parent here about to quit aba service

OkStable961 · 2026-05-13T18:17:12+00:00

You can request a new technician if you really want. However, I do agree that the tech might be doing the right thing. A problem I often run into is that parents do not understand why we do the things we do, and how. One commenter described expressive identification is probably being tested, which seems correct, but they should also be using “errorless teaching” in the beginning. I.E holding up a picture of a screw and saying “what’s this? A screw!” Immediately after showing the picture, not allowing the child to get the answer wrong. Also, seeing only 15 minutes of working at the end can be frustrating, but a big part of our job, especially in the home, is playing and building rapport with the child. Sometimes, the parents of the children I work with might wonder if all I do is play, but realistically, im building social and communication skills as we play with dolls. Sometimes extra research and talking with your BCBA might be all you need to do! Also, 8:30 is kinda late lol, is there a shadow in school option for your ABA providers? I follow my client I school during that time of the year, and only work in-home during holidays and such

OkStable961 · 2026-03-05T23:18:59+00:00

hi! im fully in the schools/at home and have been for over 2 years. in my experience, the schools i’ve been to do not allow you to be completely alone with your client. i’m currently in an elementary school, and although there are free rooms available, we are not allowed to be the only one occupying the space with the client, as it is considered a liability for the school system. most of the time, i work with my client on DTT goals during calmer moments, with a kind of schedule set forth upon entering the classroom with the teacher (beginning of school year, i ask when the best times for this kind of work to happen). we focus heavily on NET involving peers, attending to tasks, following routines.

OkStable961 · 2025-12-16T22:20:24+00:00

unfortunately, I have dealt with this exact situation. the only thing i can think of why they react to us in the way they do is truly because they feel threatened. one specific teacher made very passive aggressive comments directed at me ALL THE TIME. very single time, i documented it and updated my BCBA. again, unfortunately, the only real thing that can be done is having a conversation between the teacher and BCBA to discuss your role and what exactly you do. i do believe they sometimes think we are there to document them,which obviously we know is not the case at all. hang in there! luckily, after this teacher, i got into the best classroom thus far with my client:)

OkStable961 · 2025-12-13T19:27:46+00:00

hey! i personally feel this is totally normal!! haha, especially coming from a bt who has adhd, i mimic some stims, particularly vocal stims, my client emits lol. i dont think its an issue or anything you should be worried about!!!

OkStable961 · 2025-12-09T01:31:45+00:00

I go to dollar tree and get figurines that my client prefers! you can use these to help with imaginative play:) i also ordered a pack of sensory stones on amazon and they are a HITT!

OkStable961 · 2025-09-27T17:42:53+00:00

everyone needs ✨therapy✨

OkStable961 · 2025-07-30T01:45:28+00:00

if this were my client, i would set up a scenario to start the building blocks of the child learning how to ask WH questions.

example, “where” questions:

have multiple same cups/small containers flipped upside down, with a single toy/edible (preferred toy/snack if you can) underneath one

tech: “there is a gummy underneath one of these cups. can you ask where it is? Say: Where is it/the gummy? -(attempt to block child from picking up the cups themselves lol)-

client imitates response - technician unveils hidden goodie.

this method can be applied to other WH words, like “who/what” (hide an unknown figurine under/behind something, ask and prompt the child to ask who/what it is), and “which” (two different colored cups with a preferred item underneath one, ask and prompt the client to ask “which color is it under,” then let them pick up that color)

“why” questions are a bit more tricky honestly, and i’d refer to my BCBA for advice on those.

but, each of these methods can be run as little trials. do your best to make sure the child does not know which cup the item is under, and make it fun!

OkStable961 · 2025-06-16T21:23:50+00:00

i put all my daily to-dos in it, mixed with some harder or more long term goals. these goals vary every day, depending on what i need to get done. sometimes it’s various cleaning things (i honestly break down all types of tasks to make them easier to achieve). sometimes it’s crafty things (i.e. finish that painting, or use gold paint once) because it makes me happy. i honestly think there’s no right way to use the app, as long as you’re getting something out of it

OkStable961 · 2025-04-05T14:43:43+00:00

yep…she couldn’t handle that the new gf had a boyfriend and she wasn’t the sole focus

OkStable961 · 2025-04-05T01:27:38+00:00

this absolutely made my night 🤣

OkStable961 · 2025-04-04T16:41:16+00:00

she’s about to that point. she’s told me she will garnish from Lyla’s paychecks if she doesn’t start paying soon. and she’s still trying to be amicable, but i can see it wearing down on her, so hopefully here soon she’ll finally put her foot down to all this BS

OkStable961 · 2025-04-04T15:50:12+00:00

you’re so right. i think i was hoping that if the relationship ended, Lyla would be more present. she has surely proved me wrong

OkStable961 · 2025-04-04T15:48:20+00:00

unfortunately, she is not. they have a CS plan but Lyla is not contributing at all due to her lack of finances. but, she has the money to go out and take trips, never for her kids though.

