Who I am
I am a military spouse and we have one child. This is our second duty station and I have heard many time’s how hard it is to find a company that provides ABA therapy. You either have to wait a really long time or it is difficult finding a company that aligns with your expectations and is willing to work with you when creating your child’s schedule.
I have been a BCBA since June 2021 with previous experience working in homes, in the community, schools and clinic settings providing ABA therapy. I am aware of the shortage in companies providing effective ABA and the bad rep ABA has been given. With that being said, I am hoping to spread the awareness of what ABA should look like, provide resources to families recently diagnosed and be able to assist either while waiting for a full time spot in ABA or the extra assistance in parent trainings.
WHAT IS ABA?
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ABA is a science that is used to understand why behavior is occurring. This therapy is used to increase communication, social skills and independent skills while decreasing the negative behaviors.
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No! ABA should not be harmful to your child. Your BCBA should be creating your child’s treatment plan with you, going over goals and procedures that will be used. If you feel uncomfortable with any procedures you should speak up so you can work together to create a new protocol.
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ABA is extremely beneficial in many different areas. The main benefit is your child will learn an effective way to communicate their wants and needs. Behavior is typically a resemblance of an un-met need. Different social skills can be worked on (having a conversation, sharing/taking turns, working with others) and teaching everyday independence skills (tying shoes, brushing teeth, toilet training). The best thing about ABA is it is individualized to YOUR child. Your wants as a parent for your child should be the primary goals for your child’s treatment plan.