of ABA Therapy
There are four main principles in ABA therapy. These principles are centered around behavior and are:
The environment influences child behavior. For example, if a kid gets bullied at school, they may adopt negative behavior, e.g., avoiding school to deal with this.
You can strengthen or weaken behavior based on its consequences. For example, if a child has a temper tantrum at the supermarket over wanting candy, it is highly likely that they learned before that if they throw a tantrum, they will get what they want. So, their behavior is a reinforcement.
Behavior often changes for the better with positive consequences. For example, rewarding target behavior can increase desirable behavior.
You should reinforce or discipline behavior to achieve socially significant changes. For example, if a child continues with undesirable behavior when a consequence is introduced, e.g., missing playtime. A kid is more likely to respond to positive reinforcement because they do not want to lose their playtime.
How Does ABA Therapy Help with Autism Treatment?
The principles of behavior on which ABA is based apply to everyone. However, children with autism learn differently and do best with a customized approach and adult attention. That is where ABA therapy comes in.
Understanding How ABA Therapy Works for Autism
Applied Behavior Analysis effective for autistic children because it meets the learners, and adapts instructions that meet the child’s needs, rather than expecting the kid to adapt to the skill. Autistic children struggle with self-stimulatory behavior and fitting in society. ABA helps by teaching necessary skills and avoiding children with autism from harmless stimulatory behavior. It also helps their social skills and strengthens their communication, speech, and language.How is ABA therapy Beneficial for Autistic Children?
behavioral therapy is well-researched, highly effective, and a clinically proven approach. The clinician can measure a kid’s progress rate through their skill acquisition rate. Additionally, it is a tailored program, and the therapist can quickly measure if the current plan is effective. If not, they can make the necessary changes to suit the kid. ABA therapy also helps children learn better and at a higher rate and eventually impacts socially significant skills, which allows the child in their daily life. C. Real-life examples or case studies
Here is an in-depth case study of how behavioral therapy helps and proof that it is effective and does work.
Understanding the Process of ABA Therapy
Assessment and treatment planning
This is the initial part of the process. Here, the therapist decides the best assessment for your child. Usually, it combines observations, direct assessments, interview-based assessments, and data collection. This process takes around 30 days. On completion, the therapist will come up with a comprehensive treatment plan, including the assessment results, a suitable treatment plan, and a suitable schedule for therapy. In this stage, the therapist will also decide the best way to track the process of your child.
Implementation of the therapy
Once there is a plan suitable for your child, next is the implementation of the therapy. The clinician will implement ABA therapy. There might be more than one technician working with your child. They will continue enforcing suitable behavior, monitoring progress, and guiding the family to support the child further. There will also be family coordination programs, including meetings with the family and caregivers to review progress and discuss goals.
Monitoring progress and making necessary adjustments
After a predetermined period, depending on your child, the technician will monitor the child’s progress. Based on their results, they might need to make adjustments to the plan or update treatment goals. If the child is progressing okay, they might maintain the current plan.
How Parents and Caregivers Can Contribute to ABA Therapy
When a child goes through ABA therapy, it is important for the parent, caregivers, and anyone else who spends considerable time with the kid to contribute to an overall positive experience. Why Family Involvement Matters in behavioural therapy
Psychologists and researchers agree that ABA services is effective for autistic children. However, that alone is not enough. There is a need for parents as well as caregivers to jump on the wagon and contribute to making a difference in their kids’ lives.
Parents and caregivers spend a lot of time with their children, and they can maximize their little one’s skill development and learning. Failure of their support means kids will easily undo the new skills and behavior they pick up.
How Parents and Caregivers Can Contribute to In-home ABA Therapy
First, they can create space for the therapy of their child. It can be a room in the house, an office, or any other dedicated space where your kid can work with their therapist to focus and learn the new skill.
Second, they can shed light on what the little one likes to do. Sharing information about what the kid likes and dislikes can help the therapist know what to use as reinforcement and what to use as motivation.
Third, the parent can greatly support in-home ABA therapy by trusting the therapist as a professional and allowing them to take the lead. Yes, we understand that, as a parent, your autistic child matters a lot to you, but therapists are highly experienced and can offer the best service to your kid.
Lastly, caregivers can create a schedule for their kids to know what they should do and what they should avoid doing whenever they have a session. They should also avail themselves during the sessions to follow through and understand more about what their child is expected to do
How Parents Can Make the Most of behavior modification
To make the most of behavioral therapy services, parents and caregivers first need to be patient with the child. They should be persistent enough to see the changes. It is also important for them to communicate with the therapist to understand the progress, challenges, and what they can do to help their kid. With their dedication, their children can easily tap into their full potential and make notable progress fast.
The Misconceptions and Downsides of ABA Therapy
Despite behavioral therapy being used over the years and being effective, some autistic self-advocates and parents do not support it. At the onset years of behavior modification adoption, the criticism was that the version used punishments and rewards. Currently, ABA therapy no longer follows this system, but critics say this form of therapy is excessive and hard on kids due to repetition. However, modern behavioral therapy has been modified to become fun and interesting to the child and helps avoid unnecessary repetition.
Critics also argue that ABA focuses more on eliminating behavior than building skills. While this can be a problem practitioners agree to, there is a need to understand that therapy should focus on what kids should do more than what they should not.
The last issue critics have brought up is that behavior modification tries to make children fit into the set neurotypical standards. According to their concern, autistic kids have different needs and should not be trained or taught like other kids. In reality, ABA therapy does not try to alter how autistic kids think. Instead, it just tries to build on the kid’s strengths and help them cope, integrate and participate in society like other kids.Debunking Main Misconceptions about ABA Therapy
A common misconception is that behavioral therapy is only for children with autism. The principles on which behavior modification is based are universal and apply to everyone, including children who do not have ASD. Another myth is that behavior modification cures autism. It is just a way for children with autism to learn something new easily. It is not a cure for autism. C. Current research and evidence supporting ABA therapy
As seen in this report, research supports Applied Behavior Analysis’s effectiveness, citing its quality, usefulness, and effectiveness.
Take Away
ABA therapy is essential, especially if your kid has autism. It can help them develop the necessary skills to interact, cope with life challenges and communicate with others. As a parent, it can be hard dealing with an autistic child and trusting someone else to impact new skills in them. However, the success of ABA therapy is greatly dependent on your patience and trust in the system. In the future, I believe behavior modification should be geared towards understanding the pathophysiology of the autism spectrum for better efficiency.
Do you need ABA Therapy Woodbridge, VA? Look no further. We are distinguished ABA providers and also offer home speech therapy. Let us positively impact your child’s life and make them enjoy a better quality of life.
