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Effective pediatric ABA therapy in New Jersey

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Who notices Mom’s unconditional devotion to the needs of her child with autism?

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Apparently more people than she knew… and thanks to Circle Care Services’ Gift Giveaway, she now knows it!

The Mother’s Day Giveaway that gifted Moms with the very best gift known to man (or woman)…love and appreciation.

Why this Mother’s Day Giveaway was Created

Raising a child with ASD is unique.

It’s one of those things that you have to experience to really know what it’s like.

Many parents feel lonely, different, or isolated amongst unsuspecting friends and family. The Autism Cafe blogger Eileen Lamb in her blog “Parents of children with special-needs: you’re not alone! looks to encourage parents who are living with this challenge by telling them, “When you’re struggling to keep going, remember that you’re not alone. When you feel like nobody notices you unless your child is screaming… When you’re wondering how you’re going to do it any longer, I want you to remember that you’re doing an amazing job. When you feel like nobody understands what you’re going through, remember that I do and there are a lot of us out here who do!”

There are many parents of children with autism who tell their stories in blogs or articles and they will say how their child with autism is the sun that lights up their lives. That’s very true, but if they include a realistic life journey they will not leave out the fact that coming to that place of serenity, appreciation, and peace took a lot of hard work. That it was a rollercoaster ride. That their daily lives were full of ups and downs. That on many days they felt lost or hopeless or full of shame and guilt. They will tell you that they used a truckload of inner strength to keep at it. To push for better.  To reach for more; just to meet the conflicting needs of their diverse family. 

More than a few studies report that parents of children with autism experience more stress than parents of typically-developing children. And updated research shows that parents of children with autism face the unmet need for emotional support on a daily basis.  

It was with this knowledge in mind, that we at Circle Care undertook a self-imposed challenge to spread strength and support to Moms of children with autism. Looking to make an impact, we launched our second annual Mom’s Gift Giveaway on Mother’s Day May 8, 2022.

Designed to Spread Strength to Moms of children with Autism

Does she know how much you care?

That was the message that arrived in the inboxes of hundreds of our contacts as we called upon them all to partake in our unique Gift  Giveaway. We promoted this Giveaway on our Facebook and Instagram pages (yeah, go ahead, check us out, and follow) suggesting that as a supportive gesture, they nominate a mom who mothers a child with ASD to be entered into a raffle for a $500 gift card to Bed Bath and Beyond. 

The response was heartwarming and exciting, as the entries came into the Circle Care office. 

The very first entry came from a husband nominating his wife to receive the gift. 

Other entries came from our BCBAs and BTs sending messages of admiration and recognition to their clients’ moms. 

Proud Moms nominated their daughters.

Even a child reached out (together with Dad) to try and win for his mom. 

Every nomination came in with a personalized note, a message of love and support which we forwarded to the mom. 

Messages such as this one: 

“I have never known anyone who devotes more of their life to their child and she deserves so much more credit than I could ever give. She’s been my backbone through all of this and I wish she gets all she could ever want. I know all she looks for is happiness for us and our children. All I ever look for is that smile on her face.”

And this one: 

She is the most loving, patient, devoted mother to two autistic kids. She is their greatest advocate! From the moment she wakes up she fights for them either getting them therapy services, equipment, or extra curricular activities to help them in their development. She believes in them with her whole heart. She is their greatest cheerleader! 

And this one: 

She has been overcoming all the obstacles that has been coming her way to raise her son. She is doing her best to bring up her son as a good human. She believes God has chosen her to bring up her son who is affected with asd and wants to fulfill the purpose. She is determined to win this battle in life!

These heartfelt messages not only brought tears to my eyes, but also touched the hearts of the moms who reported back to us after we forwarded the notes to them.

Screenshot Of Positive Message From Mother After Being Nominated For A Giveaway

These emotion-filled responses from grateful moms affirm that all $850+ that we spent on this initiative was absolutely worth the joy we were able to bring to the hearts of a strong, hardworking, and underrecognized group of women. 

Our Winner

On May 23, 2022, it was finally time to choose one winning mom. 

With the spin of the wheel, Edyta became our lucky winner! 

