It’s no secret that living with autism is hard. Children are especially daunted by the world around them as they learn how to interact, behave, and develop social skills. However, with the help of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, many kids have seen their lives vastly improve.
This historically effective approach is proven to make a difference in everything from aggressive behavior to sensory processing disorder. It’s even more impactful when brought outside the clinical setting and practiced at home. Read below as we delve into what ABA autism therapy at home can look like and how parents can use it to help their child grow.
What Is ABA Therapy?
ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention used to help individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities make meaningful changes in their everyday habits. Considered one of the most effective therapies for autism, it focuses on teaching new skills, improving existing ones, and decreasing harmful behaviors to improve overall functioning and increase quality of life. It’s particularly valuable for young children with autism who are just beginning to establish healthy patterns.
How Does ABA Therapy Work?
ABA therapy can take many forms, from Discrete Trial Training (DTT) and Natural Environment Teaching (NET) to Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) and Verbal Behavior Intervention (VBI). Each method is tailored to the child’s needs and used alongside reinforcement strategies, prompting procedures, modeling techniques, and self-management training methods that motivate and promote progress.
A board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) should always lead ABA therapy. The BCBA is responsible for creating an individualized treatment plan, assessing progress, and making necessary changes. Depending on the needs of the child receiving ABA therapy, a team approach, including an RBT (registered behavioral therapist) or a BCaBA (Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst), may also provide additional support. This may include teachers, therapists, and parents.
The operant and classical conditioning principles are best taught in a clinical, controlled setting. Privacy allows children and therapists to focus on programming without disruption from the outside world. ABA therapy typically involves one-on-one instruction; however, the skills learned in individual sessions can be transferred to other environments.
Can Parents Do ABA Therapy at Home?
Yes! Most behavior specialists encourage parents to bring the concepts they teach in the office home for regular practice. ABA techniques for parents include shaping, prompting, discrete trial training, token economy, and so much more, which can be integrated into everyday routines. There’s nothing wrong with needing ABA parent training to fully grasp these concepts and understand how they can best be used in your home environment.
The Importance of Parents Using ABA Techniques at Home
Parents play a pivotal role in maintaining the continuity and ensuring the success of ABA therapy at home. By incorporating ABA strategies in your family’s daily routine, you can help develop your child’s independence, such as learning to dress themselves or engaging with other family members. Incorporating ABA therapy techniques at home strengthens your emotional connection with your child and will result in noticeable improvements in their behavior. Additionally, you can empower your child to use the skills they learned at school in different situations, such as at home or a friend’s house.
ABA Therapy Tips For Parents To Use At Home
What are some of the ABA therapy techniques for parents at home? There are a variety of them, including the following:
1. Using Modeling to Improve Behavior
Modeling is one of the most essential ABA strategies for parents to know and use at home. It can help children learn important skills such as emotional mastery, self-control, problem-solving, and communication.
When modeling, parents should demonstrate the behavior they would like their child to emulate. This is often done by talking through them and showing them the desired behavior step-by-step. For instance, if you want your child to learn how to share, you could show them specialist-informed ABA therapy examples of what it looks like when two people are playing with a toy together.
2. Practicing Positive Reinforcement
Effective ABA therapy at home starts and ends with positive reinforcement. This fundamental principle argues that rewards and praise are more effective than punishment and criticism when instilling desired behaviors in autistic children. Using positive reinforcement throughout your ABA sessions and day-to-day life with the person receiving therapy is important.
Positive reinforcement can look like many different things. For example, verbal praise and physical affection can both be used to reward desired behaviors. You may also provide tangible rewards such as small treats or toys when your child does something right.
3. Implementing a Token Economy
In ABA therapy strategies, ‘token economy’ refers to procedures in which tangible items are earned through positive behavior and exchanged for other desirable activities or objects. It creates an economy within the therapeutic environment that rewards children with tokens (e.g., stickers, chips) when they demonstrate desirable behaviors.
The goal of a token economy is to reinforce positive behavior with something that has immediate and tangible value, thus strengthening the likelihood that the child will repeat it in the future. Implementing this alongside other ABA therapy techniques at home is crucial to showing positive actions are consistently valuable in non-clinical environments.
4. Establishing a Routine and Maintaining Rules
Whether on the spectrum or not, all individuals benefit from a daily routine. Children with autism tend to thrive with one, establishing predictability in everyday life.
Above all, it is important to establish clear rules and expectations for your child. Make sure that the rules are age-appropriate and not too complex. It’s also best to remain consistent with any rewards or consequences for following those same rules so your child knows what they can expect from themselves and others.
5. Giving Prompts to Build New Skills
Prompts are an important part of teaching new skills to children with autism. Prompting can be verbal, physical, or visual. Verbal prompts include spoken words reminding the child what to do (“Please sit down”). Physical prompts are physical actions that guide the child through a task, such as placing their hands on an object and helping them move it. Visual prompts are photos or drawings of a desired action (like sitting in their chair) to prompt the child.
6. Provide Visual Supports for Your Child
Visual supports help autistic children stay on task and understand what is expected of them. Visual supports can look like all kinds of things, from chart-like calendars and schedules to pictures, diagrams, or videos.
