ABA- what to expect?

[Anonymous]

DC 3 was recently given a ASD diagnosis and ABA was recommended. We will begin within the next month. Any insights on what to expect?

[Anonymous]

good things

[Anonymous]

For us, the first week was hard as my son adjusted to new routine and new people making him "work" but honestly it wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Turned out he craved the intense structure, logic, and clarity provided by ABA. Do be on the watch for whether you feel like the providers "get" your kid and are good at figuring out reinforcers, changing things up, moving around. Ultimately your child needs to like ABA for it to work, which means they have to be good at pairing reinforcement with work. My son protests every transition and has severe separation anxiety, but he now giggles and hops with excitement when his therapists show up. I have had to get good about reminding new therapists of his unique sensitivities that I think are important to respect (i.e. I think it's unfair to ask him to make eye contact if you are too close for HIS comfort, even if that range would be ok for most people).

A side thing to prepare for - it is somewhat disruptive to have strangers coming to your house every single day. I find that it gets tiring, but it helps that we have a separate space where they can be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:good things

we had a home based program for 3 years, my DC was 2 years when we started. It helped that I have a home office upstairs and worked on things while he was with the therapists in the basement, I had a monitor, so I could hear everything going on. It was very helpful to me, as I was able to follow what they were working on, and apply it to a later time, this was a huge advantage.
the people that worked with DC were wonderful. Some more than others, it was nice to see them daily and I appreciate all the effort and love they put into DC's life. We do not really have that many people close to us, so I felt almost that they were very good friends, I could talk to them about DC issues, progress, challenges, and they got it. they were the ear I needed at times, and they were the cheerleaders we also needed.
It is time consuming from your end, as you will have many meetings with the team, but again, is all worth it. DC progressed, and excelled in some aspects, so you will be surprise how many things he has to show you, someone has to unlock the treasure!

best of luck to you and your family.

[Anonymous]

In the beginning, the therapist focuses on "pairing" with your child, and making sure that the table (where work is eventually to be done) is associated with fun. So in the beginning, there is a lot of fun and playing. That part is really essential though, so the child has bonded with therapist enough to follow her instructions. I was so amazed when my son couldn't wait to sit down at the table and begin work! And then he stayed in the chair too! (my son is not the sitting-still type)

It has been my responsibility to get reinforcers, and lots of them, and so that takes time and effort. My kid gets bored easily and needs a constant rotation. The effort I put (and $$) in getting the coolest reinforcers helps the therapists excel at their job.

For help with ABA terminology, I recommend "The Verbal Behavior Approach" by Barbera.

[Anonymous]

So much to learn. This is all very helpful. We are defintly hoping to unlock our sweet treasure.