You are the most important person in your child’s life, the main character in their story.
You know them like no one else does.
As ABA professionals, we can only go so far. The skills we teach and behaviors we manage must be maintained over time to boost your child’s success.
That’s why at Alliance ABA Therapy, we involve parents and caregivers in every aspect of our ABA services—and this includes parent training! We offer parent training to families in Fairfax, Prince William, Stafford, Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania. Parent training can also be provided online.
Our goal is to ensure you can maintain your child’s progress, even after our job is complete.
If you want more information about parent training, read on or contact us for a consultation!
What Is Parent Training?
Parent training is a vital part of children’s ABA therapy. The purpose is to educate parents and caretakers, so they can support their child’s growth. You will learn strategies to help your child develop skills and transfer them to other settings.
Parent training is not the same as parent observation or participation. Parent participation is less involved as it may only include attending assessments, sessions, and treatment discussions.
Do I Need Parent Training?
We do require every family to go through parent training as part of our ABA services. In fact, most insurance companies require parent training sessions to approve ABA coverage. You can also opt for parent training even if your child is not doing ABA therapy.
Keep in mind that parent training is meant not only for parents but for anyone who is actively engaged in your child’s life. Training their core family will give children a sense of consistency. It can also motivate them to practice what they learn with other relatives.
If you are considering ABA therapy for your child or want professional guidance to manage their challenges, parent training can help you.
How Can Parent Training Help?
Parent training is beneficial for you, your child, and your family.
It equips you, the caregiver, with valuable tools and insight to support your child. The information you are provided is based on their unique needs, preferences, and abilities.
During parent training, you will learn how to:
- Strengthen your child’s positive behaviors
- Decrease or change your child’s problematic actions
- Teach your child new skills (e.g., communication, self-care) and maintain them in the future
Ongoing parent support allows children to master skills, applying them in other places (e.g., school, playdates, community) and with other people (e.g., teachers, peers). Your child will become more independent and confident as they navigate the world.
Ultimately, parent training will help lower your stress and develop a calmer atmosphere for your whole family.
Can I Do Just Parent Training Without Someone Working Directly With My Child?
For families that have an overly busy schedule and can’t fit ABA services every day, we offer Parent Training 1-2 times a week without the direct services of an RBT until the family’s schedule becomes less busy.
We also offer Parent Training to parents who’s child is on our waiting list for services. While waiting for staff to be recruited and trained, we can offer Parent Training to get the family started.
What Do Parent Training Sessions Look Like?
Parent training will vary depending on your child’s situation and family goals. Sessions range between 30 minutes to a few hours.
Our analyst will teach you various concepts and parenting strategies through exercises and demos.
Some of the topics and activities we’ll cover in parent training include:
Antecedents, Behaviors, and Consequences (ABCs)
Reviewing the ABCs of your child’s actions will help you understand why they are engaging in them and how to respond.
Functions of Behaviors
We’ll teach you how to identify the function of your child’s behaviors to determine the best strategy for positive change.
The four functions of behavior are:
- Escape: Avoiding something because they don’t want to do it or because it’s too challenging.
- Attention: Acting a certain way to get attention from others.
- Access: Behaving to get access to a preferred object or activity.
- Automatic reinforcement: Doing something because it provides its own reward without other incentives.
Positive Reinforcement
Rewarding what your child is doing well can help them increase positive actions and reduce problematic ones. We’ll show you different ways to use reinforcements until they become second nature.
Pairing or Rapport Building
We’ll help your child associate you with positive reinforcements (e.g., toys, playtime) so you become a positive figure. Pairing will motivate your child to learn from you and strengthen your relationship.
Life Skills
You’ll learn how to support your child in developing and improving daily tasks. These include skills to boost their self-care and autonomy (e.g., taking a shower, getting dressed, communicating).
Generalization and Maintenance
Generalization means ensuring your child uses learned behaviors across different environments, people, and situations. You will gain strategies to help them practice, remember, and expand their skills.
For example, your child may learn how to eat with utensils at home and do so at school and family gatherings.
Parent Training at Alliance ABA Therapy
At Alliance ABA Therapy, our mission is to help children with disabilities reach their full potential. We offer parent training, in-home ABA therapy, online therapy, early intervention, and social skills groups to families across Northern Virginia.
Parent training is the cornerstone of our services. As the primary caretaker, you are the expert on your child’s life and a crucial part of our team. We can’t thrive without you!
We require at least six parent training sessions before starting direct services in ABA .
Sessions will happen at home or on-line and will follow the ABA Parent Training Curriculum. Our staff may schedule more sessions depending on your child’s progress and needs.
Let’s Get Started!
We want to empower you to be your child’s greatest teacher and cheerleader.
If you have any questions about parent training or are ready to get started, contact us today!