Mother And Her Child With Autism Who Won Circle Care's Giveaway

The contest was over, and our winner was thrilled, but we were unsettled. We didn’t have the heart not to reward all participants. These moms live every day by accepting that you can’t always win. We wanted everyone to win at least something in our strength-boosting initiative. We want every mom to know that when you invest in your child’s future, you should never feel like a loser!

So, we sent every nominated mom a $10 Amazon gift card for her to enjoy.

These women exhibit strength and tenacity without glittering fanfare.  

These women withdraw oceans of strength from their inner reserves without asking for anything in return. 

These women will move heaven and earth for their child or as one mom said, “I won’t sleep until I get my child set up with the services he needs”.

And that in a nutshell is the ultimate goal at Circle Care Services. 

To support as many families living with autism as we can with empathy, compassion, and quality services. 

We know we’ve made an impactful difference in the lives of moms living with autism this Mother’s Day, and we will continue to make a positive difference in the lives of children with autism every day through ABA therapy.  

Get in touch today, and we will put our heart into your child’s ABA 

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Giving Noncontingent Attention To A Child After A Long Day

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An autism parent knows all too well the exhaustion that comes with balancing life outside the home and managing their child in the best way possible. After a long day, both parent and child are tapped out. 

The child has been exposed to stimuli throughout the day, and their emotional bucket is full. For the parent, they have had to put their game face on, bat the challenges that come with the outside world, and now need to make the most of their quality time with their family. But it can feel like entering a minefield.

The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis has published positive findings that noncontingent reinforcement can benefit both the home and school setting.

Using noncontingent attention can help you nip inevitable meltdowns in the bud by stopping them before they start. And here is how and why.

What Is Noncontingent Attention? 

Little Girl And Mother Making A Heart With Their Hands

Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) is a concept used in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and can help reduce the challenging behaviors in children with autism. This is done by being pre-emptive and providing positive reinforcement meaningful to the child.

It is not related to the behavior, but it will soothe the child enough to prevent the challenging behavior from occurring in the first place when done correctly.

Autism moms and dads know that the massive meltdowns experienced at the end of a long day are not tantrums, lousy behavior, or obstinance. Instead, it is usually a result of enormous overstimulation. Once the child is safely in the bosom of their family, any restraint they have managed to hold goes out the window. Therefore, parents usually bear the brunt. And it can be exhausting.

If a child can receive the attention and soothing they need without it always being a reward for positive behavior, then a great pressure is tremoved from them.

Contingent attention is a reward that is directly linked to positive behavior. The child must do something to earn it. For example, if they eat their veggies, they can have some screen time. This has its place, but it can put pressure on an anxious child who wants the meaningful reward despite the fact that the ask feels too much.

In contrast, noncontingent attention is not dependent on any specific behavior or action. The child does not need to do anything to earn the reward, or attention. It’s not linked to a certain action, like eating vegetables, or even a certain time or period. It’s very beneficial in letting the child know they deserve special things, attention, and rewards just because, even if they aren’t eating their vegetables or getting good grades!

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Examples Of Noncontingent Reinforcement and Communication

Mother, Father, Son, And Daughter Laughing At Laptop On A Couch

If your child is verbal and likes to talk about their day or their latest obsession, take a moment to sit down and open the conversation. This immediately alleviates the anxiety building in them before they seek your attention.

A walk in the garden, interacting with their pets, sharing a favorite snack – whatever action will speak to your child’s needs can move mountains and limit disruptive behavior.

Finding time and energy to engage in small things that your child enjoys as soon as you get home may seem exhausting. You just want 5 minutes with a cup of tea, or you want to tackle that load of washing before the next chore, but it’s essential to realize that those ten minutes of undivided attention will gain hours of relative calm.

Why Is Noncontingent Reinforcement Important?

Imagine driving home after a long day, knowing you must prepare a meal. You are exhausted and have a million other things to do, but you know that your hungry family is expecting you to get on with it ASAP. When you get home, you discover that your partner has already done it. You didn’t ask – the meal was just prepared. The relief of not having to face it yourself will spill over into the rest of your evening.

