ABA Parent Support: Immediate Help for Families

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Parenting a child with challenging behaviors can sometimes feel overwhelming. You may find yourself asking:

• “How do I help my child manage big behaviors at home?”

• “What can I do while we’re waiting for therapy to start?”

• “Is ABA parent support really for us?”

If these questions sound familiar, you’re not alone. Many families explore parent support and education as a way to gain confidence, strategies, and immediate guidance while waiting for more formal ABA therapy services.

What Parent Support Really Is

Parent support is not about judgment or “fixing” your parenting. Instead, it’s a collaborative process guided by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who works alongside you to:

• Provide practical, evidence-based strategies you can use every day

• Help you understand why behaviors happen and how to respond effectively

• Share tools that reduce stress for the entire family

• Create space for your questions, concerns, and goals

➡️ If you’re brand new to ABA, check out our blog: What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?

Where Parent Support Can Happen

One of the benefits of parent support is flexibility. Sessions are designed to take place where they matter most for your family:

• In your home for guidance during everyday routines like meals, homework, and bedtime

• At facilities or community locations (such as grocery stores, playgrounds, or medical appointments) where your child may face challenges

• Via telehealth, offering convenient and flexible access wherever you are

➡️ Read more about how to prepare: Preparing For In-Home ABA Therapy

Why Families Choose Parent Support

Families often turn to parent support and education because:

• They are on a waitlist for ABA therapy but don’t want to lose valuable time

• They want to feel more confident managing tantrums, transitions, or sibling challenges

• They need immediate guidance instead of waiting months for services to begin

At AMA Behavioral Consulting, our analysts have immediate availability for parent support sessions, so you can start building momentum right away.

➡️ Many families begin this journey right after diagnosis. Here are 5 Things To Do After Receiving an Autism Diagnosis

What You’ll Walk Away With

Each session is designed to leave you with actionable tools that can be put into practice the same day. Examples include:

• A visual schedule that makes mornings smoother

• A replacement script for “Stop that!” to reduce meltdowns

• Reinforcement ideas beyond food and toys

• Step-by-step strategies for handling transitions or power struggles

➡️ To learn more about fostering independence, check out: Teaching Your Child To Be More Independent

Final Thoughts

Parent support and education may be the right fit for your family if you’re looking for immediate strategies and guidance tailored to your daily life. Whether at home, in the community, or online, our Board Certified Behavior Analysts are here to help you take the first step today.

Ready to get started?
Contact us at amabehavioralconsulting.com/contactus to schedule your first session.

You don’t have to wait to see change—you can start now!

5 Everyday ABA Strategies Parents Can Use at Home

Parenting a child with autism or behavioral challenges is a journey full of love, patience, and—let’s be honest—some days where you wish you had just ONE more tool in your back pocket. That’s where ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) can help. While it’s often used in therapy sessions, many strategies work beautifully at home too. And the best part? You don’t have to be a therapist to use them. 👀

Here are five simple, family-friendly ABA strategies you can start using in your daily routine to support your child’s growth, independence, and confidence.

1. Positive Reinforcement: Celebrate the Wins

One of the most effective ABA tools is also the simplest—celebrating the behaviors you want to see more of.

Example: If your child puts away their toys, follow it with praise: “I love how you cleaned up right when I asked—thank you!”. If you want to kick it up a notch, you can offer a small reward like extra lovin’, extra playtime or a fist bump. You know your child best and some kids may give you a side eye if you clap and cheer (yes…. I’ve been turned down a lot in my career by my threenagers).

The key is being specific, consistent, and genuine. Instead of a generic “Good job,” let them know exactly what you’re proud of. That little detail goes a long way.

2. Visual Schedules: Take the Guesswork Out of the Day

Kids thrive when they know what’s coming next, and visual schedules make that crystal clear.

Example: Create a simple picture chart with the day’s events—breakfast, playtime, bath, bedtime. Photos, drawings, or printable icons all work.

Visuals help reduce anxiety, make transitions smoother, and give your child a sense of control over their day.

3. First-Then/When-Then Statements: Set Clear Expectations

This is a go-to strategy for reducing power struggles while building structure.

Example: “First we brush teeth, then we read your favorite book” OR “When our toys are in the bin, then we can go outside”

It helps kids connect a less-preferred activity (like brushing teeth) with a preferred one (like storytime). Clear, simple, and predictable.

