Parenting a Child With Autism
If we want to help a child with autism progress through his or her current struggles, we need to address them on their level. The process will entail a lot of patience and understanding. Remember that each child will learn, but not in the same way.
So, hang in there! This journey isn’t easy for your little one either, but the fact that you’re doing something about it will show some improvements later on. ✨
If you have questions about ABA Therapy or home sessions, shoot us a message today. 💕
What is NATURAL ENVIRONMENT TRAINING?
Natural Environmental Training or Incidental Training focuses on teaching skills in settings where your child will naturally use them. Using a child’s natural everyday environment in therapy can help increase the transfer of skills to everyday situations and help generalisation. Generalisation is when a child is able to apply the skills that they learn in one setting to other settings—even new or unfamiliar environments. 💙
AutismSTEP helps children in the autism spectrum progress through the individual setbacks that come with autism through individualised home-based sessions. Our Home Program provides children the help they need to improve skills and their level of functioning within the environment they are most comfortable in. The process will also help the child to generalise the skillsets learned in the home setting to a natural setting. 🧩
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The Top 3 Things You Need to Look For In An Autism Therapist in Singapore
Finding help for your child’s special needs can be tricky, because you want to make sure that you’re getting them the right kind of help. In finding an autism therapist in Singapore, it is important for you to know what signs to look for in judging the quality of the ABA provider.
First things first
After your child is diagnosed with autism, your first considerations would be to find a qualified Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Therapist. Among the different interventions available for autism spectrum disorder, ABA is the most widely used that is also proven by studies. However, the treatment is only as effective as the person who delivers it.
From the time your child is diagnosed, it is best to get treatment as soon as possible. But for it to be effective, you need a licensed and experienced therapist who is qualified to do the job.
Here are the qualifications you should look for in a therapist:
1. Educational Background
The basic requirements for a qualified ABA therapist should be a Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied Behaviour Analysis, Child Development Psychology, Education, and other related fields. In undergraduates, they should be at least certified by ABA coursework.
2. Certified and Experienced
In addition to education, a qualified ABA therapist should be one who is certified. It follows that a candidate should have gained experience in ABA and have worked with children in the Autism spectrum. Any experience working with preschool children, or children the same age as yours, is also a plus!
In your child’s therapy, you can expect to be teaming up with two people. The Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) who writes each treatment plan and a Registered Behaviour Technician (RBT) who delivers the therapy to your child.
3. Personal Characteristics
Beyond qualifications on paper, a good ABA therapist should also have the right character for the job. Dealing with children in the ASD spectrum is no easy task, and having the right attitude is a leverage to a successful intervention.
Empathetic
As an evidence-based approach, ABA works best when children with autism are under the care of empathetic and compassionate therapists. As the persons who will deliver therapy, ABA therapists need to be attuned to the child’s special needs, especially on their bad days. There will always be times when a child may be disengaged or disinterested, and may regress back to challenging behaviours. Instead of getting upset, a good ABA therapist should be empathetic because that equates to patience which would lead to a proper response. An empathetic ABA therapist takes the time to understand why the child is acting a certain way and be ready to change course if the planned session isn’t working.
Adaptable
ABA therapy is not a cookie-cutter approach. Rather, it is a flexible treatment that can be adapted to the unique needs of each child, which means ABA therapists need to be adaptable, too. They need to know how to take each child’s history, current behaviours, and challenges into consideration to determine the best course of action. What may work for one child, may not be applicable to another. By being flexible, autism therapists can reinforce desired skills while managing maladaptive behaviours.
Patient
You don’t want to leave your child under the care of someone with a short fuse since treating autism takes time and consistency. A behavioural therapist who is patient can set reasonable goals for each child and they can help them make small steps to meet them. Patience is important especially when a child displays challenging or aggressive behaviours. Instead of becoming visibly frustrated, you want someone who can stay calm and respond rationally.
Passionate
Deciding to have your child undergo ABA therapy, you want to have someone who is passionate about the topic and in helping others. These professionals should not only be aware of the basic tenets of ABA, but the latest research and trends which can equip them in addressing your child’s special needs. When one is able to strike a balance between knowledge and their passion to help, they can become the perfect instruments that can help children with autism overcome their greatest challenges and even live life to the fullest.
