For many, the beginning of a new school year can be an exciting time. For others, it evokes fear and worry. Here, we discuss the best ways to help our learners with autism transition back to school. New classrooms, new faces, and new noises can be a challenge, along with intimidating social situations and unrealistic classroom demands. Not every family sends their kids to structured programs throughout the summer, so the back-to-school transition for these children can be extra tough. Getting back into the swing of things after spending time doing whatever they want isn’t easy.

If you work with kids transitioning back to school, a great place to start is talking to the parents. Encourage parents to contact the school a couple of weeks prior to the first day to arrange a school tour and meet teachers. We talk about other ways to ease the transition, like all-about-me sheets to help teachers get to know your child on a deeper level. We also discuss how to help kids get used to routines throughout the school day, adjusted schedules, the importance of a good communication system, and when to introduce behavior plans.

What’s Inside:

• How to help parents transition their kids back to school.
• Tips to help teachers get to know kids before school starts.
• How to help kids adjust to new school day routines.

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Free Communication Log

Trips to the doctor or dentist are hard for any kid. They’re especially tough for our learners with autism and other delays. Here, we dive into how to make these experiences easier for these learners and their families. A lot of the kids we work with may need multiple medical procedures, which sometimes creates an avoidance to anyone touching them or coming close. Desensitization to the experience is key, and we need to be careful and gentle. Taking a step-by-step approach to desensitization where the learner gets to call the shots is the goal.

While sedation is often used in these cases, if a kid can learn to tolerate medical appointments on their own, it becomes a free choice, which is much healthier. We break down the desensitization process, beginning with identifying the very first step your learner must take. We also talk about how to help kids feel safer about the experience, the benefits of social exposure through videos and play, how to be a good salesperson about the dentist or doctor, and the importance of modeling when normalizing going to appointments.

What’s Inside:

• A walkthrough of the desensitization process to help learners tolerate appointments.
• Why sedation isn’t an ideal solution to tolerating appointments.
• How modeling helps to normalize going to the doctor and dentist.

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Blog – How To Use Video Modeling
Tolerating Dentist Appointments Task Analysis

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. Authentic conversations go beyond simple questions and answers. If we want kids to benefit from conversations and form genuine relationships, we must help them understand that true conversation is a mutual sharing of information. In our own lives, the conversations we tend to enjoy the most are those that go naturally back and forth.

To start, we can teach our learners how to reciprocate in conversations through techniques like an “I have” program. We can then move on to more social questions and comments. Some learners simply echo back or repeat what we say to them, and it’s important to teach them to say something different but related to the conversation. Here, 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.   

What’s Inside:

• The importance of teaching authentic conversation skills to learners.
• How to use different programs to teach conversation skills.
• The challenges of teaching conversation skills with peers and in the natural environment.

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Can Conversation Be Scripted? 

In ABA, we use lots of different assessments to determine our learners’ strengths and where they may need more help. Here, we cover the most common ABA assessments and how to know which one to use. The purpose of assessments is to provide us with a starting point and create a baseline. When you’re clear on where you’re starting from, you can then create a successful intervention. Assessments also help us look at the big picture and help our learners meet their goals along the way. 

One of the biggest misconceptions about assessments is that they’re the same as a curriculum, and we discuss why this isn’t the case. Teaching to assessments creates cookie-cutter programs, and good ABA involves customizing interventions to our learners’ unique needs. 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. 

What’s Inside:

• The importance of ABA assessments.
• When and how to use the ABLLS and VB Mapp assessments.
• Tips for completing a successful assessment.

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HowtoABA.com/Assessments

Through 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 use prompting in our everyday lives, like when we use calendar invites to keep us on track and remember important events. In the world of ABA, prompts are a way to guide our learners to the correct response. Prompts come after the introduction of the stimulus and before the learner's response. They’re typically based on prior history, and they’re put in place before the learner makes errors so they can avoid practicing those errors.

There are many ways to use prompting, and we discuss examples of how it looks in action. We discuss the importance of repetition and modeling and why they help learners become more successful. The hierarchy of prompts is structured from the least intrusive to the most intrusive, and we talk about how to choose which ones to use. We also discuss fading prompts, why verbal prompts are the hardest to fade, and how to use least-to-most prompting. 

What’s Inside:

• The hierarchy of prompts and how to choose which to use.
• Why verbal prompts are the hardest to fade.
• How to use least-to-most prompting.