4. Modeling: Be the Example

Sometimes the best teaching tool is simply showing the behavior yourself.

Example: Want your child to learn how to ask for help? Try: “I need help opening this jar. Can you please help me?”

Kids learn so much by watching the people around them. The more they see a skill modeled, the more likely they are to try it out themselves.

5. Offer Choices: Build Independence

Giving kids small, meaningful choices throughout the day helps them feel empowered and reduces resistance.

Example: “Do you want to wear the red shirt or the blue shirt?” or “Do you want to start with blocks or puzzles?”

Even limited choices build communication, independence, and problem-solving skills.

Final Thoughts

ABA at home doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Small, intentional changes in your routines can create structure, lower stress, and open doors for your child’s growth.

Remember—it’s not about perfection, it’s about progress. Every small win matters.

Want more tips like this? Follow us on social or reach out at amarilys@amabehavioralconsulting.com to see how our team can support your family’s unique journey.

Preparing For In Home ABA Therapy

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ABA Therapy hours were approved and you are ready to get started, YEY!! 🎉 You are probably asking yourself what you may need to do to get your home ready for sessions. Below you'll find a simple guide to setting up your home for success with in-home ABA therapy services.

1. House Rules: Let us know what your house rules are so that we may all may follow them (i.e. any cultural practices, no shoes inside the house, noise levels, etc).

   1. Access to your home: Letting your team know any areas that they can have access to. We love to teach in the child's natural environment and sometimes this may look like playing in the room with their favorite doll house, playing with chalk outside and teaching new skills like riding a bike around the neighborhood!

   1. YOU! We love when our parents are a part of our sessions. We love to teach in the moment when implementing any techniques or protocols and want to make sure you feel confident in them when we walk out.

      • Also note: You know your child best! If you notice your child may be doing something different than usual or may be having an "off day" (i.e. may be getting sick, didn't sleep well), let us know so that we may modify our activities for the day to best help them.

   2. Your child's favorite toys: We love incorporating your child's favorite items within our sessions and teach through play (see Natural Environment Teaching)!

   3. Table and chairs: Sometimes we will complete activities that require a table and chair (i.e. homework activities, teaching trials that require a flat surface, messy items like kinetic sand or slime that we'd like to keep in a contained area and not on your floor (you're welcome 😉)) (see Discrete Trial Teaching).

   4. Distracting Items and/or Activities: Blenders, vacuum cleaners, dump trucks, TV's & siblings! We love teaching in the home because we are able to work through some of the most common distractions however, there may be some that are TOO distracting and should be kept to a minimum when our therapist arrives. Our team will review these items with you and how we can work together to minimize or bring these into sessions.

   5. Code of Ethics: All therapists in an ABA therapy team have a Code of Ethics to abide by. We always recommend that our parents review this Code of Ethics and ask any questions to their child's case manager if any areas are violated. Parents are able to report any violations to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.

      1. RBT Ethics Code

      2. BCaBA/BCBA Ethics Code

We encourage our families to observe our sessions and ask any questions you may have in the moment. Communication and commitment to our families are part of our values at AMA Behavioral Consulting and we want to ensure we share our knowledge in each step of the way.

We hope this list was helpful and if these services seem like a great fit for you, make sure to fill our contact form here.

Preparing for An Initial ABA Therapy Assessment

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An initial assessment is an opportunity for our team to get to know you and your child. There will be several events that take place during this initial session and we want to make sure you know what to expect! Below you'll find the main components of what to expect during an initial ABA Assessment:

Photo credit: B & E Photography

1. Caregiver interview: The very first thing we will do is complete some questionnaires about your family and your child. This will include discussing any family history of diagnosis, developmental milestone progression and delays and learning about any medications or allergies. This will also be a great opportunity to talk about any concerning areas (i.e. Your child is not communicating using vocal words OR does not respond to one-step directions). We also like to use this time to discuss any short or long term goals you have for your child and your family unit to include in our programming.

2. Informal and Direct Observation: While we (Behavior Analyst) are completing this questionnaire with you, we will be observing your child in their natural environment. This is a great opportunity to discreetly observe any behaviors you may have reported, your child's ability to request items or attention while you're busy and also observe the way that they play with their toys!