Professional
Besides having the heart to serve, you would want someone who is a professional, whether sessions are done at home or in a treatment centre. For your ABA therapist, that would mean arriving on time, communicating clearly with the families, and collaborating with other ABA professionals. As much as you want an understanding friend who will be regularly assisting your child, it is just as important that therapists maintain professionalism at all times.
Your Quick ABA Therapist Checklist:
- The therapist should be able to enjoy teaching and interacting with children.
- Your therapist should be able to work independently.
- A good therapist should be able to take and process directions from others.
- Your therapist can keep up with your child’s energy level because sessions with children with autism can be very tiring; does your therapist have what it takes?
- Able to take constructive observations and suggestions.
- Your therapist should be flexible and open-minded enough to accept criticisms
- A therapist must be reliable. A therapist who cancels a lot of sessions might not be fit for your needs.
- A good therapist sees the job not just a paycheck but more of a passion.
These simple guidelines in looking for an ABA therapist can be a major advantage to your child’s development. You need to heighten your awareness to see if your therapist is the right fit. If not, it’s okay to look for another one because time is of the essence for your child’s progress.
Landing a good autism therapist in Singapore is just as beneficial for you as a parent. Under the right hands, you don’t have to worry so much for your child because you know that they are under capable professionals. At the same time, you can also be a proactive partner as you learn through them in your child’s journey out of autism.
If you are already in the process of finding help for your child with autism, we hope that these reminders can lead you to the right person to deliver valuable interventions. If you have any questions, we are more than happy to assist you and connect you with a suitable ABA therapist from our team. Get in touch with us, NOW!
Success Story: Ethan’s Family Testimonial
“AutismSTEP was one of the most professional we have met and they have given well support, not only to our child, but also to us as parents. Dealing and managing a child with autism is not easy, you need some useful and workable methods which most parents do not pay much attention to.
By working with AutismSTEP, their therapists, case managers and program manager provide professional knowledge and skill services, sometimes even beyond their scope.”
– Amanda, Ethan’s Mom
👩👦Age of child when intervention started is 5-years-old
👩👦Length of Intervention is 8 months
Progress is not only focused on your child’s growth. It’s a collective effort where parents are also closely involved in the journey. In that way, you are also an active participant in the process. ❤️
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Myth: ABA takes a long time to see actual results
In ABA, the results can vary for each child. Some progress quickly, while others take more time. Just like all other therapy, ABA cannot promise instant results! The therapy focuses on moving with your child as they change and progress. If a child needs to learn basic skills, that is where the therapy will start and focus on. For instance, if parents want their child to learn how to read, therapy will start at identifying individual letters. We need to work on the prerequisites skills before the child can start reading chapter books. You will be able to see your child improve and progress towards your goal!⭐
Sharing is caring! Spread the facts and you just might help someone you know!💕
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Common Misconceptions about Applied Behavior Analysis
Applied Behaviour Analysis or ABA is a type of therapy that comes with several advantages. Unfortunately, several misconceptions have been spreading about it as well, leaving so many people missing out on the potential benefits that it could have provided for them.
For those who have seen the benefits of ABA Therapy in someone they know, we would like to hear your story!
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5 Common Components of Applied Behaviour Analysis for Children with ASD
Applied Behaviour Analysis or ABA is a common therapeutic technique used in behaviour modification, and is proven to be most effective in children in the autism spectrum. There are also specific components that are crucial to any quality ABA program.
To gain a better understanding of ABA, we will discuss the five common components used in ABA sessions. Let’s take a closer look at each of them below.
1. Task analysis
Task analysis is defined by the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders as “a teaching process that breaks down complex activities into a series of simple steps that students are able to learn more easily.” Behavioural therapists then teach those steps according to the child’s learning capacity until he or she can complete the task without assistance.
Task analysis is also an evidenced-based practice that is frequently used to teach self-help, develop appropriate communication skills, and other adaptive abilities. With positive reinforcement, the child can be trained to continue using these new skills in the future.