It is no different when it comes to your child. Sometimes, the thought of seeking interaction brings about anxiety. But, after an exhausting day, it may be as simple as them finding the energy to try and communicate their needs. The relief is palpable when it is done without them even seeking it.

What Is A Noncontingent Reinforcement Schedule?

A noncontingent reinforcement schedule is a conscious plan to manage and pre-empt challenging autism related behaviors.

It is especially effective if the child reverts to difficult behavior to get attention. Any attention will often do, so negative behavior is an easy way to get it.

Father Hugging His Daughter's Shoulders While She Smiles And Holds A Phone

When a schedule is in place, the child anticipates positive interaction, leading to less anxiety. It’s the same reason why children with autism thrive on routine. When they know what to expect, they feel safer and in control.

No one knows your child as well as you do. You know what they crave and scheduling these little acts of quality time will be as beneficial to you as it is to them.

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Get The Support You Need!

If you are struggling with a child with autism and need support when implementing noncontingent reinforcement, Circle Care Services in New Jersey is here to help. Our staff is equipped to help your child and your family with communication, social skills, behavior concerns, and parent training. Call us now.

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What Is Chaining & Why Is It Important?

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Many children with autism struggle with behavioral issues, which is often why parents seek out ABA therapy. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a popular therapy for treating autism and other developmental disorders. Children with autism think differently and need different kinds of support, and ABA therapy allows the child to learn skills in a more supportive environment. 

What is Chaining in ABA Therapy?

One teaching method that’s typically incorporated in ABA is something known as a behavior chain or chaining. This method, which breaks the steps of directions into instructions that link to each other (hence, the term “chaining”), allows kids to complete an entire task that they otherwise would have struggled to complete. The string of behaviors links together to create a terminal behavior.

ABA Therapist Teaching Young Boy Skills Using Chaining Techniques

Chaining is useful because it helps children become proficient in completing complex directions that involve multiple steps. Its 3 main approaches (forward chaining, backward chaining, and total task chaining) are all designed to help a child learn complex, multi-step skills, like learning to wash their hands independently.

How is Chaining Done?

Chaining works by breaking a task down into small steps and teaching each step by itself within the sequence.

Let’s use the example of a child learning to wash their hands independently. In chaining, the child might start with learning how to turn the faucet on. Once the child has learned this initial skill, the next step might be for the child to learn how to put their hands under the water. After that, the child might learn how to scrub their hands.

The child continues to learn all the steps of washing their hands until they can wash their hands completely on their own. This process is done with the supervision and guidance of an ABA therapist, who then works with the parents to ensure progress is made at home. ABA therapy is, after all, only one part of the process! It’s important for practice and progress to be made at home, so the child can get used to performing these tasks in various settings. 

I want to learn more!

When Should Chaining Be Used?

Chaining is usually recommended when a child consistently misses or skips steps, completes steps incorrectly, or is only able to perform some of the steps.

For example, when learning how to wash their hands, the child simply touches the faucet handle instead of turning it. That would be an ideal situation to incorporate chaining. The task of washing hands would be broken down into smaller steps, including the step to turn the faucet handle, and each step would be taught by itself until the child can independently wash their hands all on their own.

Parent Showing Child How To Wash Hands With Soap Using Chaining Techniques

Another example would be the child independently turning the faucet on, rinsing their hands, and turning the faucet on, but consistently failing to get soap. Chaining would be used similarly in this example. The task would be broken down into smaller, more manageable steps until the child can perform the entire task, including getting soap, in its entirety all by himself or herself. 

How do the 3 Types of Chaining Procedures Work?

Chaining works by building off of the skills that the child already knows. Based on what steps the child has already mastered or feels comfortable with, there are different chaining methods that can be used. The following methods can be used independently, or sometimes used together to help give the child support. 

Forward chaining

This type of behavioral chain begins with the first step. The child has to complete the first step on their own, and they’re prompted for all the remaining steps. Using the washing hands’ example, the child would independently turn on the faucet, and all the steps that follow would be prompted. Forward chaining is the recommended method if the child is able to complete one or more steps at the beginning of the behavior chain.

