A New Era of ABA
A new experience with ABA can be confusing for families looking for autism therapies for their newly diagnosed child. There is a lot going on social media. Like any therapy, ABA has made a significant evolution from his past and has propelled forward to help new learners both on the spectrum and with related disorders.
ABA is more than discrete trial.
Although discrete trials can be utilized to help learners who are not picking up tasks learn things in a broken down 1:1 way, there are so many ways of teaching in ABA beyond just discrete trials or traditional discrete trials.
Discrete trials can be embedded into already existing fun activities.
Skills can be taught naturally or with peers.
Longer skills can be broken down into components and taught one component at a time.
ABA is not just compliance based.
Although it is important to understand the rules and structure of society so we can members of that society and smaller groups- like class settings, it is equally important to learn to stand up and advocate for oneself.
Saying no, and self-advocacy skills should be taught to any learner who needs them. Sometimes just the ability to say no, even if the task ultimately has to be completed, makes a world of difference.
The ethics code for BCBAs states that assent must be obtained if possible. And it is often possible, especially with skills which do not have to be targeted in a certain order, or skills which may not be as important as those self-advocacy skills.
ABA will not change who a child is.
Children often say the most adorable things and come up with the most sweet ways of looking at the world. As ABA practitioners, the child’s natural curiosity and wonder about the world should be enhanced and not quashed.
ABA will use a child’s interests to expand their likes and dislikes, their perspectives, and concept of themselves and others. ABA will not take away things the child naturally likes or is into. We never know who will be a mathematician or Palentologist!
Social skills go both ways.
Although it is extremely important to teach skills which will help a diagnosed child adapt to the world around them, it is equally as important to teach others to be kind and accepting of a variety of neurotypes. Children with diagnoses should not always have to be the one to compromise. A large part of ABA practice includes advocacy for a child as they learn and grow.
It is understandable that as a parent of a child newly diagnosed with autism, it can be extremely overwhelming, but at ABA Behavior Services, experienced BCBAs and RBTs have it covered! We treat every child as if they were our own.