In a TASK ANALYSIS, behavioural therapists select the appropriate teaching method and customise it based on the child’s:
- temperament
- learning style
- history of what has and has not worked
- Individual Education Plan (IEP)/Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP)
- and environments within which he or she functions
2. Chaining
It can get frustrating for parents and the children themselves to foster positive behaviours in children with autism. Chaining is one tool that can help build a successful outcome.
Chaining involves small steps that must be taken sequentially to complete a task which allows ease of understanding and learning. For example, when teaching a child how to brush his teeth, he must take the toothpaste from the cabinet, open the lid, squeeze it onto his brush and so forth.
According to some behavioural therapists, chains are like recipes. People who would have no concept of baking bread rely on recipes to show them the step-by-step process. In the same way, children with autism learn to complete basic tasks which is more beneficial for them because the process is broken down into parts.
Task analysis and chaining can be combined. Before chaining, a task analysis must be done first to determine what behaviours should be associated with each other. During your child’s sessions, the behavioural therapist will determine which method of chaining works best based on his or her characteristics. The goal is to foster independence as the child completes the entire chain.
3. Prompting
Prompts are instructions, demonstrations, gestures, or other things that will serve as a nudge or a reminder that will increase the likelihood that a child will make a correct response. This approach can help avoid frustrations and meltdowns during the learning process.
Without prompting, a child with ASD may get frustrated in the process of fulfilling certain tasks while undergoing ABA therapy. Frustration can trigger negative behaviours to return which can lead to setbacks. Basically, this approach relies on reinforcing correct responses that are prompted.
4. Prompt Fading
A lot of kids with autism tend to be prompt-dependent. But it’s not the child’s fault as prompt dependency can stem from well-meaning adults who are trying to help the child gain skills, but have not faded these prompts quick enough.
Ultimately, you want your child to feel secure in completing skills on their own. Therefore, prompt fading is an essential component of ABA Therapy because it weans the child from being too dependent on prompting to complete a desired task. This is systematically done until your child can perform new skills on his or her own.
5. Rewarding
Even for adults, small changes are easier to make than large ones. The same is true for children in the autism spectrum. To help them overcome that struggle, rewarding is a form of positive reinforcement where attempts to complete a skill is encouraged until the child can perform the action or skill independently.
However, the child must be able to display the improvement consistently for the reward to be given. Some examples of rewards can be a Hi-5, verbal praises, a treat, tickles, playing bubbles, etc. The chosen reward will be based on what motivates the child.
The child’s usual performance would not receive positive acknowledgement, instead the therapist will highlight regular improvement. The reason for it is that positive reinforcement strategically encourages the individual to work towards mastering a skill.
These components are essential so that ABA Therapy can foster its intended effect. A successful program will help increase the skill levels of the child to the extent that the program is no longer required for them to function in a typical setting. For one-on-one sessions in the comfort of your own home, you can get in touch with us, here.
Read more about ABA Therapy:
6 Common Autism Treatment Options Available in Singapore
Parenting A Child with Autism
We understand that as much as autism is a struggle for kids who are on the autism spectrum, it is just as challenging for parents to manage.
It’s true that it takes a village to raise a child, and we want to be part of that journey. Remember that you are not alone. The right help is available.
Tag a friend who needs this reminder today.💙
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A Home Program Designed for A Child with Autism
AutismSTEP offers a Home Program to help your child progress in a familiar environment.
In-Home ABA Therapy offers the following benefits:
💙 Address common problems in a domestic setting (e.g. outbursts at bedtime, refusal to participate in meals, trouble with daily tasks and so on).
💙 Promotes the involvement of parents.
💙 The familiar environment reduces the time it takes to adjust.
Read more about our Home Program here – https://www.autismstep.com/home-program/, or you may call us directly at +65 6456 9950.
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Red Flags for Language Delay
Are you concerned that your child is not displaying any progress in the way they communicate? Here are some red flags you need to keep an eye out for. 🚩
ABA is the scientifically-validated therapy that helps children on the spectrum work through areas of severe developmental delay, like language and nonverbal communication by breaking down tasks into small, achievable steps with positive reinforcement at each stage.👶👧
Tag a friend who needs to read this today.
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