Backward chaining 

Backward chaining is much like forward chaining, but instead of having the child independently complete the first step, you have them independently complete the last step. For example, when teaching the child how to wash their hands, you prompt the child to perform every single step except the last one (e.g., drying their hands with a paper towel), which they complete on their own.

Total task chaining 

This chain involves teaching the complete behavior chain one step after the other. Unlike forward and backward chaining, total task chaining doesn’t start or end with the child completing a step independently. Instead, the adult walks the child through all the steps, prompting whenever necessary. For some children with autism, total task chaining is too difficult and complex. Therefore, forward chaining and backward chaining are more commonly used for children who fall on the autism spectrum.

What’s the Difference Between Chaining and Task Analysis?

Chaining and task analysis often go hand in hand with each other. In fact, chaining is based on task analysis, which recognizes individual steps as requirements for the mastery of a task.

Young Boy Answering ABA Therapist's Questions For Chaining Exercise

As you well know, chaining breaks a task down into a series of small steps and teaches each individual step within the sequence. Similarly, when conducting a task analysis, the ABA therapist first needs to determine the task that needs to be taught. Afterward, they write down the steps of the task, making adjustments as needed. 

The therapist will then present the task to the student and watch their performance with each step of the task. Based on what they do and how they perform the task you gave them, the therapist is able to observe and gather insights. They can then decide which chaining techniques to use, and they start incorporating the chaining techniques. 

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Conclusion

As you can see, chaining can be a very effective way to teach children certain tasks, especially everyday repetitive tasks like washing hands and using the toilet. Because the method breaks down tasks into smaller, more doable steps, it’s helpful when teaching kids how to perform longer, more complex tasks.

But no two children are the same. Every child has their own strengths and weaknesses, and that’s why there are 3 types of chaining: forward chaining, backward chaining, and total task chaining.

Though this is most often used by therapists as a part of ABA therapy, it can also be used at home by parents. If you’re curious to get your child involved in ABA therapy, or you just want to know more about chaining, reach out to the therapists at Circle Care. We’re a New Jersey-based ABA therapy agency, and we help families of children with autism all across New Jersey. Reach out today to learn more about using chaining with your child!

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10 Engaging Play Activities for Kids with Autism

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If you have ever taken the time to sit and watch your child or other children at the park, you will probably find it amusing. The things that they do can seem so silly and almost senseless at times as they stand in one spot and twirl or scoop up a handful of sand and walk it across the playground and dump it at the bottom of the slide. The things that they say are funny, too. One kid is the mom and the other is the dad and the conversations that they have while they are in character can sometimes be revealing as to what their life at home is like. (Watch what you say around the kids, mom, and dad!).

Why Play is Important for Kids with Autism

As it turns out, not one thing that children do is separate from observation, imitation, and learning. Their playtime is not random. They are always processing new words, actions, and skills that they have been taught or that they have seen someone else do. When you think about it, play is almost like a rehearsal for life in the present and in the future. Children find their identity through play and sort out feelings through play.

Play= learning.

Play Activities for Autistic Kids
  • Jean Piaget, a developmental psychologist, said “Play is the work of childhood.”
  • Television personality, Mr. Rogers once said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning.”

These truths apply to all children and children with autism are no exception to these sentiments. Whether you are creating activities for autistic toddlers, preschoolers or older kids the benefits of play are the same. Playful activities teach social skills, inspire creativity, increase learning and understanding, improve communication and develop fine and gross motor skills.

Through play, many children find hobbies and interests that evolve into lifelong interests and potential career paths. For kids with autism, play can be the catalyst for making friends more easily, transitioning from special education settings to general education settings, and being able to acclimate to various social settings.

How Autism Spectrum Disorder Can Affect Play

It can be difficult to engage a child with autism in play activities. One reason is that many kids with autism get stuck in repetitive patterns and they can be resistant to interruptions to their patterns. Secondly, kids with autism also have difficulty focusing which can be challenging to anyone who is attempting to engage them in a play activity. Finally, communication can be problematic because many kids with autism are more focused on body movement during play rather than on the language that is required to learn the rules or concepts during play.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Can Affect Play

Ironically, these tendencies that make play difficult for kids with autism are the very reason that play becomes even more important in order to resolve them. It is during play that new patterns can be introduced, attention can be increased and communication skills can be improved.