3. Direct Assessment of Skills: We will then begin testing some skills in the natural environment. Depending on the child's level, we may use a variety of toys (it will look like we are playing but we promise we are testing!). We may also use testing books that have pictures and/or words to assess your child's skill level. Some of the categories we will test for early learners using the VBMAPP as an example will include:

   1. Requesting: Your child's ability to ask for items or actions they want/need.

   2. Labeling: Your child's ability to label items when asked to do so.

   3. Receptive Skills: Your child's ability to follow instructions and selecting items when told do so.

   4. Visual Perceptual/Match-To-Sample Skills: Your child's ability to complete multiple step items like a puzzle, matching and sorting.

   5. Play Skills: During our entire assessment, we will be evaluating how your child plays. Does your child repeatedly play with items a certain way? Do they explore the types of toys we bring in for the session?

   6. Social Skills: Your child's ability to take turns, share their toys and even make eye contact when they want to gain our attention.

   7. Motor Imitation Skills: Your child's ability to imitate the actions we show them through direct or play presentations.

   8. Echoic Skills: Your child's ability to echo words and sounds that we present during the evaluation.

   9. Please note: This is an example of what we would test and does not include additional skills like the child's ability to respond to fill-ins, answer questions, or their ability to create new relations based on direct teaching. For older children, we may use other assessment tools and categories (like these above), to best help them at their developmental level. Our team will review what tools will be used for your child!

4. Assessment Write-Up: Once we are finished with the assessment, we will create an assessment write-up with a summary of your child's skill set, behaviors and goals for the next 6 months. We will also review, based on the assessment results, what we are recommending for hours and what sessions will look like. We will send you a copy and review everything listed to ensure that your goals for your child are in agreement with the goals we have selected.

5. Insurance Approval: The next step involves sending this report to your insurance company for approval. This can take anywhere from 2 weeks to up to a month (time varies by insurance). Once the therapy hours are approved, we will discuss scheduling and get ready to start services. For more information on how to prepare for in home ABA therapy, please read our article here.

We hope you found this article helpful and would love to know if this was helpful in the comments!!

How to use ABA techniques to conquer your New Year goals

As the saying goes: New Year, New Me! But it’s February and maybe we’ve already fallen off track. On a serious note, how many of these goals do we actually meet when the year comes to an end? Most of the time, we don’t even remember what our goals were for the previous year! This article will review how to use ABA to conquer your new goals. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) studies behaviors and the environmental variables that contribute to these behaviors continuing to occur or not occurring at all. Follow these steps to ensure that you are able to reach your goals using ABA techniques:

1. Setting clear and objective (measurable) goals: describing in detail what we wish to accomplish and what constitutes meeting this definition. An example could be “I will go to the gym 3x a week”.

2. Values are very very important when selecting goals! Knowing WHY we want to make a change will help in the times that we begin to find ways to escape from the task. As an example, my family history includes lots of unhealthy habits and as a result, higher medical stats which decreases quality of life. As a result my WHY for being active includes to create a legacy for my family of healthier living.

3. Take data on your behavior: As behavior analyst, we LOVE analyzing data to see why behaviors are/are not occurring. This application when completing it on oneself is called self-management: the personal application of behavior change tactics that produces a desired change in behavior (Cooper, Heron, Heward, 2007). By taking data on the behaviors outlined as your goals, you can determine if these goals are being met and why/why not this system is/is not working.

4. Review your data! If your designed plan is not working, begin to review what variables may be contributing to not reaching these goals. If the goal is to workout 3x a week but the gym is 30 minutes away with traffic, the response effort to attend the gym and sit in traffic may be too high and thus inhibit the motivation to complete the workout. You can find a closer gym or try completing at home workouts instead.

   • Note: A fun way to track this is through free printables like this one here.

5. Make antecedent and consequent manipulations: Changing the environment to facilitate behaviors occurring at higher frequencies is called antecedent manipulations. An example of this could be to set out your workout clothes the night before to decrease the hassle of getting ready early in the morning. You could even set our your measured pre-workout and water for a quick mix in the morning. Consequent manipulations are also extremely important! Create a reward system for yourself if having a system like this in motivates you to keep doing it! An example could be: If the contingency is to to work out 3x/week for a month then you can allow yourself to get a new piece of gym equipment or a new pair of sneakers. This technique is also called the Premack Principle or “Grandma’s Rule”: If a contingency is met then a reward is received.

6. Find an accountability partner: Some of our “love language” is attention which can be provided in various forms including praise. By having an accountability partner, this person will be able to provide you with that praise you may enjoy receiving and also redirect you to your goals if you fell a little off track.

