So... ABA therapy for children with autism. People have feelings.
When Zoe was diagnosed with autism, Carrie was approved for 40 hours a week of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy in their home.
Forty. Hours.
That's basically a full-time job happening in your living room.
Carrie tried two different ABA companies. The first experience was... not good. The second was much better. Eventually, though, she decided traditional ABA services weren't the right fit for Zoe.
So what happened?
That's what we're talking about this week.
We also talk about the people who can suddenly become regular fixtures in your house, including BCBAs and RBTs.
Carrie's second BCBA worked with them through Zoom but never actually met Zoe in person, which gets us talking about how much you can really see and understand through a screen.
And we all know Zoom isn't exactly an accurate representation of reality.
Nice top? Check.
Shorts under the table? Maybe.
Cat hair on your socks? Sure.
But underneath the ridiculousness is a question a lot of parents probably ask themselves about autism therapy:
Is this actually helping my child?
We talk about why Carrie prefers working on skills with Zoe in everyday life, including restaurants, grocery stores, airports and all the other places where things don't happen according to a perfectly controlled therapy plan.
She also explains why she refused to use candy as a reward during potty training, even when ABA providers wanted her to.
And because this is Zoe we're talking about, we also have a birthday restaurant story involving extreme happiness, multiple walks, a couple of screams and some startled diners.
She's having a GREAT time, people. Chillax.
This isn't an “ABA is good” or “ABA is bad” episode. It's Carrie sharing what ABA therapy for her autistic child actually looked like, what worked, what didn't, why one ABA company was much better than another, and why she eventually decided to quit using traditional ABA services.
If you're considering ABA therapy for autism, already have an ABA provider coming into your home, or have found yourself wondering “Will it help?”, come hang out with us.
Because autism can be serious without every conversation about it having to be.
QUICK ABA GLOSSARY
ABA: Applied Behavior Analysis
BCBA: Board Certified Behavior Analyst
RBT: Registered Behavior Technician
Come hang out with us:
Instagram: @autismrewrittenshow
YouTube: Autism Rewritten
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