applied behavior analysis

  1. The Guilt of Active Ignoring and Why You Shouldn’t Feel It

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    It’s difficult navigating the autistic space when a child does something for attention. On the one hand, it’s hard because you want to give them all the attention in the world; on the other hand, they have a lot less ways than other kids of gaining the attention they need. As caregivers it can lead our heads in a spin; is ignoring their behavior when it is attention seeking the right thing to do? Are we neglecting their needs? Shouldn’t we be their strength of communication for them by speaking/acting/advocating for them? With Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) therapy a technique called …Read More

  2. Parent Training: Is your child’s behavior getting worse?

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    How do you know whether you’re experiencing an ‘extinction burst’ or if your child’s behavior is just getting worse? What is an Extinction Burst? To understand what I mean by this, I’ll give an example. If your child is hitting when asked to do something and the hitting is ignored but they still have to do the demand, a child won’t stop the behavior straight away; in fact it will get worse. Why? Because it used to work for them! This is called an extinction burst. When you start to ignore the behavior all together they will up the ante and try to go back to the way it was before. B…Read More

  3. ABA therapy steers autistic children to work through sensory overload until it’s no longer an issue

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    Many children with autism suffer from sensory overload. This could be sensitivity to noises, sensations, lights, textures, temperature and more. The issue with these sensory problems is they impede things your child needs to do. We work with a boy who has autism and he hates people touching his finger-tips. Therefore, it is almost impossible for parents to cut his nails because he will scream and thrash around. But he also uses his nails as weapons to hurt himself, so cutting them is necessary. It’s a catch 22 and there are a lot of times this happens for our autistic children. Take for exam…Read More

  4. Parenting Styles: Techniques can influence an autistic child in many ways

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    When it comes to Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) therapy consistency is key. This is true for all parenting styles; Autistic children are no different from every other child in the world. If they can find a way to get what they want, then they will utilize it. For instance, if a toddler wants a lolly-pop and you say no, then they ask somebody else and they say yes, they may ask different people until they get candy because it worked before. It’s important that all parents and those raising a child (because it takes a village) are on the same page. An ABA therapist in effect helps you to ra…Read More

  5. How to help your child with scrolling

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    Recently a family had trouble with their 2-year-old autistic son scrolling. Scrolling is when your child goes through several answers to a question before landing on the correct answer. This could look something like; You hold up a picture of a cow > instead of saying cow and getting the reward your child says > duck, dog, cat, cow! Whenever a new quirk in your child’s behavior arises you should always talk to your therapist about it so they can draw up a comprehensive plan, but there are some generic answers to this problem; which are commonly used by applied behavioral analyses (ABA)…Read More

  6. Terms that can be useful during ABA therapy

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    As a parent Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) uses a lot of jargon words that leave us confused and wondering what the heck the therapist just told us! Arming yourself with the professional language of ABA will help you understand what the analyst or therapist may be saying when discussing your child with you (or even each other). ABA – Applied Behavioral Analyses. ABC – A three step behavior process that stands for, antecedent, behavior and consequence. ASD – Autism spectrum disorder Abscissa – The horizontal line graph that measures the time a behavior occurs. Active Behavior – A b…Read More

  7. Tips on Potty Training

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    Autism can cause a host of issues when it comes to potty training and there are many reasons. Some of these issues stem from a general development delay, communication issues and anxieties that accompany toileting. The Trouble with Communication There may be some problems with communication where the child is unable to express that they need the potty, or do not understand the line of questions associated with the potty such as: “Do you need the bathroom?” Even body language can be a problem with children who have Autism; you may notice that your child has no warning signs before an accide…Read More

  8. Understanding how ABA therapy works can help your child out in many ways

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    As a parent involved in Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA), it’s fantastic to jump in with two feet. At first it can be a scary experience, watching your child tantrum as the therapist waits it out when you’re used to soothing—and let’s be honest, panicking. But there is also a blissful feeling of control that comes with the charts and numbers applied to these things. Our therapist had us tracking tantrums and your ABA therapist will likely do the same. How long where they lasting for? How many incidents of property destruction, violence, or self harm occurred? How bad was the destructi…Read More

  9. The impact of relationships for family and friends of an Autistic child

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    When there is disruption in the household between two people it affects everyone, and that can happen a lot with an Autistic child. Siblings of Autistic children may not interact with their ASD brother/sister, or there may be arguments and misunderstanding between them. This happens a lot because let’s face it sibling relationships are difficult as it is, but throw in a child who has trouble communicating, playing outside of their comfort range, with little understanding of social interaction, and there’s bound to be some issues. This isn’t anyone’s fault and the great thing about Appl…Read More

  10. A tool that can help to reduce your child’s anxiety

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    Children who have Autism often have trouble with transitions. A transition is just a fancy way of saying, going from one activity to the next, or one place to the next. Applied Behavioral Analyses (ABA) has plenty of tools in its toolbox to help your child overcome the meltdowns, or negative behaviors that occur after or during the transition. This article talks about visual schedules… Autistic children love routine and love knowing what’s going to happen next. Think about it this way: A friend says they’re taking you away for the weekend. They want you to pack everything you need within…Read More