I want to start with an evaluation

How to Choose the Right Activities for Kids with Autism

Choosing the right play activities for kids with autism is similar to choosing activities for any other child.

Right Activities for Kids with Autism

Choose activities based on their interests.

This will help to keep the child engaged in the activity. This can help to gradually increase their focus and attention skills.

Structure activities around the child’s strengths.

If they enjoy building things, try to incorporate some building activities into structured playtime. By using Legos, stacking toys, K-nex, tinker toys, or even something as simple as dominoes, integrating a skill that they are good at can facilitate learning new skills without them even realizing that they were involved in a structured activity.

Cater to their senses.

If your child finds it calming to squish and squeeze textures like playdough or kinetic sand then it would make perfect sense to structure an activity around that particular substance. Think about which textures, sounds, smells, and sights they enjoy and use those things. Think about how focused some kids can become when music is played. Use that to your advantage when you structure activities for your child with autism.

Use visuals.

Kids with autism are primarily visual learners- use this to create engaging activities for autistic toddlers, autistic preschoolers, and older autistic kids. Picture cards can be used as prompts to perform certain activities or as a visual aid to teach a sequence or outline the rules of activity. Being able to look at instructions rather than listen to instructions is typically easier for most kids with autism.

Keep communication and directions for activities short and simple.

Kids with autism can easily become overwhelmed with too many directives at once. To avoid triggering any frustration it is always best to deliver instructions in short and direct statements. Modeling the desired steps or actions is also helpful while verbally explaining them.

I want this for my child!

What Are the Best Activities for Autistic Kids?

The best types of activities for toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged kids with autism are the activities that take all of the things mentioned above into consideration. Simple activities that are visually stimulating, sensory engaging, and centered around the autistic child’s interests and abilities are the best.

The following ideas can be modified to suit the needs of toddlers, preschoolers, or older children with autism. The goal is the same no matter the age of the child- to teach and to help the child to focus and engage.

Ten Great Activities for Autistic Kids

Calm Down Bottles

Using any plastic beverage container (water or soda), fill the container with a bottle of glitter glue and warm water. For an extra glittery effect, add another bottle of glitter glue or additional fine glitter before adding the warm water. Close the bottle and shake it up. The glitter swirls for an unexpectedly long time and slowly settles. Kids with autism will be mesmerized for long periods of time by all of the swirling and spinning which will eventually slow down and settle on the bottom. Calm-down bottles are ideal for long waits, car drives, getting haircuts, or meltdowns in the classroom. (Great visual/sensory activity for children with autism from preschool to adolescence)

Seek & Find Bottles

This activity is similar to the glitter bottle with the exception of the contents. Seek and find bottles are filled with rice and small objects that you can find around the house or at an arts and crafts store. The idea is to keep your child with autism occupied by finding all of the objects in the bottle. You can create picture cards to show what items your child needs to find in each bottle or simply ask your child to find a particular object. These bottles can be a great teaching tool because you can make various themes with each bottle. For example, if Halloween is approaching, you can fill one with jack o lanterns, ghosts, witches, and bats. If summer is just around the corner, you might make a “seek and find” bottle with sunglasses, beach balls, swimsuits, and watermelons. You may even want to use sand instead of rice. It’s up to you to get creative and develop a theme that will interest your child. (Great visual/sensory activity for autistic toddlers, autistic preschoolers, and older autistic kids)

Yoga Ball Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers with Autism

Toddlers and preschoolers are notorious for their boundless energy. They need to spend that energy in appropriate ways or they will find other ways to let it all out. Using a yoga ball in a designated area with plenty of floor space, you and your child can roll the ball to one another, you can place the child on the ball and teach them to bounce on it while trying not to fall off (great exercise for balance and strength while trying to hold themselves up), or you can lie the child on top of the ball on their tummies and roll them back and forth while holding their feet. All of these exercises require a bit of coordination which is a great therapeutic strategy for improving balance. (Great physical activity for proprioception- or body position awareness-for children with autism from preschool to adolescence)

