Looking back on my years as a teacher, I can now say that ABA was the missing piece in my classroom (see: 5 ABA Principles I Wish I Knew as a Teacher). As a preschool and elementary teacher, I was struggling with the concepts of reinforcement and behaviour management. This is why I find the Read more about How to Use ABA to Manage Challenging Behaviour in the Classroom[…]
One of the most important first steps that a child needs to make in ABA therapy is learning the concept of first/then – “First I do something (fill in demand here), then I get something (fill in reward here)”. The Premack principle states that if high-probability behaviors (more desirable behaviors) are made contingent upon lower-probability Read more about Teaching Compliance with First/Then (Premack Principle)[…]
We know that an ABA program has been successful when we put ourselves out of a job. As difficult as it is to say good-bye to clients and parents that we’ve been working with for so many years, we know that we served them well if the child has successfully transitioned to school and doesn’t Read more about Teaching School-Readiness Skills[…]
During one of my first few experiences as an ABA therapist, I was introduced to “The White Diet”. We had a particular student who would only eat white foods, such as pasta, bread, crackers, and cheese. Since then, I’ve seen many versions of the picky eater – the student who would only eat a certain Read more about Dealing With a Picky Eater[…]
We often encounter misconceptions about what ABA is and what it is not. As with any therapeutic method out there, there are ways to use it and there are ways to abuse it. Unfortunately, the wrong application of the principles at the wrong time or with the wrong student can be detrimental to a child Read more about Good ABA vs. Bad ABA[…]
In the field of ABA we often talk about using “evidence-based practices” in teaching skill. What does this mean? It means that when we are choosing a teaching strategy, we refer to the literature in determining if it has been effective in controlled studies. Video modeling is an example of an evidence-based practice that has Read more about Using Video Modeling to Teach Skills[…]
We recently met with a client who was referred to us for her young son with ASD who was not yet talking. In the process of getting the program started, she raised a concern – “My son doesn’t have many negative behaviours , he just doesn’t seem to understand us or follow instructions. Is behaviour Read more about ABA is More Than Good Behaviour[…]
Before I had kids, I swore that my children wouldn’t be raised on television and media and I would never use a screen as a babysitter. For many years, we did not even have a television in our house. I imagined that we would do enjoyable things together like baking, arts and crafts, and puzzles. Read more about Technology – Love it or Hate It?[…]
What is a teacher to do when she is given a student that is difficult to manage or has learning challenges? It seems like the go-to solution for some schools has been to recommend that the student have a shadow in the classroom. Sometimes, this is referred as an Educational Assistant or a Special Needs Read more about The Shadow’s Role in the Classroom[…]