Autism Help- Parent Coaching & Support
How to make a therapy session successful
The therapy session will most likely take place in your home. There are many things that can be done to create an optimal learning environment for your child. Selecting a therapy location, having the appropriate materials on hand, choosing high preference items, and minimizing distractions are all topics to consider when starting a behavior program in your home.
Locations & Distractors
When choosing a location for the session, it is best to consider such things as distractions and materials available. A designated work area provides consistency for the child and a location for the program materials. Try to select a place in your home that is easily accessible, positive and inviting for the child, and away from heavy traffic.
The designated work area should be in a part of your home with minimal distractions. Children on the Autism spectrum tend to have difficulty attending and remaining focused. Our goal is to decrease the childs level of frustration when learning by reducing stimuli in their environment when possible. An example of a work area that would not be optimal is a coffee table in the living room. As a child becomes more of an advanced learner, your Supervisor may decide that it is necessary to increase the stimuli to emulate real-world situations (such as a classroom) where the child must learn to focus with more distractions.
Materials
To make the most out of each session, there are certain materials that would be beneficial to the implementation of the program. In the work area, a desk with at least two chairs and a large plastic bin or other similar container for materials and high preference items would be ideal. Work with your Supervisor and Therapist to decide what materials would be best to include in the bin/container. You may also wish to purchase items that pertain to your childs program on your own. If so, please feel free to consult your Supervisor for recommendations.
Determining Reinforcers
A reinforcer is something that increases the future frequency of a behavior. Reinforcers motivate your child to perform tasks and increase their desire to work with you. A reinforcer may be an activity, an edible, toy or social praise that the child considers highly motivating. When selecting reinforcers, take time to observe your child to identify what they naturally gravitate towards. Sometimes the most unlikely items or activities may be highly motivating for your child. Utilizing a Preference Assessment, your Supervisor will work closely with you to help recognize potential reinforcers. A few potential reinforcers may include: candy, electronic game systems, puzzles, jumping on a trampoline, bubbles, spinning, water play, tickles, etc.
In the beginning, it is best if the reinforcers selected are only made available during a therapy session, when the Supervisor or Therapist is present. This aids in pairing the item or activity with the Supervisor or Therapist. Also, limiting access to the reinforcer will create deprivation, placing a higher value on the reinforcer and making it more motivating for the child. "In a VB program, the child should be unable to gain access to the reinforcers without the help of an adult. This forces some communication between child and adult, where the child needs the adult, and, we hope, will begin to think of the adult as the giver of all good things"(Barbera, 2007).
An example of satiation, or getting too much of one thing: a child may enjoy playing with bubbles. If the child plays with bubbles 10 times a day, every day, playing with bubbles will most likely lose its appeal and not be fun anymore. Its a great idea to also find ways to expand your childs list of reinforcers by constantly introducing new activities and toys while observing their reaction.
In the beginning
The beginning of any behavior program is an exciting time. After all of the assessments, a Supervisor or Therapist will come to your home and immediately being working on establishing a positive, reinforcing relationship with your child. Instructional control, pairing and the reinforcement of appropriate behaviors are three factors that will affect their budding relationship. Patience is important as this process is not only new to you, but also to your child. "The scientific study of behavior has shown that the reasons your child needs to build better attention, focus and interaction skill must come in the form of reinforcement and/or motivation and can only be earned through good instructional control" (Schramm, 2006).
Meetings between the childs caregivers and Supervisor will be held quarterly to discuss the intervention, go over questions and concerns, and update the program as necessary. This is also the perfect time to talk about how to implement a few of the procedures in your home to aid in generalization and support consistency.
by: MaryKate
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