So you have an ABA home program for your child with Autism Spectrum Disorder…. and it might feel like a revolving door of people coming and going in your home.  Here’s a few tips on getting the most out of your home ABA program and the resources (your staff!) at your fingertips.

• Don’t be afraid to speak up!  YOU are the expert in your child’s past and you are the biggest resource we have when learning about what’s worked and what hasn’t in the past.
• Reserve a few of your child’s favorite things for the therapy sessions.  If you want to seriously amplify the effectiveness of the therapy sessions… reserve some highly-preferred activities, edibles, toys, sensory-activities, and anything else you can think of!  This creates a really motivating therapy environment.  It also helps your child come to view the therapists as the gateway to All Good Things.
• Get dirty!  When it’s a good time, volunteer to jump in the session and learn how the therapists are working with your child so you can replicate those results!
• Generalize, generalize, generalize. One secondary characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorder is an inability to take information and apply it to new environments, people, items, and so forth.  The best way to overcome failure to generalize is to encourage your child to use the new skills he or she is learning EVERYWHERE! Your team can help you come up with a plan for generalization. At ABLG, we prioritize this critical therapeutic component.
• Please give us the benefit of the doubt.  We KNOW some of these treatment procedures can feel downright impossible to do.  We’ve done them ourselves and know they can be crazy-making.  Deliver a reinforcer every 30 seconds? Do you not have a life?  We’ll do our best to design treatment plans that fit into your life, if you agree to give them a fighting chance. The only reason we’d recommend this crazy stuff is because we’ve seen it work, and we want to help create meaningful change in your family’s life.
• Take a moment with our Code of Ethics. We swear we’re not trying to be difficult. We are bound by a code of ethics in our profession, just like doctors and health care practitioners. These are in place to help keep everyone safe. If we can’t do something you ask us to do, know those “ethics” are a real thing.Parents, now it’s your turn! What do you want your ABA providers to know about working with your family?  Leave us a comment below… and don’t forget to come check out our Facebook page.