ABA Therapy
ABA is the science of behavior and learning! ABA helps us understand why people do what they do, how behavior is affected by the environment, and how learning takes place. ABA is also used as an evidence-based treatment approach to improve people’s overall well-being. The goal of ABA is to use data-informed decisions to teach desirable behaviors within socially meaningful skill sets while decreasing undesirable behaviors that are barriers to the learning process. ABA is used in teaching academics, social skills, communication, self-care, learner readiness, following directions, and motor skills. Fun fact: ABA principles are also used in sports, developing healthy habits, and even workplace efficiency! The beautiful thing about ABA is that anyone can learn how to implement its strategies. This can be challenging and more complex than it seems, which is why practitioners like those at Adaptive Steps have committed to sharing their knowledge and supporting families like yours!
Understanding Common ABA Techniques
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy uses many different techniques to help your child learn new skills and reduce challenging behaviors. As a parent, understanding some of these basic techniques can help you better support your child's progress and even use these strategies at home! Here are a few common ones you might hear about:
1. Positive Reinforcement
Think of positive reinforcement as adding something good to encourage a behavior to happen again. When your child does something you want to see more of, you immediately follow it with a reward or positive consequence. This makes them more likely to repeat that behavior in the future.
1. Example 1: Your child asks nicely for a toy, and you immediately give it to them. They are more likely to ask nicely next time.
2. Example 2: Your child completes their homework, and you praise their effort and let them have extra playtime. They will be more motivated to finish their homework in the future.
3. Example 3: Your child shares a toy with a sibling, and you give them a high-five and say, "Great sharing!" They'll be more inclined to share again.
Key takeaway: The reward should be something your child finds motivating! This could be praise, a hug, a favorite toy, a sticker, extra playtime, or a special privilege.
2. Prompting
Prompting is giving your child some kind of help or cue to guide them to do the right thing. Prompts are used to increase the likelihood of a correct response and help your child learn new skills. As your child learns, prompts are gradually faded or reduced until they can perform the skill independently.
Types of Prompts:
1. Verbal Prompt: Telling your child what to do
(e.g., "Say 'ball'" in order to gain access to the ball)
2. Gestural Prompt: Pointing to the correct item or action.
3. Model Prompt: Showing your child how to do something
(e.g., demonstrating how to put on their coat)
4. Physical Prompt: Gently guide your child's hand or body to complete the action (e.g., helping them hold a crayon to write).
Prompt Fading Example: Your child is learning to wash their hands. You might start with a full physical prompt (guiding their hands through the entire process). As they get better, you might fade to a gestural prompt (pointing to the soap) and eventually just a verbal prompt ("Wash your hands").
Key takeaway: Prompts are temporary supports that help your child learn. The goal is always to fade these prompts so your child can be successful on their own.
3. Shaping
Shaping is used to teach new and often more complex behaviors by reinforcing closer and closer approximations to the target behavior. You start by reinforcing any behavior that even slightly resembles the desired behavior. As your child shows that behavior consistently, you then only reinforce closer and closer approximations of the final goal.
Example: You're teaching your child to say the word "water."
a. First, you might reinforce them just to make any sound. Then, you might only reinforce them if they make a sound that starts with "w." * Next, you might reinforce "wa."
Finally, you would only reinforce them when they say "water" clearly.
Key takeaway: Shaping is about rewarding small steps in the right direction to gradually build a more complex skill.
4. Providing Choices
Offering your child choices can be a powerful way to increase their engagement, cooperation, and independence. When children feel like they have some control over what happens, they are often more motivated and less likely to engage in challenging behaviors.
1. Example 1: "Do you want to wear the blue shirt or the red shirt?"
2. Example 2: "Would you like to do your math homework before reading or after?"
3. Example 3: "For a snack, would you like an apple or a banana?"
Key takeaway: Make sure the choices you offer are acceptable to you! Providing choices gives your child a sense of control within appropriate boundaries.
5. Setting Healthy Boundaries for Expectations
Setting clear and consistent expectations helps your child understand what is expected of them and what the consequences will be if those expectations are not met. Healthy boundaries provide structure and predictability, which can help reduce anxiety and challenging behaviors.
Key Elements:
1. Clear Communication: Explain your expectations in a way your child can understand. Use simple language and visuals if needed."
2. Consistency: Enforce boundaries consistently. If the rule is "no running in the house," this should be the expectation every time. "
3. Positive Framing: When possible, focus on what you *want* your child to do rather than what you don't want them to do
(e.g., "Walk nicely inside" instead of "Don't run")."
4. Logical Consequences: Consequences should be related to the behavior and help your child learn from their mistakes
(e.g., if they throw a toy, they might have to put it away for a short time). "
Key takeaway: Consistent and clearly communicated boundaries help your child feel safe and understand the rules, leading to more predictable and positive behavior. Understanding these basic ABA techniques can empower you as a parent to better support your child's learning and development. Remember that your child's BCBA and therapists are the experts, so always feel free to ask them questions and work together as a team!