Seeing your child achieve their full potential is what all parents desire. This is now possible thanks to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy services.
ABA therapy is a widely recognized and effective method used by today’s parenting methods, leading to great results for the child. Therefore, the therapy is constantly expanding its wings and improving constantly. If you are looking for effective ABA therapy techniques for your child’s growth and development, you may check out the
1 – Positive and Negative
In learning disabilities, the child has difficulty understanding how to respond in certain situations. When children with learning and or behavioral disabilities exhibit good behavior, they’re typically rewarded. Unfortunately, this may result in the child’s brain responding to rewards too strongly, leading to negative behaviors.
This is where positive reinforcement becomes so important. Like a grade school teacher who rewards good behavior with stickers on report cards, the proper training of an individual could encourage a child with any disability to reinforce correct actions in the future.
A child with learning disabilities or social disabilities is not always able to express what they want or need. Therefore, parents sometimes rely on their child’s actions to determine their needs. So, children with autism may speak very little or make noises for attention. A parent might give in each time this happens to avoid the frustration of the situation.
However, when the same request occurs later, a parent should use positive reinforcement immediately to encourage that behavior. The key reason for positive reinforcement is encouragement to do more. Thus, positive reinforcement is used to encourage undesired behavior in a child.
2 – Video Modeling
If your child is interested in watching graphics and visuals, it might be the best way to make them learn things. They can catch on the visual learning fast, and video modeling can be one of the best tools for making your child learn.
So, video modeling might seem odd, but it’s a great way to teach autistic children to interact socially. Instead of getting a face-to-face intervention, you use video modeling to bring a real-life situation into the virtual environment and give that child the skills he needs to deal with whatever the situation is. That way, you can build those social skills before they need them in real life.
In a nutshell, video modeling is teaching someone to mimic movements and body language by playing the role of an expert or teacher who models certain actions for the learner.
3 – Prompting and Fading
Promoting learning in children with autism can be a challenging endeavor. It can be extremely satisfying when children finally begin to show progress, but maintaining this progress represents an uphill battle against the complications of autism and its effects on cognitive development.
Talking about this process, therapists prompt and fade by saying or doing things to help children learn new skills. It starts with a prompt, a physical or verbal cue to help a child do something. The therapist may also fade by doing less and less over time while the child practices the skill they have learned.
If a child has difficulty with a certain task, physical prompts can help them learn by doing. Physical prompts are props, tools, or other aids children can use to complete tasks. These prompts should be gentle and meaningful for the children to understand easily.
4 – Teaching in a Natural Environment
ABA therapy techniques are to include children in real-life circumstances. This is done by having them go grocery shopping. Make sure that this experience is positive but challenging at times. This way, children will learn to adapt to situations in their daily life.
In an open environment, children learn better. They better understand when they are taken out in a store and made to understand how to behave there, rather than being at home. Initially, it may be challenging, but it becomes a practical approach later. It works best when you must introduce a behavior to a child that isn’t ready yet. He will feel more comfortable by practicing the behavior in an environment where he feels comfortable without feeling overwhelmed. In this way, you make the child feel more at ease and supportive.
5 – Generalization
Generalization is an effective way to help children learn a skill that could be useful in many different settings. It’s also one of the most commonly used techniques for helping children with autism. It involves teaching a child how to take something they have learned and use it in a different way or environment.
If your child is working with school-based ABA services, a therapist will use this technique to help you incorporate what you learned at home when you go to school.
Talking about sample generalization problems include teaching children to ask for a cup of water at home when they are thirsty or teaching them to ask for a drink at the grocery store while they are thirsty.
6 – Behavior Chain
The behavior chain method is a technique of non-verbal behavior modification. It is designed to teach children who have autism, especially how to improve their behavior by reducing or eliminating undesirable behaviors through the use of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and shaping.
A behavior chain is a detailed, structured, systematic approach to teaching young children. It’s extremely effective and can help you get results quickly. So, you can use this technique for your child’s overall development in a very effective approach or manner.
7 – Behavior contracts
The contract aims to teach children the consequences of their behaviors and help them practice appropriate behaviors. Applied behavior analysts often use contracts in the classroom. Children learning from a behavior specialist have shown improvement in most achievement areas compared to children without that kind of treatment.
The parent or therapist works with the child about their goals to achieve, and when they have achieved those goals, they are rewarded with a reward or prize (i.e., candy). They learn what behaviors to perform to get their reward, which can be a sticker or tangible reward. It is one of the most convenient ABA therapy for children who have autism.
Finding the Right ABA Technique for Your Child
Your child is unique. They have strengths and weaknesses, and interests. Their cognitive abilities may be different from other children of the same age.
So, it’s important to design an ABA program that specifically helps your child complete a daily assignment, memory search, or other tasks.
If you have children on the spectrum and want to connect with local families, visit our autism service page. You can call or email us for more information about your family’s needs.
