How To Prepare For Your Child’s First ABA Therapy Session
Your Child’s First ABA Therapy Session
It is exceptionally stressful for parents to take their child for the first session of applied behavioral analysis therapy. Many questions arise constantly in the head. This is one of the most stressful things that would occur in the mind of a parent and that is how to prepare for the first ABA therapy session for their child.
As a head start for the session, allow us to present a useful checklist to assist you in preparing your child. Here, we will be giving you some helpful advice that you may need to help your child prepare for the therapy. Stay till the last, and let us take you through the details. Let’s head on to the details!
4 Crucial Tips To Prepare Your Child For the First ABA Therapy Session
The first session is usually stressful for parents, however after a couple of meetings with your child’s therapist, you will be relaxed and confident before the next session begins.
Preparing your child for the session is essential before taking him or her to the therapist. You can follow different practices a few days before the session’s day. The top practices that will help you prepare your child well for the meetup with the therapist are as follows:
1. Link The Scenario With A Story
Children love stories, and you can use storytelling to prepare your child for the ABA therapy session. You can tell them adventurous stories and how exciting it is to meet new people. Let them enjoy the stories and connect them with their lives.
So, they are excited to see their therapist on the session’s day. Stories work really well and will let your child embrace the social skills activities, new skills, something fun and exciting.
2. Take to Your Child Before the Session
Never take your child to an ABA therapy program unannounced. Communicate with them and prepare them for the session. Let them accept this activity as a part of their routine so they feel comfortable engaging.
Never take them to the therapist suddenly. Always build strong communication with your child. The more informed they are before the session, the more actively they will participate during the session time.
3. Let Your Child Take His Favorite Toy To The Session
Going for the ABA session for the first time can discomforting for your child. Let them take their favorite toy along to feel comfortable. They can even keep the toy close to them during the session. This will let them embrace the feeling of comfort and safety because children are quite attached to their toys.
4. Pack Your Child’s Favorite Snacks to the Party
ABA therapy sessions are always playful and entertaining, although many of them include a great deal of physical activity. Your child will likely be doing some running around, jumping, learning important skills and other physical activities.
Always take their favorite snacks along to have some between or after the session. This will let your child feel refreshed and energetic, and their energy level will stay within optimum limits.
As a Parent, What do you Need to Ensure?
As a parent, there are certain things that you as the parent should do before going for the ABA therapy session for the child. There are a few things that have to be accomplished on your part because only when you are ready can you prepare your child for the session.
- Communicate properly with your child’s therapist.
- Ensure you have in-depth discussions with your therapist about your child’s needs and difficulties.
- Let the therapist be well-informed about the specific triggers your child may have. A healthy communication between you and the therapist before the session will help the therapist to ensure peaceful and engaging future sessions with your child.
It’s important to note that ABA techniques and therapies are not like a pill that you might take for the flu and you are cured of it. What the therapist does is try and explore different means and ways through which she or he can get to understand the best approach that can be used to address your child’s needs.
You should learn more about that specific behavior of the child to be able to start planning on how to ready him/her in therapy.
FAQs
What should I do in my first ABA session?
As an ABA therapist, you need to prepare well before your first ABA session. Take adequate time and build a trusting rapport with the parents who want to plan the best ABA therapy sessions for their child with autism. During the session, approach the child with the items or objects they find highly enjoyable to help with speech therapy. This process should occur before formal instruction. Try to spend your initial sessions pairing and running mastered programs.
What to expect on the first day of ABA therapy?
The first day is all about engaging and building a connection between the therapist and your child. On the first day of your child’s ABA therapy intake process, you will see the practice of positive reinforcement and healthy activities to boost your child’s confidence. So, the therapist will ensure that the child is engaged in fun activities and will try to let the child feel comfortable.
What is the best age to start ABA therapy?
The best approach is to start the therapy as early as possible. You can plan the first therapy session when your child is between 2 and 6. If you are looking for early intervention, ABA therapy should start when your child is around 0 to 2 years old.
Conclusion
When preparing for your child’s first ABA therapy session, there are several steps you need to undertake to ensure a positive child’s evaluation. It is common to hear parents stress and ask about how to prepare for the first session of ABA therapy for their child.
You must ensure healthy communication with the therapist before taking your child for therapy. Some tips you can follow before the therapy include storytelling, awareness discussion with your child, and taking their favorite toy and snacks along on the therapy day.
As a parent, you must stay active and confident because your child can feel your energy. If you are relaxed and comfortable, you can handle your child too. Remember that with the right approach and timely management of autism, you can help your child and let them feel better in less time.
References
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) – Autism Speaks
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for Children With Autism – CHOP
- 14 ABA Resources You Need to Know About – Therapy Brands
- Comprehensive ABA-based interventions in the therapy – NCBI
- The Controversy Around ABA – Child Mind Institute
- A popular list of Autism & ABA curricula and assessment-motivity
- ABA: An Evidence-Based therapy for Autism – NECC
- Contact Us – Schedule Consultation