Credit to: The housewife modern

These techniques can be used in all scenarios of either increasing or decreasing behaviors. As discussed above, it is extremely important to take data and review measurable goals to determine what is/is not working and meet your 2022 goals!  

References:

Cooper J.O, Heron T.E, Heward W.L. Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson; 2007.

Can ABA Help My Child with ADHD?

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Can ABA help your child with ADHD?

Research shows that ABA therapy is evidence-based therapy that can help other diagnoses including ADHD. Research shows that a combination of ABA therapy and medication can make significant changes in a child’s behavior. 

Oftentimes, we’ve worked with children who engage in behaviors that may seem “impulsive”, “off-task” and “disruptive” to others in their environment. From our experience, some of these behaviors typically have a reasoning as to why they're occurring. Sometimes the learner may be engaging in these behaviors because they cannot communicate their wants and needs. Sometimes these learners cannot concentrate on their tasks because they are distracted by something in their environment. Sometimes these learners don’t realize they are being disruptive with their actions to others around them. 

Step right up Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)! What do we do in these types of situations? One of our primary goals in ABA is to provide our learners with the tools to help them advocate for themselves. We teach our learners to request for needs and wants appropriately instead of being impulsive and grabbing whatever they may need (be it materials or someone's attention).

We observe the learner in their natural environment and analyze the patterns of their behaviors. We conduct in depth analysis of their environment to determine what could be distracting them in times that they are off-task. We add tools to help them cope in environments that may be overstimulating to them. 

We provide our learners with tools to teach them recognize the behaviors they are engaging in and then help them correct this behavior (should it need to be corrected). One of our learners had a very challenging time completing tasks that involved more than 1 step (i.e. homework). We created a visual support to help with the completion of these steps. We then taught him self-management strategies to keep himself on track and complete these tasks from start to finish. An example of this program can be found below. We also taught this learner to track his “on-task” behavior using a vibrating timer at every 3 minute interval. When the timer went off, he had to evaluate his current actions and label if he was on or off task. Depending on the current action, he would either continue working OR redirect himself to the task he was supposed to be engaging in. This strategy was taken from Finn et al in 2014. 

In summary, ABA can be of immense help in helping your child with ADHD. Board Certified Behavior Analyst will evaluate your child’s current skill set, help create programs to help them develop the skills they need to communicate and teach any replacement or self-management behaviors to help them in the most challenging times of their day. Give us a call to learn more about how we can help! 

Resource: 

Finn, Lisa & Ramasamy, Rangasamy & Dukes, Charles & Scott, John. (2014). Using WatchMinder to Increase the On-Task Behavior of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of autism and developmental disorders. 45. 10.1007/s10803-014-2300-x. 

Therapies that help a child with an Autism Diagnosis...

Read Time: 8 Minutes

Your child has received a diagnosis and you are provided with a list of recommended therapies and acronyms you may have never heard of. Don’t worry! We are here to help! We hope that this blog can help you understand what each of these therapies mean and how they will benefit your child. 

1. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA Therapy): Your child may have been referred to ABA or Applied Behavior Analysis therapy. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the application of the principles of learning and motivation from behavior analysis which produce socially significant changes through the analysis, observation, design, implementation and evaluation of past and current environmental events (antecedents and consequences). ABA therapy programs will help your child increase functional communication and language, attention, social skills, memory and academics. There is also an emphasis on decreasing any challenging behaviors that the child may exhibit by teaching the child self regulation or replacement behaviors. ABA therapy can be provided in a variety of settings including home, school, clinic, community and group home settings. ABA therapy is individualized for each child and their family. Opportunities for parent support and collaboration with other professionals who are working with the child are also a part of our treatment plans. - Amarilys Morales, M.S., Board Certified Behavior Analyst

2. Pediatric occupational therapy (OT) is focused on assisting children develop and enhance the skills that they require to grow and function throughout the various stages of development and into adulthood. Developmental delays, neurological impairments, physical impairment, and a host of other areas can hamper a child's ability to perform common tasks or progress at the developmentally expected level through the stages of motor, social, or cognitive development. Focus areas can include fine motor skills, visual motor skills, coordination, sensory integration, self-regulation, and strengthening to assist children with the ability to perform daily tasks and socialize at an age appropriate level. - Kathleen Pici, OTR/L, CAS

