Parental ABA therapy tips

Effects on generalization of parent teaching and child correct responding

DOI: 10.1901/jaba.2007.685-68910243408

DESCRIPTORS: autism, behavioral skills training, developmental disabilities, discrete-trial teaching, imitation, parent training

Parental Aba Therapy Tips

The SPARTA team conducted a study and trained three parents to implement discrete-trial teaching with children that have developmental disabilities. We started by teaching the parents a couple of Vocal Imitation and Gross Motor Imitation methods. A couple of the commands requested to the children were to raise their hands and reply accurately to questions or gestures vocally. After the parents received a couple of short 10-minute training sessions, they began to put their new skills to work.

The results of their discrete trial learning sessions yielded positive results. The Parents learned to implement discrete-trial training, their skills generalized to novel programs, and the children’s correct responses increased, suggesting that behavioral skills training is an effective and efficient method of teaching discrete-trial teaching to parents.

Parents can make a big difference in their children’s behavior development outside of a center or school, and in the comfort of their own home.

EL