Kids with advanced language skills may be ready to have conversations with others, but how do we teach these skills? Here, we’re diving into what conversation skills are and how we can best teach them to our learners. We discuss examples of how to use different programs to teach conversation skills. We also talk about the challenges of teaching conversation skills with peers and in the natural environment.
The purpose of assessments is to provide us with a starting point and create a baseline for our learners. Some of the most common assessments include ABLLS and VB Mapp and we compare and contrast the two here. We also discuss the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and why it’s good for early learners, why you shouldn’t outsource assessments to RBTs, information on PEAK, and tips for how to complete a successful assessment.
Through the use of effective prompting, we’re able to help our learners succeed. Here, we dive into the hierarchy of prompting so we can use it in the best way possible. We discuss the importance of repetition and modeling and why they help learners become more successful. We also discuss fading prompts, why verbal prompts are the hardest to fade, and how to use least-to-most prompting.
ABA is an evidence-based, effective approach for teaching skills, especially for individuals with autism. Here, we’re diving in deeper and discussing what ABA is. We discuss how ABA uses data to make positive changes in behavior. We also talk about how ABA is tailored for each individual learner, why ABA isn’t only for children or those with autism, and more.
There are so many terms in ABA that it can be hard to keep track. We love our acronyms. One that often gets confused is verbal behavior (VB). So what is verbal behavior?
In ABA, a task analysis can be used to break down larger, more complex skills into smaller steps or actions to make things more manageable for our learners. Task analyses can be used to teach a variety of social and life skills. Here, we discuss how to create a task analysis from scratch, the different types of chaining, and how to use prompts to build independence.
When a lot of people hear the term, “ABA”, they think it only includes teaching at the table with discrete trials. This is not true. ABA has expanded to incorporate many, many different teaching procedures, including natural environment teaching (NET). Today, we’re talking all about how to incorporate natural environment teaching in ABA into our practice.
To put it simply, autism is a different way of thinking and viewing the world. Here, we dive into the technical definition of autism as stated in the DSM-V. We discuss each level of severity and the criteria for a diagnosis and how to classify autism in terms of behavioral excesses and behavioral deficits. Our conversation also includes discussion about repetitive behavior and how the approach to programming and goal setting is as unique as the individual client.
Shaping procedures in ABA are used to teach children new skills in small increments one step at a time. But what are the best ways to implement shaping and how can we use it to benefit our learners?
Play is a skill that a lot of our learners need to be taught. It doesn’t come as naturally to kids with autism or other developmental delays. Here, we discuss how to teach play and the best way to help learners develop these critical skills. We also discuss play teaching best practices, closed and open-ended play activities, and how to use play scripts.