7. Utilize Timers
From mealtime and homework to bath-time and bedtime, children with autism traditionally become incredibly frustrated when faced with a transition. Incorporating a visual timer into your child’s routine will provide them with a concrete representation of time passing and offer them a visual and auditory reminder (if your timer is equipped with an alarm) to enhance time awareness. Using shapes, colors, or moving graphics as visual cues will help them understand the otherwise abstract concept of time.
8. Use Preferred Items for Reinforcement
No one knows a child’s preferred items (i.e., teddy bear or favorite snack) better than their parents. Utilizing these ‘favorite things’ to motivate your child’s desired behaviors is a great way to incorporate ABA therapy at home. Whether it’s stickers or an activity such as swimming, when this specific type of stimulus is introduced following a desirable behavior, it increases the likelihood of it occurring again.
9. Prepare Them For Change
Children with autism can find any type of change difficult, whether it’s going on holiday or having a new teacher at school. As their parent, there are things you can do to support them.
Learning more about the type of change that will transpire can help you better explain it to your child. For instance, if the change involves a new teacher at school, talk to them before your child meets them. Once you understand what or who will happen, use whatever communication method your child prefers to explain the upcoming transition. Show them photos of their new instructor or experiences they will have if they’re going on holiday.
10. Be Consistent and Follow Through
Consistency is one of the most essential ABA therapy tips at home. It helps build trust, improves emotional well-being, and makes their learning more accessible. Your child with autism will feel safe when there is an established routine. Without it, your child will likely experience increased anxiety or frustration, leading to more problem behaviors.
11. Focus on One Improvement at a Time
By breaking down a significant task, such as taking a shower, into simple steps, you can help your child focus on learning one skill at a time. By practicing each skill individually, your child can repeat it as often as they’d like until they feel comfortable before moving on to the next.
ABA Strategies for Common Behaviors
Parents fluent in various ABA techniques have a head start in controlling and modifying unwanted behaviors. If one approach is ineffective, you can try another or combine techniques. Either way, this flexibility will ensure you continuously support your child’s development most effectively.
Strategies for Tantrums
Handling tantrums begins with understanding the underlying cause of the outburst and then implementing other techniques such as:
- Modifying the environment where the tantrums usually occur
- Teaching alternative behaviors to communicate their needs and wants
- Providing a structured environment with routines that reduce the anxiety and frustration that often leads to tantrums.
Strategies for Aggression
Autistic teens and children are much more likely to have difficulty controlling their emotions, such as aggression. Parents must first identify the triggers for their child’s aggressive behavior, and then they can use some of the following strategies to control them.
- Teach your child alternative behaviors to express their frustrations or needs instead of becoming aggressive.
- Ensure there are consistent routines in your child’s life to help reduce their natural anxiety levels as they navigate their day.
- Model the desired behavior by leading by example. Show your child calm and respectful ways to handle frustrations and conflicts.
Strategies for Anxiety
Where is the anxiety coming from? Children with autism are much more prone to anxiety than others. It’s essential to determine what makes them anxious. Once you’ve learned that, then you can incorporate a variety of ABA techniques, including the following:
- Try desensitizing your child to the situations that make them anxious by slowly exposing them in a controlled and manageable way.
- Teach your child coping techniques when their anxiety flares up, including self-soothing.
- Consider modifying their environment to minimize stressors or create a calming space where they can go when things become too much.
Strategies for Hygiene
Teaching your child with autism healthy self-care habits can be incredibly challenging. But a solid hygiene routine is crucial for gaining their independence.
- Establish a consistent and structured routine for self-care. A morning hygiene routine might include washing your face, brushing your teeth, combing your hair, and getting dressed before breakfast.
- Model the acceptable hygiene routine. This will provide your child with an accurate representation they can imitate. Visual supports are beneficial if your child has difficulty communicating, whether it’s charts, checklists, or diagrams. These visual prompts will simplify their hygiene routine and make it more enjoyable.
Things for Parents to Consider When Using ABA Therapy Techniques
With the above ABA therapy techniques explained, it’s worth highlighting some tips to make implementing them easier. Our best advice?
- Start small: breaking down large tasks into smaller parts is essential. Pick just one or two skills to begin with, such as learning colors or using the potty independently.
- Be consistent: It is important to note that ABA therapy is not a one-time event. It requires ongoing practice and reinforcement to be successful.
- Stay realistic: Practicing ABA therapy techniques at home isn’t always straightforward. Be prepared to deal with potential tantrums and frustration.
- Remain patient: It may take some time before you see results. Don’t get discouraged!
- Celebrate the small victories: Highlighting their accomplishments can build confidence and create a positive learning environment.
- Be consistent: Work with your child’s RBT/BCBA/BCaBA to understand the strategies used to replicate them at home.
- Collaborate: Communicate regularly with the therapist and provide as much feedback about what’s going on at home. Ask questions and actively seek advice.
Contact Heartlinks to Learn More ABA Therapy Techniques
Don’t know how to start ABA therapy at home? Heartlinks can help. Supporting in-home ABA therapy, at-home parent training, or offering a broad selection of ABA services in locations across America, our team is dedicated to helping you create a safe and stimulating environment for your child. Reach out to learn more about the opportunities available to them today.