Parent Resources
Parents and caregivers, we dedicate this page to you. Information for you and activities for your kiddos!
Parent's Role in ABA
As a parent you are the main supporter of the service.
By empowering parents, we empower our children!
A Parent's Role in ABA. As a parent, you have many roles - a provider, a role model, an advocate, and an educator. When you begin your ABA journey with your child, you will have a team that is ready to encourage, support, and empower you. You may feel overwhelmed at times but know we are always here for you!
For your child to be most successful with ABA therapy, they need you to implement strategies outside of therapy hours. Parents will learn techniques from their Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and are supported when implementing them.
By working together with your ABA team, you provide consistency for your child, helping them succeed in their natural environment. Being an active participant helps you gain the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to guide his growth in the home and community setting. The truth is this journey is for both you and your child to learn and grow.
Reinforcement
Reinforcement is something that occurs after a behavior that increases the future likelihood that the behavior will happen again. The most important things to remember about reinforcers are:
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Allow your child to decide what reinforcer he/she likes. Not all children like candy or a specific tv show. What is interesting to your child will be best for them.
Why is reinforcement important?
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Reinforcement needs to be delivered immediately after the behavior.
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Reinforce the behavior, not the child. Focus on the behavior you want to increase - be praise specific!
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Finally, only reinforce what behavior you want to see increase - super obvious but a common mistake.
For example, the child and parent are in the grocery store. The child sees candy - ask for candy and is told no. The child cries. The parent wants it to stop, so they give him/her candy. This example shows why reinforcement is important. You reinforced the crying behavior, and your child has learned one way to get what he/she wants is to cry. What you reinforce will most likely increase the occurrence of it happening again. Reinforce the behavior you want to see more from your child.
Teamwork
Your Team!
Teamwork makes dream work!
Your child will most likely have a fantastic team made up of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), Occupational Therapists (OT), Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP), and Social Workers, and Special Education Teachers. Let's not forget, medical professionals that are important members of our child's health teams – such as Paediatricians, Registered Dieticians, and Psychologists.
Every member of your team must be willing to collaborate to ensure the best service possible for your child and your family. We are in this together!
Frequently asked questions
The 'Let's chat about it' was made to help parents understand more about ABA related topics.
DYI Sensory Activities
Our student model demonstrates fun activities in the videos. She is our on-staff 11-year-old who loves to discover sensory fun! Visit our IG page for more details