3. Pediatric Speech Therapy is specialized in developing and enhancing children’s ability to both express and understand verbal and written language. Various areas of focus include auditory processing, receptive language, expressive language, articulation, pragmatic skills, apraxia, dysfluency, and oral motor strengthening. In addition to communication skills, speech therapists can work on assisting a child that is experiencing feeding difficulties. Developmental delays, neurological impairments, as well as physical impairments can impact a child’s ability to produce language, understand language, and tolerate eating/swallowing age appropriate foods. - Kathleen Pici, OTR/L, CAS

4. Physical Therapy (PT) Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit motor impairments that include deficits in visual-motor and bilateral coordination, low tone, motor apraxia, toe walking and/or gross motor delays. Physical activity poses a challenge for those on the spectrum due to poor motor functioning, low motivation, and trouble engaging in a team environment. Children with ASD also have a higher incidence of obesity due to the movement difficulties that they face. Physical therapists have the ability to improve motor delay, increase social participation, and decrease developmental and daily functional obstacles that exist. Physical therapists treat gross motor delay by improving strength, gross motor skills, stability, stretching tight and underdeveloped musculature, and helping the child gain confidence in day-to-day activities and participation in sports. -Karly Zengel, PT, DPT

5. Licensed Psychologist: You may also be referred to a licensed school psychologist. Some licensed school psychologists also complete private psychoeducational evaluations. Psychoeducational assessments are completed for a variety of purposes, including eligibility determination for special education and related services, evaluation of progress, and the development of appropriate behavioral and/or educational interventions. Evaluations may include assessment of domains including, but not limited to: intellectual, academic, cognitive processing, adaptive, and social/emotional development. These results can be shared with the schools to assist in determining the need for a 504 Plan, Individual Education Plan (IEP), or College Board exam accommodation. Some licensed school psychologist may also assess for Learning Disabilities (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia), academically gifted program (AGP), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and more. Licensed school psychologists help to find a child's strengths and weaknesses so you can walk away with a clear path to what they can do to help your child. The testing will provide concrete strategies and recommendations on what to do next  to help your child become more successful at school and home. -Stacy Zebrick, Licensed School Psychologist

As you can see, each professional and field has skills to help your child be successful in various areas. When providers collaborate with each other, we see the most significant differences in our children. We also always encourage our families to read about evidence-based practices that are available to your child as these will make the most significant differences. A special THANK YOU TO our wonderful community partners for sharing what they do with our readers!

Should you have any questions or would like to receive a copy of our referral list for Hillsborough County, please contact us!

5 Things To Do After Receiving an Autism Diagnosis

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As a parent, receiving the news that your child has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum comes with a whirlwind of emotions and questions. Depending on the level on which your child was diagnosed, difficulties may follow. As you may have read, there is no “cure” for Autism. However, you are your child’s number 1 advocate and you will be able to fight for what your child needs. What follows are a few recommendations of things to do after your child has received an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis: 

1. Evidence-Based Practices. Researching evidence based practices will be very important to ensure your child’s success. Evidence based practices have been heavily studied, researched and replicated. The National Autism Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder provides a great list of evidence based practices you can see here.

2. Therapy Services. Your child may need additional support that your pediatrician/neurologist and/or psychologist may have recommended. Service providers will specialize in areas like speech development and communication, behavioral health, mental health, physical therapy and additional school services. We will be writing a blog post soon to discuss each of these service professionals and the incredible services they provide. 

3. Books. We often learn from other’s experiences. There are several books that we love and recommend to start the journey. Here are some of our favorite books: Parenting with ABA (Leanne Page, BCBA does an incredible job discussing behavioral concepts that you can implement with your child), The Verbal Behavior Approach (Dr. Mary Lynch Barbera discusses Verbal Behavior and how to implement it with your child) and last but not least the book we are currently reading Differently Wired (by Deborah Reber who discusses how to overcome the challenges in raising an neuroatypical child). 

4. Parent/Caregiver Support Groups. We have joined several support groups to help parents and caregivers. In these groups, we often see families come together and help support each other when they need advice, recommendations and support. Some of the groups in Hillsborough County include: Special Needs Community Resources of Pasco County- Florida, Southshore Special Needs Support, Families with Special Needs Kids-Tampa Bay. 