Climbing, Jumping, Pushing, Pulling, And Carrying

Kids with autism often have difficulty with body awareness and understanding where they are in relation to space. Because of this, they can appear clumsy, loud, or overly cautious. Choose activities that encourage climbing (rock walls, playsets), jumping (trampoline, jump rope), pushing (shopping carts, push brooms), pulling (raking leaves, pulling wagons), and carrying (laundry basket, groceries). Providing multiple opportunities in all of these areas with various everyday tasks can help your child develop better body and spatial awareness. (Great physical activity for autistic toddlers, autistic preschoolers, and older autistic kids)

Emotions: Paper Emoticon Cutouts

Using colored construction paper, markers or crayons, and glue you can craft several different “emoticons” just like the ones you use on your cell phone. Draw and cut out various eyes, noses, mouths, and eyebrows. Arrange the features to display the emotions: happy, sad, jealous, bored, frustrated, sleepy, and whatever other emotions that you are teaching your child. Write the word for the emotion on the back of each face that you and your child construct and use them to talk about different moods and feelings as they arise. (Great creative activity for teaching social skills and communication skills to children with autism from preschool to adolescence)

Paper Fortune Tellers

Most children learn how to make a paper fortune teller at some point during their school years. These are awesome tools for teaching communication and social skills. You can create any number of topics with a paper fortune teller and work on skills like asking questions, dealing with teasing, identifying feelings, giving and receiving compliments, and working out social situations. (Great creative activity for teaching social skills and communication skills to children with autism from preschool to adolescence)

Sorting Activities

This activity teaches categorizing and organizational skills. This can be modified to be appropriate for autistic toddlers and preschoolers as well as older autistic kids. For toddlers, you can have them sort dolls and blocks. Preschoolers can sort colors. Older autistic kids can sort coins, letters, and words by beginning and ends sounds. This activity has room for creativity so that you can cater to your child’s interests. (Great learning activity for teaching labeling, categorizing, organizing, and observational skills to autistic toddlers, preschoolers, and older autistic kids)

Texture Play

Use any texture to soothe or teach a skill. For example, shaving cream and water beads have a smooth, squishy calming effect that most kids with autism love to swirl and scoop. For those who have an aversion to a particular texture, these activities can be introduced slowly and help them to overcome the aversion. This activity is not only fun for toddlers and preschoolers but older kids love it, too. One great way to teach writing and spelling is to pour a package of powdery jello mix into a baking tray and have them write letters and words in the jello powder with their fingers. The best part is licking fingers in between each word. This activity appeals to their senses and their appetite while they are learning in the process. (Great sensory activity for calming as well as a wonderful learning activity for teaching academic skills to children with autism from preschool to adolescence)

Life Skills & Feature Function Cards

These cards are a useful activity for kids with autism. In particular, older children can benefit from learning associations between things as they are exposed to more experiences in their daily lives. For example, from an array of animal images on a card, you can ask a child which one barks (the dog of course). From an array of kitchen appliances, you can ask your child which object cooks food (microwave). Do this with any relevant associations that you are trying to teach your child and this can make learning fun. (Great learning activity for teaching life skills to autistic toddlers, preschoolers, and older autistic kids)

 Visual Organizers for Task Sequences

Any activity that requires several steps to completion can be broken down into steps (first, second, next, then & last) and placed in a visual organizer for an autistic kid to follow. For example, a morning routine could be organized as follows:

  • First: Turn off the alarm
  • Second: Get dressed
  • Next: Eat breakfast
  • Then: Brush teeth
  • Finally: Get on the school buss

All of these steps would have a visual representation that can be placed on a task board using velcro to fix it in place. Any task can be put into a visual sequence. This activity is helpful in teaching multi-step skills to kids with autism. The pictographs are especially helpful to toddlers and preschoolers. (Great learning activity for teaching life skills to children with autism from preschool to adolescence)

Get Started Today!

