During this time when we are forced to stay home, let’s try to make the most of it. This is a great opportunity to get parents involved. Providing telehealth services gives ABA practitioners the opportunity to see the client with his family from a distance. After a remote session has begun, ask the parent to…
Are the type of prompts used when teaching skills important? Absolutely! It may not seem like a big deal. You present a prompt and the learner performs the skill correctly. So what’s the harm in that? Prompts are meant to be an instructional tool. They should be used to teach correct responding and then faded…
Is your house currently a multiple grade level classroom, a cafeteria, a gym, an art room, a science lab, a library, a music room, an office for you, and a conference call location for your partner? We get it. This is a challenge. In the meantime, we hope the following suggestions and resources are…
Are you constantly yelling at your kids? Do you find yourself reminding them over and over again to stop doing things they shouldn’t be doing? Try ignoring! Now I know this is easier said than done so read on for some helpful tips. Truly ignore the behavior. This means, don’t say anything. Also don’t make…
Do these thoughts ever cross your mind: Why won’t my kids listen? Why do I constantly have to yell at my kids? Why are my kids so bad? Yes? Try using behavior-specific praise. It can be super powerful. If your kid does something good, praise them for it. Mention praise along with specifically what you…
Applied behavior analysis is nearly synonymous with “autism treatment” for many people, and it does not go without reason. There is an extensive body of literature on behavior analytic procedures being effective at reducing or even completely eliminating interfering problem behaviors in individuals diagnosed with autism and other developmental disabilities such as self-injurious behaviors, stereotypies,…
Consistency greatly impacts our effectiveness as behavior analysts. Getting the family of the client to buy in to our interventions can be challenging but necessary for most clients. Sure, some learners acquire the skill of behaving or responding in a certain way in our presence, but if it doesn’t generalize to outside our session, does…
Do you find yourself thinking this about your child? If so, here are some things that can help. Antecedent interventions, or things you can do to prior to the tantrum occurring, can be very effective at preventing the disruptive behavior. Instead of being reactive, you can prevent it all together. There is a reason the…
Generalization is an extremely important aspect of ABA intervention. People with autism don’t consistently generalize skills, and therefore we need to actively program for the generalization of skills from training to non training conditions. There are two important factors when considering the generalization of a skill: how will I promote or facilitate generalization during teaching,…
When discussing motivational systems in the field of ABA there are differing views out there. I have heard comments like these more often than I would like: ”But he doesn’t NEED a motivational system” and “He isn’t READY for tokens.” My response is typically, “Why do you go to work?” Do you work for free?”…
Did you know that it is unethical to delay an autism diagnosis (ASD) (Dillenburger, 2019)? There is more and more research emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis. This is because when early diagnosis occurs treatment is implemented immediately. Applied behavior analysis manipulates the environmental contingencies to produce meaningful and desirable outcomes in the lives of…
Holidays are a joyous time to spend with families. But for families of someone with an autism diagnosis, this time may be challenging. With holidays come crowded gatherings, schedule changes, and unpredictable events all which may be difficult for people with autism to handle. How can all members of your family participate in holiday festivities?…
by Lianna Steinheuser 
by Kandace Somers 
by Vera Viran 