5. Additional Resources. There are several pages that provide additional resources from initial diagnosis to transitioning to adulthood. Some of our favorites are: 

   1. Autism Speaks

   2. Associations for Science in Autism Treatment

   3. First Words Project

   4. National Autism Association

Remember, this is a time where your child needs you at your best. Be open to new techniques that may be suggested by your service providers. The journey will not be easy but your child needs you in their corner to celebrate each milestone and help them reach their full potential. Teach your child that they have a voice and their voice matters regardless of their diagnosis. Your child deserves respect, dignity and deserves to receive what they need to be successful. This is not an easy feat but YOU (mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, foster parent) are here to help your child be the best they can be and we believe in you!

Preparing for a Visit to the Dentist

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Who likes going to dentist? The dentist for me up is not my favorite place to be. When one of our parents asked for tips on how to make this process a bit easier for our learner, I immediately jumped into action. Here are some of the things we did to get ready for our big trip:

1. Created a social story on the steps that would take place for our visit. I contacted the dentist office and asked about each step and the expectations of the child. I took pictures from their page and created a social story with visuals of what the office and equipment the child would come in contact with would look like.  See the video of our social story below!

2. Practice! During our sessions we practiced by playing with similar items so that the child could become familiar with some of the steps. We used Play-Doh dentist set as well as took our own set of X-Rays using the X-Ray Scanner Teeth App to portray the steps that needed to be taken in a visit. 

3. Last but not least, during our one on one direct therapy sessions, we practiced different instructions like “Open your mouth” “Stick your tongue out” and even “Stand as still as a soldier” to prepare the child with some of the instructions they may hear as well as the expected behaviors. If the child did not know what behavior was expected, I showed him how to do it and we practiced together! 

4. During these steps, our learner was provided with lots of praise and positive experiences so that the transition to the actual office would be as flawless as possible. 

Playdoh Dentist Set

Although our learner had difficulty with some of the steps in the actual office visit, he was able to complete the cleaning and we are calling it a success! The visual schedule truly helped with the process of knowing what was coming next and he was able to see the tools we played with in real life. I would love to thank the staff at Happy Family Dental Group in Brandon, Florida for their patience, understanding and their willingness to provide materials and information before our visit! 

Top 10 Questions to ask your ABA Provider…. ANSWERED!!

1. What kind of oversight will the direct staff have? All direct care staff (RBT’s, BCaBA’s and BCBA’s) will be overseen on a weekly basis to ensure treatment fidelity of programming and continued learner success.

2. Do you have team meetings? Yes, we have monthly team meetings in which we review our learners successes and difficulties, learn new concepts/review research in the field and work on team building activities! 

3. How is data collected and graphed? Our data is collected and graphed on a daily basis via our online platform: Central Reach. The lead analyst reviews this data on a weekly basis to ensure that our learners do not need additional modifications and continue to make significant progress. 

4. What kind of parent support is offered? What will this look like? Parent support is an extremely important portion of our therapy! We believe that all skills worked on should be generalized to the natural environment and with the caregivers involved with our learners. Parent support is offered with the lead analyst and usually follows the behavior skills training model: Instructions are presented, the analyst performs the skill, the analyst and caregiver rehearse the skill and then the caregiver receives feedback implementing the skill. Instructions are modified per family structure. We will always make accommodations on what works best for your family! 

5. Can we do community outings? ABSOLUTELY! We go where you may need us the most. Community outings lets us put the skills we are working on to the test in the natural environment. 

6. Do you coordinate with other service providers (e.g., school, OT, speech)? Collaboration is KEY! We love to collaborate with other service providers to incorporate whatever skills they want us to incorporate and vice versa. 

7. What kind of teaching will be involved in my child’s program? We incorporate both Discrete Trial Instruction and Natural Environment Teaching. Click on the links for additional information. 

8. How are the goals developed? Goals are developed using various methods. We will conduct an initial assessment to test the learner’s skillset, observe them in the natural environment and conduct a series of interviews with caregivers. Based on these results, we will develop goals for our learners to meet in the next 6 months. We will review with caregivers to ensure they are in accordance with these goals. 

9. What will be in my child’s behavior intervention plan? We will include antecedent manipulations, consequences and replacement behaviors for maladaptive behaviors. 

10. What services are available to my child? We offer one-on-one direct intervention, parent support services, school consultation, behavior based feeding therapy, and toilet training. 

11. Ok so there was 11: Do you have social skills groups? At the moment, we do not. BUT stay tuned for future planning!

Teaching Your Child To Be More Independent

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Teaching activities of daily living are one of my favorite areas to teach as a behavior analyst. With each daily living skill I teach, I am able to provide each learner with a skill that they will be able to perform for the rest of their lives. We are able to teach a range of daily living skills from riding a bike, to getting dressed, to learning how to dial a caregivers phone number to making food for themselves.

