Helping your child overcome autism with ABA Therapy

When we are talking about autism, we must say that there is no cure for this critical health condition. However, experts believe that in order to manage symptoms and develop independence skills, the best way to help a child with autism is to opt for ABA therapy.  There are also sensory toys or products available that are specially made for a child with special needs and designed with each and everyone in mind whether kids or adults.  

We always have to remember that ASD, or autism spectrum disorder is a really complicated condition that is present differently in every individual. 

The reason for this particular disorder is still unknown. However, researchers are doing their job quite well in finding the actual reason. Whether it is genetics, prenatal condition, or some other unknown factors are playing a role behind it. 

At the same time, health providers must focus on helping those individuals with ASD live satisfying lives. Therapeutic treatment works really well for individuals who are dealing with autism. 

You can get more detailed help and know a lot more about ABA therapy from LCABA

The Right Therapy For Autism

With the right type of behavioral therapies, children who are struggling with autism can use their abilities and skills. But we also need to remember that every child with autism presents differently, and to help a child with autism, there is no particular treatment for this condition. 

All those traditional treatments are mostly focused on conditions that accompany ASD, like epilepsy, sleep disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Those treatments offer relief. Still, they are not at all sufficient for children to develop skills for everyday life. 

The proper treatment of ASD always includes medications along with speech therapy, verbal behavior therapy, and interventions. A lot of professionals and also the parents of autistic children strongly advocate ABA or Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy. 

It has been really successful in treating autism. In addition to this, the latest meta-analyses also show that the autistic brain has a different response to non-social rewards. This is the basis of ABA therapy. 

Here, in this article, we will talk about how ABA therapy can help a child with autism:

ABA Therapy As A Treatment Of Autism

“The idea that autism is nothing but a combination of behavioral symptoms.”

This is the foundation of applied behavioral analysis or ABA therapy. ABA therapy was implemented first in the year 1987 by a behavioral psychologist, Dr. Ivar Lovaas. He believed that by using rewards and consequences, an autistic child could learn behaviors and skills. 

This particular approach was successful, and a lot of children with autism underwent major behavior changes after getting the initial version of ABA therapy. Eventually, over time, some of those children also lost their autism diagnosis. 

Although the principles are the same, there are a number of major differences between the initial approach of ABA therapy and what it has become today. One of them is that modern ABA therapy does not involve the use of punishment anymore. 

Some therapists also have taken a newer approach by combining ABA therapy with additional treatments for improving emotional engagement along with social interaction. 

The Objective Of ABA Therapy

In case you are thinking about opting for ABA therapy for your children, you must know what this therapy has for your children and what it does not have. 

Reinforcing desirable behaviors is the main objective of ABA therapy. This particular therapy can help children to improve their communication, language, and social skills along with attention and focus span. 

A therapist can help a child with autism by teaching them a variety of skills with ABA. This includes brushing their teeth and getting dressed in order to become more independent. At the same time, ABA therapy also assists the child in unlearning some particular behaviors, like obsessiveness or aggression. 

With ABA therapy, a child also can learn how to approach heights, moving vehicles, along with other hazards with proper caution. 

It seems ABA has a lot to offer autism patients. Still, it does not cover all the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, or as we prefer to say, ASD. with the help of ABA therapy, your child will learn to interact with others by responding to questions and shaking hands.  

But, the child will not learn skills that involve inherent emotional connections, abstract thinking, or empathy with ABA. 

How ABA Therapy Helps Your Child Overcome Autism

During the initial days of ABA therapy, the therapist usually evaluates the abilities and needs of the child with discrete trial therapy

This trial therapy includes stimulus, a response from the child along with feedback from the therapist. The feedback comes in the form of a correction or reward. During this discrete therapy, the teacher typically gives the child instruction. 

In case the child is able to carry out the direction without any type of problem, the teacher rewards the child and moves on to something more challenging or complicated. But in case the child faces difficulty with the instruction, the teacher teaches the new skills using repetition.

Discrete trial therapy offers a structured method in order to teach new skills. A teacher uses this method for breaking down a complicated social task into manageable, small steps. And when the child completes a task in a DTT setting, the teacher or therapist moves to a natural environment where the kid has to complete the same task successfully. 

In discrete trial therapy, learning new skills and also practicing the same ability in the natural environment has proven itself to be highly effective. Immediately children start using the new skills they have learned in DTT in the real world that have less structure than the discrete trial therapy settings. 

Is ABA Therapy The Right Treatment For Your Autistic Child? 

It has already been a long time since ABA therapy has been around. A number of developments have made people contenders for this specific therapy. ABA therapy dates back to the time when children with ASD or autism were institutionalized. 

In addition to that, the initial success of this treatment made the experimental therapists apply ABA in a combination of unscientific and questionable practices. As a result, it caused more harm than good. 

However, in the right setting, ABA therapy can actually help your child manage daily life and social interactions. There is a lot of evidence that ABA therapy is an effective way to help a child with autism.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov

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