The beginning of a new school year can be an exciting time. For others, it evokes more fear and worry than glee. For our children and students with ASD, A new school year can mean difficult transitions, loud noises, intimidating social situations, and unrealistic classroom demands. We want to set our little ones up for Read more about Prepare Your Child or Student with ASD for School[…]
Unfortunately, writing good program descriptions is not something that was covered in the training to become BCBA certified. Most of us have a solid background in the foundations and principles of ABA yet we weren’t taught how to apply that knowledge to creating programs. Sure, there are assessment tools that guide us but children don’t Read more about How to Write a Good ABA Program[…]
How many times have we asked a student, “Where do you go to sleep?” and they answer “At night”? Or “When do you go swimming?” and they answer “in the pool”? Answering ‘wh questions’ is a difficult skill for many of our students. A typical child should be able to answer “where” and “what’s that” Read more about Teaching Kids to Answer ‘Wh Questions’[…]
Teaching social skills can be one of the most challenging areas of programming. It’s so important but it doesn’t come naturally for so many of our students. Social skills are individualized and constantly changing so the program has to be dynamic enough to keep up. So how do we program for this in a way that Read more about Using Board Games to Promote Language[…]
One of my favourite things about my job is when we get clients when they are young (2-3 years old). This means that I love creating a program for beginners who might just be learning to talk and socialize. First, let’s clarify what I mean by “beginner”: it’s not only age-based but it could be Read more about Beginner ABA Program[…]
Too often, my sons come home complaining that they lost their recess time because classmates were behaving badly. This is one of my pet peeves as a parent, former teacher and BCBA. Recess is non-contingent reinforcement and I believe it should NOT be earned or lost. Generally, removing outdoor time does not improve behaviour – kids Read more about Classroom Reinforcement Systems That Work[…]
There are a lot of tools in my BCBA tool box that I use regularly to help shape positive behaviour. A behaviour contract is one of my go-tos for learners who are able to wait for delayed reinforcement. When implementing, it’s important that the learner understands what behaviours are being reinforced even if they’re not accessing Read more about How To Effectively Write A Behaviour Contract[…]
When I was a classroom teacher, I didn’t always have the tools or knowledge to effectively deal with learning or behavioural challenges. It was frustrating! Soon after I graduated with a Masters in Education, I was given a group of 4-year-old preschool children; and, despite my years of studying, I was unprepared. There was one Read more about 5 ABA Principles I Wish I Knew When I Was a Teacher[…]
My 5-year-old daughter just finished telling me about her adventure at the Science Centre, leaving no detail out. She’s a chatterbox! My hubby and I love listening to her, especially because she was tight-lipped until she was close to three.
To promote language in our late talker, I used communication temptations and labeled everything we saw and every action we did during our daily activities. It’s important for us to clearly and slowly model words for our little loves, because listening to us helps them develop language.
There’s a lot you can do to help your sweetie speak, too. Cross-my-heart, it’s not too much work and definitely worth the effort. Here are a few examples of what you can do to promote language in your quiet kiddo. […]
When you pick up Patty from school or daycare, you always find her alone spinning toys and humming to herself. She seems happy by the situation but you’re not – you’d prefer that Patty would participate with peers. You wish that she could make friends and have fun playing with them. In general, that’s hard for kiddos with autism. However, with coaching and teaching, Patty can become more comfy relating in social situations! Here’s how you can help your honey make friends. […]