While ABA therapists are dedicated to your child’s program, parent involvement is crucial.
While ABA therapists are dedicated to your child’s program, parent involvement is crucial. You are your child’s best advocate, as no one knows your child as you do. This is why parent involvement plays a crucial role in ABA therapy. As a parent, you can provide valuable insights into your child’s environment, abilities, struggles, and daily routines. There are many ways to get involved with your child’s therapy sessions.
Help Develop Your Child’s Treatment Plan
Your child will have a treatment plan in ABA therapy. This plan includes goals you and the BCBA develop together. The goals might be based on things you want your child to learn and things your child’s therapist has identified as necessary for your child to work on to support their independence and development.
To be more involved in your child’s ABA treatment, be sure you participate in developing your child’s treatment plan. Meet with the BCBA and share specific skills you’d like your child to work on or behaviors you’d like to see your child improve. You should also ask questions to better understand the interventions they recommend.
Observe Therapy Sessions
Observing your child’s ABA therapy sessions is a great way to learn more about their treatment plan. You can better implement similar techniques at home by watching your therapy team teach new skills and address problem behavior. Consistency across environments can help your child master new skills more quickly than if they only practice in therapy. When observing your child’s sessions, let your therapy team know if you want to become a more proactive parent. Make sure the center allows parents and guardians to watch ABA therapy sessions.
Communicate with Your Child’s Therapy Team
Parent meetings allow you to share information with your child’s BCBA. It is helpful to update your child’s therapist on how interventions are going on at home. Let them know if your child is progressing on treatment goals, review data you’ve collected, and communicate about other issues, such as your child getting ill or not sleeping well. Attending parent meetings can make you much more involved in your child’s treatment.
Be Consistent with Routine
If their therapy sessions and regular routines across all settings coincide, your child is less likely to become confused. Your child’s established skills and behaviors are reinforced when you follow through and put what you’ve learned into practice. Try your best to stick to the same routine to ensure your child is consistently improving.
The Connections Therapy Center
The Connections Therapy Center serves families of children and adolescents with disabilities and special needs. We are a team of experts in behavioral sciences. As a team, we offer intensive hands-on therapy for children and adolescents, as well as informative and useful resources for families. If you are interested in learning more about what we can do to help your family, visit us online or give us a call at (301) 577-4333. Want to get more information on how to help your child thrive? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.