Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy as an evidence-based treatment, can help your child learn and adapt and can help you and your family improve your quality of life.
1. Breathe
You probably just learned that your child has Autism or any other disorder or disability that requires ABA therapy. The first thing you need to do is to breathe. You are not the first or the only person in this situation. Instead of going down the spiral of “what will happen to my child?” focus on what you can do to help yourself and your family navigate through this difficult time.
ABA therapy is a long and intensive program this needs every bit of energy and patience you have. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so take a minute to breathe and prepare for what comes ahead.
Taking care of yourself and allowing yourself to grieve is key in this journey and in your child’s success. It is definitely a lot de take in, but you can always ask for professional help and support from your friends and family.
2. Start learning
Start learning by searching the internet, reaching out to parents in a similar situation, and taking courses about your child’s condition and ABA therapy.
At this stage, learning is crucial:
- any bit of information you learn can come out in handy along the process
- learning about ABA builds your confidence and prepares you for what to expect
- it also helps you assess ABA providers and other professionals and sport any red flags.
- it helps you train your child’s caregivers and family to better communicate and care for him.
From my personal experience, I find that reaching out to parents in similar conditions to be the most helpful of all strategies because:
- it’s reassuring to talk to people that understand your specific situation
- it provides you with the hope that you can also live through this and that you and your child can also succeed
- these parents will provide you with priceless information and tips on therapies, professionals, doctors, and schools… that might take you months and years to learn. They help you avoid so many mistakes and save so much time and money.
You can also find a lot of helpful information and free training done by parents and professionals on Youtube or other platforms. You can learn so much in your spare time or while driving to and from work.
I find these two first steps essential to succeeding in step 3 which is the longest and hardest of all.
3. How to Choose an ABA provider
In choosing your ABA provider, there are some important criteria:
a. Certification
It’s crucial that the ABA therapist that creates the treatment plan for your child has a certification of some sort. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) is the best and most prestigious certification for therapists and that is what you should aim for.
The treatment plan created by the therapist is usually carried out by a behavior technician or a board-certified assistant behavior analyst. They are the ones who work with your child based on the goals set by the therapist. They should :
- be supervised by a certified ABA therapist
- receive regular training
- be experienced in working with children with Autism and other learning disabilities
b. Recommendations and reviews
Recommendations and online reviews should also be taken into consideration while choosing your ABA provider. They help pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of the ABA provider.
You can also ask parents who take their children to the ABA provider that you have chosen either by contacting them
- online through social media because they liked or commented on the ABA provider’s page or account
- or in-person while taking their children in or out of the location of the ABA provider
c. Good fit
It is important that you choose an ABA provider that is a good fit for you and your family. ABA programs are intensive, so it is important that you choose an ABA provider that you trust and enjoy working with.
Commute distance from and to the ABA provider is an important criterion to be taken into consideration. Long commutes deprive you and your family of great opportunities to play and interact with your child and together.
My last tip in choosing your ABA provider is to follow your intuition as a parent and trust your ability to make the right choice for your child. What’s right for your family might not be for others.
4. What are some questions that you should ask the ABA provider?
Here is a list of the most important questions you can ask your ABA provider before deciding he is a good fit:
- How many years have you been practicing ABA?
- How long have you been treating kids with the same condition and age as my child?
- What kind of results have you seen with these children?
- Will my child have a designated ABA therapist? How many hours a week will he see him?
- How much time does a typical evaluation take?
- Do you take parents’ requests into consideration in setting up the treatment goals?
- What does an ABA session look like and what tools do you use during the session?
- Can I watch my child’s sessions? (if no) Can I at least see videos showing his progress?
- How do you measure progress? How often do you measure progress?
- How do you deal with difficult children?
- How do you handle safety issues?
Here is a pdf file with the checklist with the most important questions that you have to ask your ABA provider. You can print the checklist and take it with you to your appointment:
Most important questions to ask your aba center or provider.pdf
These are the main questions that you can ask the ABA provider to assess his knowledge and experience dealing with your child’s condition. Feel free to add a comment with any other important question that is not included in this list.
5. What are some red flags to watch out for in an ABA provider
After choosing an ABA provider that is right for you and your child, don’t be afraid of observing your child’s behavior before, during, and after sessions and voicing any concern that you might have. Here are some red flags to watch out for:
- use of excessive punishments and few positive reinforcements.
- aggressive behavior from the technician of the assistant who is working with your children. This includes forcing eye contact or excessively fighting stimming physically and verbally.
- absence or lack of data regarding the progress of the children. The technician or behavior assistant that works with your child should always have some kind of tracking sheet or paper to record what your child learning and how well he is doing. When you see the technician or behavior assistant going in and out of the sessions without any kind of record, that means that the progress that your child is making can not be measured.
- providing recommendations that are not specific to your child, his behavior, or his condition.
- inability to respond to any of your concerns when you voice them.
- inability to see significant progress in your child. After the first few weeks, you should be able to start seeing improvements in your child’s behavior and see new skills emerging.
Keep in mind that, like in marriage, you should take your time choosing the right ABA provider. Also, keep in mind that you can change this provider anytime your feel that it’s no longer a good fit for you and your family.