As behavior analyst, we individualize our teaching procedures for each of our learners. We will talk about the three primary ways we teach a long list of steps like teaching activities of daily living. 

Selecting a teaching technique varies greatly by the learner. It is important to consider the following: 

1. How many steps does the learner already know?

2. Will the child need to access to reinforcement quickly (i.e. a break, praise, etc)?

3. How strong are the child’s motor skills (as this will influence how much prompting will be required)?

The first technique is forward chaining. In forward chaining, we teach each learner to complete the very first step of the task and help them through the rest of the steps in the task. Once the first step has been acquired, the second step is taught. When the second step is acquired, the third step is taught and so on. For example, when teaching a child to comb their hair, the first step would be to teach him/her to pick up the hair brush and prompt through the rest of the steps. Once the child has acquired picking up the hair brush on their own, we would then require the learner to pick up the brush (step 1) and place the brush on their head (step 2) and so on until we are able to require them to complete the entire task. 

The second technique is backward chaining. In backward chaining we only require the learner to complete the final step of the task. Similar to forward chaining the learner is taught one step at a time and then required to complete the acquired step and the previous step in the routine. When teaching shoe tying, the learner would be helped through the entire task and then required to complete the last step (i.e. pulling the loops to complete the tie). Once this final step is mastered, the learner would be required to make the loops and also pull the loops to complete the tie. The same sequence would continue until the learner knows all of the steps.

The final technique used is called total task chaining. In this technique the learner is taught the entire task receiving assistance as needed. This technique is great to use if the learner already knows some of the steps and may only need a little assistance. When teaching to make a PB and J sandwich, the learner may know how to gather the ingredients to make the sandwich but may need assistance with spreading the peanut butter and jelly and putting the ingredients away. In this example, the person assisting would refrain from prompting the learner in the areas they know and assist in the steps the learner has not yet acquired. 

Our learner in this video, learned to complete his shoe tying task using forward chaining in which we taught the first steps of the chain and continued to add on to the task as he acquired the steps. In a very short period of time, our lovely guy was asking for the rest of the steps to complete the task on his own! We are so proud of him! You may also be able to hear his brother providing him with positive reinforcement by cheering him on!

Graphed through Central Reach

What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?

 

What is Applied Behavior Analysis? Applied behavior analysis is the process of systematically applying interventions based upon the principles of learning theory to improve socially significant behaviors to a meaningful degree, and to demonstrate that the interventions employed are responsible for the improvement in behavior (Baer, Wolf & Risley, 1968; Sulzer-Azaroff & Mayer, 1991).             

 

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ABA methods are used to support persons with autism in at least six ways:

1. to increase behaviors (eg reinforcement procedures increase on-task behavior, or social interactions);

2. to teach new skills (eg, systematic instruction and reinforcement procedures teach functional life skills, communication skills, or social skills);

3. to maintain behaviors (eg, teaching self control and self-monitoring procedures to maintain and generalize job-related social skills);

4. to generalize or to transfer behavior from one situation or response to another (eg, from completing assignments in the resource room to performing as well in the mainstream classroom);

5. to restrict or narrow conditions under which interfering behaviors occur (eg, modifying the learning environment); and

6. to reduce interfering behaviors (eg, self injury or stereotypy).

Source: Center for Autism and Related Disorders

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Is Applied Behavior Analysis ONLY for children with Autism? Absolutely not! ABA is a science that when implemented correctly is beneficial for all children and adults with or without a diagnosis. Recent research continues to be developed in the areas of health and fitness, organization behavior management, substance abuse and addiction and education.  

Who provides Applied Behavior Analysis services? Services can be provided by a Board Certified Behavior Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D) or a Board Certified Behavior Behavior Analyst (BCBA) : a doctoral or master’s level clinician who has passed the Behavior Analyst Certification Board Exam. Services can also be provided by a Board Certified assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) who is a bachelor’s level clinician often accruing their hours to become a BCBA overseen by a BCBA. A registered behavior technician (RBT) can also provide services while being overseen by a BCBA. Individuals at the RBT level have also passed a certification exam by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. For more information regarding credentialing requirements, see https://www.bacb.com/.

