If your child’s been diagnosed with ASD, or autism spectrum disorder, you may be struggling to find a therapy that works. Building life skills in a dignified and meaningful way can be a challenge.
There’s a reason that applied behavior analysis (or ABA) therapy is one of the most popular methods for building skills in kids with autism. Studies show that it works well for both kids and parents.
We’ve detailed 5 ways ABA helps kids with autism thrive.
1. Emphasizes Rewards
Using a program with positive reinforcement is the best way to help your child learn. One of the reasons that ABA therapy is one of the highest-ranked, evidence-based therapies for autism is that it involves rewarding appropriate behavior.
The therapist will set goal behaviors, and when the child uses the behavior successfully, they will get a meaningful reward. This could be whatever helps motivate the child most, like play time outside or getting to watch a short YouTube video.
2. Unique Protocols
One of the benefits of ABA therapy is that it’s unique for each person. Because kids are all different, their needs vary based on their abilities and even the location.
Unfortunately, many people view those with autism as “other,” and associate that with being unable to learn or being less human. This approach counteracts that view and treats each person as an individual, one with unique gifts and abilities.
3. Applied Behavior Analysis: Helpful for Parents
Understanding ABA techniques can help therapists teach and reinforce skills that parents of children without autism take for granted. If you struggle to get your child to sleep through the night, or at least stay in bed until morning, ABA could help. The therapist will work with you to develop skills and give you tools to help you at home.
This can also work with potty training. Using methods like ABC, or Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence, the therapist can help the person understand both negative and positive consequences.
They learn how to replace one inappropriate behavior with another positive one.
4. Continued Practice
As with any habit, it takes time to build routines. One of the benefits of ABA therapy is that you and your child will learn to continually practice what you’ve learned. You can take the tools from therapy and use them at home.
5. Building Social Skills
Part of ABA therapy is working on social skills. This allows children with autism to build meaningful friendships.
They might have different levels of communication. Yet with time, they can acquire the social skills needed for interacting with peers and with the outside world.
Learning these skills can help people with autism later in life as they perform tasks like working a job or even managing their healthy diet on their own.
Understanding Real Situations
Finding the right therapy for your child with ASD may feel like a big challenge. Yet with applied behavior analysis, you’ll find the 5 benefits above, and more.
Seeking out an ABA therapist could bring the hope you’ve been looking for.
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