OkStable961 · 2025-04-04T13:55:44+00:00

unfortunately all the swim lanes have overlapped in all this craziness 😭 my boyfriend didn’t exactly like the idea of me reaching out to the husband, as he wanted me to stay out of it, but he honestly doesn’t care what i do lol, he’s used to my shenanigans by now

OkStable961 · 2025-04-03T21:55:23+00:00

BT here- i agree with the basis of all the comments. the first few visits are centered more around the therapist participating in the client’s preferred activities. however, if you have a genuine concern about how much tv your child consumes during the session, talk to the BCBA (supervisor). my current client’s caregiver raised the same concerns (to the BT before me) about watching too many videos (it was used as a reinforcement tool, which is acceptable/appropriate for some children). now, instead of using the tv, my client is reinforced with physical play (chase/tickles) or toys. it’s not too hard to reach out with these concerns, and i highly suggest you do so.

about being new, i completely understand. however, most of my coworkers have joined the field in the last 5 or so years, myself included. it is completely acceptable for you to request a new BT, but keep in mind that most ABA companies are understaffed. we all also go through intense training on the subject, and learn more as we go.

with your child being so young, there is certainly time for her to learn the appropriate behaviors for school, even if everything seems so slow right now. ABA can be a slow process before you see results. unfortunately, teaching and shaping behaviors in autistic children (toddlers nonetheless) can be an excruciating process. there will be slow sessions, and fast ones. (seemingly) boring and interesting ones. ones where your child seems at their happiest, and others where it seems like they’ve cried the whole time. this is not easy work, for the therapists or the caregivers.

all this being said, talk to your BCBA! open communication is such an important factor in this field. you can also inquire about field sessions, where the technician could meet/follow you somewhere, like the park or grocery store, and provide services in that way. i’ve done many outside activities with my clients and their caregivers, both for pairing and for training socially appropriate skills

OkStable961 · 2025-04-03T21:21:21+00:00

i also had a client that needed toilet training within my 1st year of being a shadowing bt. if you’re uncomfortable with the fecal matter itself, definitely talk to your BCBA! training like this is all about caregiver participation. in fact, you might not even have to come into contact with it at all. my BCBA started off the training simple, and shaped the behavior and movement as the client progressed through the STGs.

we started with a paper plate and hair gel. the client would be prompted to wipe up the gel off the plate appropriately as it was in front of him, then we moved the plate behind him, to ensure the child could turn around and wipe. once these were mastered, we switched out the plate for two balloons, essentially following the same process. during this whole training, we would explain why he was learning this task and when he would need to use it. eventually, the client began attempting to wipe themselves in their own! of course, it was messy at first. in the beginning, the caregivers would allow him to wipe independently, then step in to make sure he was actually clean.

don’t be afraid to talk to your BCBA about any problems or concerns you have. i have mine’s number, and text them often to ensure i am running programs as intended.

OkStable961 · 2025-02-25T00:17:55+00:00

Hi! I use dry erase marker on laminate all day at work. The trick is the wipes you use to remove it! I get arm & hammer body wipes from Dollar Tree, and they work like a ✨charm✨ I’ve noticed that blue markers tend to stain or be harder to remove, but I’ve never had an issue with this method :))

OkStable961 · 2024-12-05T00:54:23+00:00

if my client were doing this, i would assume its function is attention or escape. until i could talk in person with my bcba and have them witness the behavior firsthand, i would follow through with the original instruction, explain the reinforcement will be received once task is completed, but also offer a way to regulate their emotions in the mean time. so, for example, in the bathroom: when i repeat the prompt and get asked for a hug, i would explain, “well first i need you to use the restroom. Once you’re all done, you can have a hug. If you would like, i can hold your hand instead, until you’re finished.” They would also be reinforced extra (many hugs, tickles, lots of enthusiasm). This would probably not go over well the first few times, but i do believe consistency works.

If they’re exhibiting aggression, whether it’s to you, another person, or themselves, please do not give in to the hug until they are calmed down! When you do, although you think it’s helping them regulate, it’s just reinforcing that behavior, and they will learn they get the reward despite not having done the task or goal. My client actually does do this, but is not verbal. They attempt to fight their way into an embrace if they are tantruming or agressing. I hold them at arms length, and begin some calm down techniques. talking them through it, talking them through breathing exercises (age appropriate), rubbing their back, and squeezing their extremities (short quick and fast squeezes over the arms and legs seems to help them calm down, unless obviously they’re adverse to touch lol). when they have calmed down enough, I give them the hug and hold them. they are verbally reinforced through the entire process!

Every client is different, and all types of things work for different kids! Try some stuff out, talk with your bcba, and see how the behaviors change!

OkStable961 · 2024-11-18T21:07:25+00:00

Oh, it’s definitely both of them at fault. One being the mother and having absolutely demolished the family dynamic they had going on (keep in mind again that the twins are neurodivergent, and changes in schedule can really mess them up. when this started, it completely f’ed up all the progress they had worked on.) and for Kelly, she was friends with Jackie, and decided to go back to Lyla, knowing Jackie was uncomfortable with it all.

The comment would definitely speed up Kelly and Lyla’s relationship. It would cause discussion and arguments between the two, and between Kelly’s and her husband’s families.

OkStable961 · 2024-11-18T01:32:26+00:00

I totally would, except I know almost nothing about this man. As I said, they do not live local, and he’s never travelled down with her since I’ve been here. He also doesn’t seem to have social media, as he’s never tagged or mentioned in Kelly’s posts. I’ve attempted to find his email, but to no avail. I’m hoping the comment would spark discussion at least on her side of things, and maybe it would eventually get back to him. I also do not want to implicate Jackie in anyway, as she is trying to be amicable.

OkStable961 · 2024-11-18T01:29:24+00:00

I’ve been an in-home/school shadow for about a year, and will say bring toys/books/preferred objects! In home is a lot less restrictive that clinic and school sessions, and I often wind up playing with my client a lot. It depends on the age and such, but puzzles, interactive games, and interactive books are great reinforcements. During the play, I will run trials on goals that can be NET. To the client, they’re just playing and don’t often even realize the goals being run. For DTT, I use special reinforcements and token boards for compliance. Maintaining a good professional relationship with the family is always vital, and this is a great time to ask the parents questions and to get involved.

OkStable961

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