ABA Parent Support: Immediate Help for Families

Read Time: 5 Minutes

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

Read Time: 5 Minutes

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.