These are just a few ideas that parents, teachers, and caregivers can use to turn learning into play for kids with autism. Those who are closest to a child know best how to create useful activities based on the child’s interests, strengths, and needs. If you live in the New Jersey area find out how Circle Care Services can help. Our therapists are creative and can help develop activities that are well suited for your child. We provide one-to-one ABA therapy,  social skills groups, and qualified staff that will not make you wait before coming onboard to find fun and playful solutions to your child’s needs. Now run along and play with your child!

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What is ABA Therapy and How Does it Work?

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ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is an evidence-based therapy that has been widely accepted as the primary form of therapy for children and adolescents with autism.

A Woman Helping A Little Girl Work On A Foam Puzzle

What is ABA used for at Circle Care?

ABA therapy is used to improve behaviors like social skills, reading, academics, and communication as well as learned skills like grooming, hygiene, fine motor dexterity, job proficiency, and even simple things like a child keeping his room clean.

The Goal:

To establish or increase socially acceptable behaviors and diminish or extinguish socially unacceptable behaviors that would cause the child to feel excluded from social settings and peers. 

How is this accomplished?

At Circle Care Services, one of our Board Certified Behavior Analysts, (BCBA) will:

  • Analyze atypical behaviors
  • Identify the triggers that bring on each one.
  • Outline a plan to alter the child’s experience.
  • Break down long term goals into bite-sized achievable steps which are then
    • Practiced
    • Reinforced
    • Mastered

For example:

Daniel’s mom says “he tantrums all the time” but upon analysis, his BCBA identifies that his tantrums occur when attention is being diverted from him to others. Now, the BCBA will outline a step-by-step plan to reach the desired long-term goal; developing a more appropriate way of getting attention. The plan is then implemented and skills are practiced, reinforced, and mastered.

I want to help my child.

Beginning ABA Therapy Services for your child

First, a Circle Care BCBA will set up an interview with you and your child to gather all the information needed for successful therapy sessions. 

Your child’s likes and dislikes are important for creating positive reinforcement, both through fun activities and prizes and treats.

A Little Boy Playing With Blocks While A Woman Holding A Clipboard Watches

The BCBA will then perform a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA). 

What is this?

  • Observing and collecting data about your child’s behavior
  • Identifying which behaviors to target in therapy
  • Create a treatment plan for the Registered behavior tech (RBT) who will actually be working with your child.
I want to start with an evaluation

What does it look like when my child is in therapy?

Once you’ve decided to pursue ABA therapy for your child, the process can seem a bit scary. You’re not sure what to expect when starting ABA, and you don’t know what a session will entail. Though this can look a little different for every child, your ABA agency will be sure to go over the treatment plan with you.

Once the treatment plan is in place, it’s time for your child to meet one of our Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) who will provide the individualized ABA session at each visit. 

Our RBTs work under the close supervision of our board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA) with an occasional visit to update the treatment plan when your child masters skills and new programs are added.

Our ABA therapists work towards establishing a good working and playful relationship with your child. ABA sessions should be something that your child looks forward to!

If your child is dreading the arrival of the therapist, it could be concerning, but don’t jump to replace the therapist immediately. Sometimes it takes some time for your child and the therapist to “pair” for the first couple of sessions. In ABA therapy, we call this process “pairing”.

A Woman Smiling And Holding Up A Piece Of Paper With A Smiley Face And Another One With A Frowny Face While A Little Girl Points To The Paper With The Smiley Face

Our therapists are good with children: energetic, playful, and creative enough to integrate the treatment plan into playful activities so that the work doesn’t feel like work – it feels like fun! 

This is included in what we call natural environment training: taking a skill that has been worked on in therapy and applying it to a more natural setting, like playtime. This helps your child to generalize a skill in more than one area, rather than learning it only while sitting at a desk with the therapist.

Learning Pivotal Skills In ABA Therapy

In the beginning stages of therapy, some of the most essential skills to establish are the pivotal skills that all other skills will hinge from. Pivotal skills include:

  • Motivation
  • Self-initiation
  • Self-management
  • Responding to multiple cues

Without pivotal skills, it is hard for a child with autism to focus. 

These skills are foundational, and when mastered through praise and reinforcement, your child will be likely to repeat and use them in other areas.

Children with autism who master pivotal skills are able to sit and listen and have the motivation and the self-management to work to improve communication and language skills.

