Applied Behavioral Analysis
It is often difficult to understand why the autisticchild behaves the way they do.
However, there is a reason for their behavior, and
applied behavior analysis helps us understand the
behavior and determine a method of support for the
child so that they no longer need the behavior to
meet their needs.
Using Applied Behavior Analysis, you can determine
the antecedents to behavior, identify the behavior,
and identify the consequence for the behavior, or
what is currently maintaining the behavior.
Using this process, you can determine alternative
behaviors that are more appropriate, yet will meet
your child's needs, without displaying the
inappropriate behavior.
This aids parents in understanding their child
better and helps outline a method to change their
behavior.
An excellent new manual and CD called "The ABA
Program Companion: Organizing Quality Programs for
Children with Autism and PDD" by J. Tyler Fovel is
a huge resource in this area.
It is designed to helping understand the theories
behind ABA, and help to develop a method to put
these concepts into use.
Further, it helps to develop goals to work on and
provides very practical application materials for
the user.
Using clear language, illustrations, and real-life
examples, the topics covered include basic ABA
concepts; teaching formats; the principles, merit
and clinical applications of discrete trials;
incidental teaching; teaching language and social
skills; inclusion; curriculum planning and
evaluation, among many others, featuring more than
500 goals in 54 areas, allowing users to easily
choose goals, maintain updated program lists and
track mastered skills.
3 comments:
There are so many social issues with AS kids.
Some kids with AS have high levels of social anxiety. So the
first and foremost the issue is to keep the
child in social situations at some level. They need to
be encouraged to stay in social situations.
Some AS kids are so obsessive that socializing is difficult
to sustain for any length of time, so having therapist
faciliated conversation skills with another student on a
broad range of topics is really so helpful.
They need short structured opportunities often. And then
time to themselves to retreat.
From that the therapist and parent can determine what is
the difficulties. AS kids often don't need a script to talk,
but they do need to script and practice keeping a conversation
flowing and not becoming a lecture.
Another area of socializing that is difficult for AS
kids is having a social perspective. They don't gossip
about each other the way other kids do to learn about
each other. So Mom has to step in and talk about the other
kids personalities and how to cope with them. Typical
kids see social situations and remember what works
and what doesn't. AS kids need this explained very
concretely. Kids have to learn though how to deal with
difficult social situations and not avoid them. It is part
of work life and school life. This just is not taught
in a social skills class or ABA. But to be mainstreamed
you have to have some of this or be isolated or dependent
on Mom pairing you up.
For me and my daughter, ABA is used for her behavior issues
where it is predictable from day to day what is wanted.
And for predictable social situations.
We had to look privately for 1:1 conversation skill therapy
the school didn't understand what was needed. They don't
get it at all. We even had a behaviorist write a plan
for the school to have contrived social situations. And
to have 1:1 social pairing with two peers. Our school
is resistent to do this though.
Please tell me about your experiences with ABA therapy.
Kristie Carr Nelson
Love it!! The school won't pay for it nor will insurance, but it's been worth the expense as we've seen so much progress. Our therapist is not actually certfied so we pay less (her experience was in a group home teaching the youth social skills they need to be successful). She comes to the house to work with our 11 year old and he is learning the skills he needs to not only cope in the world but enjoy it and be successful! If you happen to live near a university that has an ABA program, you could find students who might be interested in working with your child. Just be sure they're the right fit.
Saturday at 2:03pm · Like · 1 person
Amanda Rose Daily-Daub Thanks! How many hours a week do you have your child participate in aba?
Saturday at 3:08pm · Like
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