There are many misconceptions that intense ABA therapy is “hard” on the child.
However, this is where all the necessary developmental skills are taught to him so he does not have to struggle!
Start with FUN!
The very first thing the therapist will do is PLAY with the child. We conduct a preference assessment (to objectively determine what the child enjoys playing with – and what would be motivating during therapy), and build rapport.
Preference assessments are a simple and easy way to find out what your child likes and what we could use as motivation so he wants to participate. Building rapport is a fun part for your child and the therapist. When building rapport, we pair ourselves with the things the child likes to do and become someone they want to work with and trust.
Visuals
There will typically be visuals used as prompts so the child knows what is happening/what is expected of her. This could be as simple as a First/Then visual with a picture that means “work” on the “First” side and a picture of the toy they want on the “Then” side. It is okay if he does not know what new visuals mean or what visuals are; staying consistent and using them often will help her learn what they mean quickly.
Reinforcement Chart
Often there is a token system set up where the child has to earn a specified amount of tokens to earn something they choose before starting work. For example, a child may need to earn five tokens to access a toy train he wants to play with. She will then receive a token for every question (ex: touch your nose) he answers correctly. This sets up a contingency that when she works, she can earn something for it. The frequency of reinforcement is systematically “thinned out” or delayed. Eventually, the child will work for five, 10, then 15 minutes, with intermittent specific verbal praise, before receiving a break. When her break time is up, she is brought back to the table to keep working and the process starts over again.
Specific Verbal Praise/Positive Praise
Throughout the session there is a lot of positive praise given when the child responds correctly and throughout the time he is working. Even something as simple as sitting down when asked is followed by, “Thanks for sitting right away!”
WHAT and HOW we Teach
Each ABA program is customized for the individual child. Following the results of the evaluation, a program plan is created to target the child’s specific skill deficits. We start by teaching each skill receptively (touch the…give me the…) so that we can prompt the child and show him what item we are referring to. Once the child learns to receptively identify the item, we then teach him to say the name of the item (expressive labeling). We also teach academic skills in a similar, systematic and structured manner. Self help skills such as eating, grooming, and dressing, are taught using a shaping procedure in which components of the skill are taught step by step.
Everything we teach is recorded and graphed. The decision to move on to the next
skill, or “master a target,” is a data-based decision based on that particular child.
For more about Applied Behavior Analysis, ABA, check out these posts:
ABA Therapy- Who, What, Where, When, Why and How
Building Auditory Processing/Listening Comprehension Skills with ABA