This helps them grow academically and socially.

I want this for my child!

What a Circle Care ABA Session Looks Like & The Treatment Plan

How long is a session?

  • This will vary depending on the age of your child and the number of hours that are required to reach the decided-upon goals.
  • Every child is approved for a specific number of hours per week up to forty hours per week, depending on need.
  • On average, most sessions in your home will run for no less than two hours. 

Where do sessions take place?

Our RBT will choose a space to start the session based on your wishes, the child’s interest, and their own assessment of where they can be most successful to accomplish the goals of the day. 

With playful interaction, your child will warm up to the idea of spending time together at the table, in the playroom, or anywhere where your child will be able to achieve the desired outcome.

Our RBT has the tasks of keeping your child focused while running the program, entering real-time data as it occurs, and delivering reinforcement when your child responds appropriately. 

The behavior tech will also keep your child’s motivation high to keep working. The best way to do this is to be prepared by having materials ready for the session and having the work environment as distraction-free as possible. 

It is the job of our RBT to team up with the caregivers to accommodate therapy in a manner that works well for your whole family. Some of the challenges that may need to be addressed are:

  • Find a distraction-free setting where your child can be attentive.
  • Finding a place for siblings to hang out while the session is going on.
  • Figuring out if it is best for the parent or caregiver to be present or not while the RBT is working with the child. 

At Circle Care, maintaining a respectful and professional openness to accommodate each other is a very important priority.

A meaningful conversation between you and our therapist will help result in an arrangement that will be practical for your family members and productive for your child with autism. 

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Discrete Trial Training and Natural Environment Training

If a child with autism has communication skills deficits, Discrete Trial Training is commonly used to start teaching them the skills that they need.

It is an extremely repetitive type of teaching and it can be difficult to keep the child motivated without a heavy schedule of reinforcement. For example, the RBT might present a picture of a cat and say “cat” and then ask the child, “What is it?” 

When the child answers “cat”, the RBT reinforces the child with praise and smiles and whatever other reinforcers have been identified.

A Woman Sitting And Blowing Bubbles While A Little Girl Sits Beside Her Watching And Smiling

How do our RBTs know what keeps your child motivated? Is it a certain toy? A minute on the tablet? Coloring? Tickles? Bubbles? A Skittle? If it is unclear what motivates your child, the RBT or the BCBA can conduct an informal preference assessment and get an idea that way.

It can be tricky because what works one week may not work the following week. Our therapists realize the importance of remaining flexible and being ready to conduct some quick informal preference assessments when a child with autism switches things up.

As your child builds upon those pivotal skills and reaches some of the goals in communication and social skills, our RBTs will help the child to transition those skills to more natural situations. For example, a child may be able to say “ball” each time a picture card is held shown, but will the child say “ball” if the RBT holds one up and waits for the child to request it? That is the goal! To generalize the skill to give it meaning!

No Two Sessions Are Alike

Every session will be different. There will be days that are filled with successes and other days that are filled with frustration. The RBT will take careful data and detailed notes that the BCBA can look over and discuss with the RBT to make improvements, add or delete programs or change direction on something that was previously discussed. 

Because each child’s therapy is so unique, parents must receive one on one training to carry over what is being taught and practiced with the RBT. The BCBA is responsible for parent training and will steadily educate parents about what they can do to contribute to their child’s overall success. ABA is most successful when parents are willing participants in the therapy that their child is receiving. The more that parents know about how ABA works, the more successful the child with autism will be because there will be consistency in the way that everyone is communicating with each other and with the child.

Sessions can take place at home, in our clinic, and even at school. 

The most important aspects of therapy are a skilled RBT who is:

  • Keeping your child-focused
  • Taking accurate data 
  • Following the treatment plan as written by the supervising BCBA.

Our therapists are flexible, provide frequent breaks and get to know your child well enough to avoid anything that triggers negative behaviors or escalations. 

At Circle Care, we aim to make ABA a positive and fun experience for your child with ASD; one that they look forward to on those days during the week that are dedicated to therapy. The more positive reinforcement that is tied to the experience the greater success that there will be overall with the treatment plan.

I want my child to start building skills
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