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Error Correction Video
Transfer Trials
Free Prompt Hierarchy Visual

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. There’s a lot of information out there about ABA, some of it true and some of it not. ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis and it’s really just breaking skills down into smaller components. Then, a type of reinforcement is used to master each step and move on to the next until you reach your end goal. We also often begin with an assessment to determine where students are and where to begin with teaching.

Some parents can be apprehensive towards the approach and strategies, and at times, there are misconceptions around them. The more we understand ABA as practitioners, the better we can explain it to those we work with. 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.

What’s Inside:

• The definition of ABA and a deeper dive into what it is.
• How ABA leverages data.
• Common misconceptions about ABA.

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Episode 098: Fluency-Based Instruction in ABA
Free ABA Glossary of Terms

In ABA, a task analysis can be used to break down larger, more complex skills into smaller steps or actions. This makes them more manageable for our learners. To run our business, we use a project management system to make sure everything runs smoothly. It functions like a task analysis in that anyone on our team can follow the same steps to keep things consistent. In the field, skills like hand washing and bathing can be taught using task analysis, which helps practitioners teach learners all steps in the same order.

Some of the most common questions we get revolve around teaching life skills and social skills. The reason people find them so overwhelming is because they’re so detailed and each person does them differently. Many of the skills we use throughout our lives are essentially a sequence, or a chain of behaviors that lead to a certain outcome. A task analysis can be used to teach the specific parts of each chain. Here, we discuss how to create a task analysis from scratch, the different types of chaining, and how to use prompts to build independence. 

What’s Inside:

• How to create a task analysis. 
• How to teach a task analysis and the different types of chaining.
• How to use prompts to build independence.

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Blog Post – What is ABA Chaining and How Do We Use It?
Editable Task Analyses for Teaching Life Skills

According to the latest data from the CDC, one in 36 children is diagnosed with autism in the United States each day. Worldwide, one in 100 is diagnosed. In the late 90s, the numbers were more around one in 1,000, and people weren’t quite sure what autism was. To put it simply, autism is a different way of thinking and viewing the world. We’ve encountered some amazing people with autism throughout the years and many have incredible strengths. Here, we dive into the technical definition of autism as stated in the DSM-V.

Today’s definition of autism differs from what was originally listed in the DSM-IV. It’s currently outlined as one big spectrum with three levels of severity. We discuss each level and the criteria for a diagnosis, including behavioral patterns and aspects, 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 treatment and goal setting is as unique as the individual client.

What’s Inside:

• An explanation of the three levels of autism according to the DSM-V.
• How to classify autism based on behavioral excesses and deficits.
• How treatment plans and goals help autistic clients become their best.

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Episode 093: Thriving with Autism – ABA Success Story!

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. Some children don’t like natural play because it’s unstructured. Here, we discuss how to teach play and the best way to help learners develop these critical skills. Teaching play skills is essential to success, as children learn so much through play. Many daycares and preschool programs carve out significant time for unstructured play, so it’s important that children have the skills they need to engage and participate. Another key component of play is interaction with peers, or social play.

Play is such a huge topic, and when teaching play skills, it helps to start with what’s developmentally appropriate for a child’s age. With early learners, it may be as simple as helping them allow an adult into their space. From there, you can begin to teach imitation. We discuss play teaching best practices, closed and open-ended play activities, and how to use play scripts. We’re hosting a webinar about play in June, which will be hosted on our membership site afterwards, as well as a blog post about video modeling. Head to our website for more information about both.

What’s Inside:

• Why play is an essential skill for success.
• How to teach play to early learners.
• How to use play scripts.

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Play Skills Task Analysis

In this very special 100th episode, we’ve rounded up some of the best professional advice our guests have ever received. Whether it’s building a community around you, learning to regulate yourself and staying calm in the moment, or fine-tuning your communication skills, being a BCBA requires constant learning and growth. We’ve hosted some amazing ABA professionals on our podcast; many of them have flourished, excelled, and became experts in their particular areas of service. We thought it would be a great idea to pick out some of the best tips and advice from our episodes, and here, you’ll hear straight from our guests what’s helped them the most in the field.

Whether you’re a newly minted BCBA or a seasoned pro, this episode is packed with wisdom to help you along your personal and professional journeys.

What’s Inside:

• Top professional advice from our guests.

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