Autism ABA Therapy at Home: Tips for Getting Started
One of the benefits of ABA is that you are not required to purchase expensive tools or equipment to teach your child essential skills. Instead, you can use toys or other objects around the house as you implement ABA methods. In addition, it is easy for your entire family to get involved in helping your autistic child.
When you hear the term, therapy, you may feel unqualified for the task or feel like that a lot of work is involved. However, ABA therapy is designed to be enjoyable and enriching at the same time. Here are some tips for getting started with your child:
Start with Simple Activities
Both you and your child are more likely to be successful if you start with simple activities and build on them. For instance, a common activity that parents often start with is sitting across from their child and making simple requests. As your child completes the requests, give them praise. Other easy activities that you and your family can work on together include:- Getting your child to maintain eye contact
- Identifying and touching a different part of the body (eyes, nose, mouths, etc.)
- Singing songs that are related to the current activity
- Learn colors by associating them with toys or other objects
- Learning shapes by drawing or tracing them on paper
Get Your Family Involved
Therapy has the best outcome when your child has a strong relationship with everyone in the household. Without a strong relationship with parents and siblings, the therapy will not be as effective. This is because the connection that the child makes with the rest of the family is as important as the therapeutic approach.Autism Resources For Parents
The more your family works with the autistic child the more insight they can provide, as they observe the child’s behavior from an insider’s perspective. As such, your family plays a vital role in shaping the therapy. You can determine what works and what doesn’t work. Autism resources for parents provide parents with critical resources to aid in assisting their child better manage their autism spectrum disorder. Autism resources for parents provide educational content to better help parents.Work with Your Analysts/Therapist
When adopting autism ABA therapy at home, it is essential that you will work with board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA) who can assess your progress, provide critical guidance, and give you the support you need when you experience challenges. A BCBA can perform a wide range of functions such as:- Meeting with your child to observe and assess their behavior
- Discussing treatment programs with parents or caregivers
- Developing plans to improve child behaviors
- Helping parents develop goals and benchmarks
- Providing solutions for challenges that parents may face