Tips for a Visit to the Eye Doctor

Going to visit a "doctor" of any type, can result in a series of behaviors even for us as adults. Today's blog will review tips on how to best prepare your child for a visit to the eye doctor.

1. Prepare your child for what they will encounter: Showing your child what they are likely to experience before the visit will assist your child in becoming more familiar with the visit (i.e. showing pictures of the doctor's office, the doctor, the tools they may use, etc.). Some offices now have virtual tours so they can view exactly what they will see on the visit!
2. Practice what the doctor will ask of them: The doctor may ask your child to cover one eye and then ask to cover the other. As a parent, we can show our child what this looks like (modeling) and then have the child practice while providing positive feedback.
3. Practice labeling items/compare and contrast: Usually, the doctor will ask that the child label items, letters or numbers. They will also ask the child to compare and contrast when looking through the lens. Using the steps in #2, we can practice doing so with these items. If your child cannot label things such as numbers and letters, inform the doctor as they have various tools to help! 
4. Relax: Sometimes as parents, we are more worried about our child's reaction than they are. Remember to not scare the child by saying everything that can go wrong but by explaining to them why it's important to visit the eye doctor and how fun it will be!

Thanks to Dr. Knighton at Bright Eyes Kids and Dr. Laura Vizzari at Vision Source for your suggestions!

Our Company Values

We Are a Value-Driven Organization…

At AMA Behavioral Consulting, LLC, we pride ourselves in providing the most effective services driven by our core values.

Our organization believes that each family has the right to receive most effective services and deserves to be a part of the behavior analytic process each step of the way. Our values summarize the purpose of our existence.

Integrity

We will always adhere to our moral and ethical principles in every aspect of our service and business.

Commitment to Our Families

We are committed to serving our families. We are a team and we will work on what what will help bring our clients to their full potential.

Excellence and Innovation

We will always strive for ways in which we can refine and improve the way we work. We know that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well.

We listen, we care, we communicate, we serve

Everything we do, we do with the families best interest in mind. Communication is key to success when working with our families and we believe that it is an essential component in the services we provide. We truly care about the families we serve.

Career Choice: Behavior Analyst

Background:

Since I was little, I always told my mom growing up that I knew I wanted to help people everyday in my life. The question we all have when picking a career choice is what could I possibly love to do everyday that I can continue doing it for the rest of my life. Fortunately, my choice came a little easy for me! While attending the University of South Florida, a new minor had just opened up: Intro to Applied Behavior Analysis instructed by none other than Ms. Victoria Fogel. As soon as I took the first course, I KNEW I had made the right choice. The more I learned, the more I fell in love with the field. I had the wonderful opportunity to begin my career while working at the Florida Autism Center of Excellence as a teacher's assistant, where I quickly learned that no child is the same and they are all special in their own ways. From there, I transitioned to a clinic where I had the opportunity to transition from a Registered Behavior Technician to a Clinical Coordinator overseeing the clinic. Here, I continued to develop the love for my field, strengthen my skill sets with the population I worked with and was able to train parents and some of the most wonderful staff I have ever had the pleasure of working with.  

Random facts about me: I love Christmas and especially the GRINCH! I love to dance salsa and can eat Cold Stone for every meal of the day. 

Why did I choose ABA?

Applied Behavior Analysis is the application of the principles of learning and motivation from Behavior Analysis, and the procedures and technology derived from those principles, to the solution of problems of social significance. Through years of research and development, behavior analysts have created a science that is replicable not only by those with the degree in Behavior Analysis but teachers, caregivers and anyone who wishes to implement its highly researched techniques. I have witnessed first-hand by working with amazing individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities, the power that my field has. I have witnessed milestones that may be considered minute for a typically developing child but enormous for the kiddos I have worked with. Some of my favorite milestones include: teaching a child to use the Picture Exchange Communication System not only to request using sentences but to label events around him, teaching a child to get dressed using a task analysis, having a conversation with a child that it is "ok" to  be different and that autism does not make him "less", helping countless families achieve potty training successes and being able to mainstream a child who previously didn't know how to communicate using words! 

My Mission:

My mission at AMA Behavioral Consulting, LLC is to provide each learner with evidence-based, high quality behavior therapy services to reach their full potential. I wish to create a company that serves as a resource of information about our field and our practices and that is ethical in each step of the process. I truly value what my field can accomplish and I cannot wait to share my work with others who wish to share these amazing experiences with me!