If your kid has been diagnosed with autism relatively recently, then you are probably wondering if there's anything you can do that's not only going to help your child lead a normal life but will also help you deal with various challenges that come with this condition.
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No matter how much you love your kiddo, you are also aware of the fact that life will not always be easy when it comes to this and that you'll be obligated to rely on various methods and tools that are going to enable you to navigate different intricacies that are related to autism spectrum disorder.
Fortunately, there are many things that can be of huge assistance. One of them is the ABA therapy which is widely used among many parents who have children on the spectrum. If you haven’t heard about it, yet you would like to know more about it, then just keep reading because this informative guide is about to tell you everything.
What Can Be Said About ABA Therapy for Children?
ABA is short for Applied Behavior Analysis and represents a therapy that is widely known for being extremely effective in treating kids who have autism. In addition, it utilizes systematic observation and analysis to comprehend, and simultaneously, alter behaviors in the best possible way, and also helps children acquire new skills.
What's great about it is the fact that it doesn't concentrate solely on one skill, but numerous ones, such as social interaction, communication, skills that are required on a regular basis, academic capabilities, etc.
One of its main goals is to break down behaviors that are perceived as complex, into smaller clusters that are easier to manage. Through a variety of different positive reinforcement methods, anyone who is on the spectrum can easily acquire new skills, and decrease challenging behaviors.
Another great thing about this form of therapy is the fact that it’s individualized and tailored to meet everyone’s unique needs and demands.
That’s because it wants to help children on the spectrum to become more independent, enhance their quality of life, and concurrently, enable them to smoothly integrate into numerous environments, like school, community, house, and when they are old enough) job.
It's worth noting that ABA Therapy doesn't offer support to kids and adults with autism, but to their family members too.
Should Parents Consider ABA Training?
Most definitely yes! Now, the question is, what are the benefits of ABA therapy training for parents and why should they take it into account? What you need to know is that this type of training plays a significant role in supporting the progress that your little one is making.
Every parent who is constantly participating in their kid's therapy, is going to showcase to their kiddo how supportive they are, and, at the same time, positively influence the entire outcome. When you participate in ABA therapy, you are promoting a collaborative approach between the child, therapist, and parent.
Your involvement is going to ensure that everything that your little one has taught during therapy, you'll be able to carry over to your home, which means that you'll encourage consistency and continuity.
During ABA training, you'll be provided with different beneficial information and strategies that are going to help you properly support your child's progress and development.
It usually includes comprehending the principles of behavior analysis and acquiring techniques and skills that you'll be able to implement in real-life situations. By being part of the ABA training, you’ll be able to do various things, such as:
- Get familiar with all the principles of behavior analysis that will later on help you address the needs and demands of your kid
- You’ll be able to continuously implement behavior intervention plans, lower any problems that are related to your child’s behavior, and reinforce positive behavior
- Gather and evaluate data so you can track progress and, simultaneously, make decisions that are going to support your kid’s development and help them thrive
- Work efficiently with professionals, like educators, therapists, and many others to make sure there’s a coordinated approach to your kid’s care
How Does ABA Therapy Work?
Behaviorism is in fact the foundation of this type of therapy. It suggests that there are three major aspects of it:
- Antecedent – The stimulus that affects the behavior and it can be internal, which is typically a sensation, feeling, or thought.
- Behavior – This is the action that happens because of the antecedent. It refers to things like communication, physical reaction or sometimes there’s no response at all
- Consequence – The aftermath of the behavior
A Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (short for BCBA) is here to observe the child and see how they behave through all of these phases, and concurrently, understand whether there are some challenges and hurdles and what can be done to overcome them successfully.
Once they uncover these issues and concerns, the next thing they'll do is to address them during treatment and teach the kid how to communicate their experiences, and the things they can do to effectively control negative responses and reactions.
When Should ABA Therapy Be Taken Into Account?
As stated numerous times in this article, one of the main goals of this sort of therapy is to help children on the spectrum lead normal lives by acquiring new skills, interacting with both their peers and adults, and engaging in positive behavior.
Aside from that, ABA therapy helps people be more in control whenever they end up in a situation that may stimulate negative behavior. Helping them, effectively reduces negative behaviors.
Although there’s no doubt that this type of therapy is perfect for kids and adults who have autism, it’s worth mentioning that it can help individuals who are struggling with other problems, like:
- Anxiety
- Substance abuse
- Dementia
- Brain injuries
- Eating disorder
- Anger issues
- Borderline personality disorder
What you need to know is that ABA therapy isn't only intended for kids, but for adults as well, and is here to help all of them combat various challenges that may be caused by different mental and physical health conditions.
Now, that some basics have been covered and you're able to understand how it works, it's time to focus on all of its benefits, since there are so many, it would definitely be a shame not to mention them.
It Boosts Communication Skills
Children who are on the spectrum disorder usually struggle with communication, hence in these types of situations, it would be of huge importance to opt for ABA therapy because it can help them boost their communication skills by breaking down language into manageable and smaller parts.
Kids who become part of this therapy are normally able to express themselves in a more efficient way, whether it is through sign language, spoken language, and/or augmentative and alternative communication systems.
In these instances, professionals utilize numerous methods, like reinforcement and modeling to showcase how children can effectively employ both non-verbal and verbal communication.
Through this type of therapy, young people are capable of expressing their feelings, needs, and thoughts which is going to make them feel a lot happier, and will, at the same time, enhance their relationships with the people who are close to them.
It Decreases Problem Behaviors
The truth is that kids who are on the autism spectrum often deal with various behavioral problems, like self-injury, tantrums, aggression, and many others which makes them feel very stressed and depressed.
And that's exactly why ABA therapy is here. Its goal in these instances is to provide an effective approach that's going to properly address these behaviors by identifying the underlying causes and using various strategies to replace them with behaviors that are considered more suitable and appropriate.
So what do they usually do to change things for the better? They typically execute functional assessments to reveal the reasons behind all these behavioral problems, and simultaneously, craft individualized behavior intervention strategies.
By developing these plans and methods, they are going to help kids manage their feelings and reactions, which is going to help them lead a more fulfilling and happier life.
It Helps Them With Academic Accomplishment Too!
Parents who have children who were recently diagnosed with autism think that their kids won't be able to properly attend school, and eventually finish it. However, if they decide to turn to this form of therapy, this concern is going to become a thing of the past.
How come? Well, that’s because it is able to enhance their academic performance. What does it do in these types of situations? It breaks down tasks that are related to education and perceived as complicated, into smaller, more manageable ones.
Furthermore, ABA therapist is here to help young people acquire the necessary skills that are required to excel at school. Individualized education plans are frequently developed to address every need and demand of autistic kids, making sure they are provided with adequate support.
Most parents (as soon as they find out that their child is autistic) ask themselves a lot of questions, hoping to find the answers that are going to help them cope with a newly established situation. And that's completely understandable, however, if they turn to ABA therapy, they'll be able to help themselves and their kid lead a normal life.
ABA Therapy for Children – FAQs
- Should parents consider ABA therapy training? Most definitely yes. Because that’s going to help them better understand their child’s behavior and provide them with the right support.
- Is ABA therapy solely intended for children? No. It can be beneficial for adults too.
- Can you implement it for other health conditions and issues? Yes. Although it was primarily intended for kids with autism, it can also be used for various other conditions.
- Can it improve communication skills? Most certainly! Kids who enroll in this therapy usually better interact with their peers, parents, and anyone else from their surroundings.
