Do you ever wonder why you receive rave reviews from your child’s teacher/therapists about his good behavior during therapy sessions, but fail to see the improvements at home? Or have you ever been in a situation where the therapist tells you that your child learned a new skill, but you have yet to see it when the therapist leaves? This often is a result of differing expectations in the school/therapy and home setting. As parents, you have the incredible ability to increase your child’s skills even when a therapist is not present. Although your child may benefit from their therapy sessions with a BCBA or ABA therapist, learning opportunities are endless and continue to present themselves 24/7. As a parent, it is often your job to capitalize on these opportunities and promote smooth transitions between what is expected of your child in therapy or school, and what is expected of your child at home. There are many ways that you can learn how to incorporate basic ABA principles into your home life, so that your child is provided with the consistency she needs to develop and maintain the skills she is learning.
Observe your child during therapy – If your child is receiving ABA therapy, it is likely that he is receiving services in your home. This is a great opportunity to sit in and learn first hand what goes on during your child’s therapy sessions. By observing sessions, you will be able to get an idea of the skills your child is learning, and help transfer them to times outside of therapy. This is also a great time to ask your child’s therapist to demonstrate certain techniques, or to contrive a situation in which you have been struggling, to help you learn how to work through them with your child. Don’t have enough time to observe a session? If you feel comfortable, you can give consent and ask your therapist to record a video of the session for you to watch on your own time.
Communicate with your child’s therapist/BCBA/teachers regularly – Your child’s teachers, therapist(s), and BCBA are just as much available to you as they are to your child. If you have a question or concern about the methods the therapist uses to teach your child, ask her to explain in more detail, and she will be more than happy to do so. The therapist will also be happy to point you in the direction of various peer-reviewed journal articles and other resources, to increase your knowledge. Being on the same page with the professionals in your child’s life not only builds consistency, but also minimizes the confusion that your child may feel with so many different expectations across various environments. Communication between you and your child’s teacher/ABA therapist can be done via email, phone, or even a notebook that you pass back and forth.
Do not present a demand that you know you will not/are incapable of following through with – One of the most basic principles of ABA is to follow through on a demand that you give. This is a concept that any ABA professional will use with your child during therapy. This is a skill that you can use in your home every day, and will benefit your family in a number of ways. If you ask your child to go and wash his hands before dinner and then allow him to sit down at the table without doing it, your child will learn quickly that you do not say what you mean and mean what you say. This develops a learning history that can become dangerous in the future. Imagine a child who is attempting to cross the street alone. When you say, “STOP!” it is highly unlikely that she will stop if they have learned through previous experience that it is unnecessary to listen to what you say. Simply following through with what you ask your child to do or to not do, on a consistent basis, can shape present and future behavior.