ACHIEVE Parent Training Curriculum

Category: Foundational Learning Skills

ABOUT THIS LESSON

Many autistic children exhibit deficits in a variety of skill areas. This may be due to cognitive delays or even a different learning style than their peers. Many autistic children learn best when instruction is more intentional and structured.

As a parent, you probably aren't accustomed to teaching your child in a structured way. You naturally parent either the way you were parented or in a way that is the complete opposite of the way you were raised, depending on your personal childhood experiences. Either way, it's unlikely that you spontaneously learned to teach skills the way many autistic children learn best.

Many parents feel as though they failed their child by not teaching them the things they should know. You are not responsible for the skills your child hasn't learned yet. There is no reason you should have known how to teach your child in the way that he learns best. This lesson will take you on a journey to help your child learn new skills. It's a process that takes time, patience and perseverance.

You and your child will become partners on this journey, working together to overcome obstacles and accomplish new milestones. Simply take one step at a time and watch your child learn, grow and ACHIEVE.

Identifying Skill Deficits

Watch the video below to learn about how ABA helps you decide what your child needs to learn. Taking this systematic approach takes some practice and a little extra time, but you will have a much clearer idea of how to help your child.

Your Role as Parent or Caregiver

As a parent or caregiver of an autistic child, your role is critical. By participating in this training, you are opening doors for your child and helping him reach his full potential. You don't need to become a BCBA® or an RBT®. Simply walk through each step of the training and you will guide your child on the path to success. You can do this! We will help.

References

Allen, K. D., & Warzak, W. J. (2000). The problem of parental nonadherence in clinical behavior analysis: Effective treatment is not enough. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 33(3), 373-391.

Blackman, A. L., Jimenez-Gomez, C., & Shvarts, S. (2020). Comparison of the efficacy of online versus in-vivo behavior analytic training for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 20(1), 13.

Dogan, R. K., King, M. L., Fischetti, A. T., Lake, C. M., Mathews, T. L., & Warzak, W. J. (2017). Parent‐implemented behavioral skills training of social skills. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(4), 805-818.

Sher, W. W., Luczynski, K. C., Blowers, A. P., Vosters, M. E., Pisman, M. D., Craig, A. R., … & Piazza, C. C. (2020). A randomized clinical trial of a virtual‐training program for teaching applied‐behavior‐analysis skills to parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 53(4), 1856-1875.

The Importance of Motivation When Teaching New Skills

ABOUT THIS LESSON
Before we dive into the specifics of skill development, you must understand motivation. Motivation is key to teaching your child any new skill. Watch the video below to learn more.

References

Dalphonse, A. (2021, August 9). Premack principle: A guide to understanding motivation. Master ABA. https://masteraba.com/premack-principle-a-guide-to-understanding-motivation/.

Gottschalk, J. M., Libby, M. E., & Graff, R. B. (2000). The effects of establishing operations on preference assessment outcomes. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33(1), 85-88.

Langthorne, P., & McGill, P. (2009). A tutorial on the concept of the motivating operation and its importance to application. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2(2), 22-31.

Piazza, C. C., Fisher, W. W., Hagopian, L. P., Bowman, L. G., & Toole, L. (1996). Using a choice assessment to predict reinforcer effectiveness. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 29(1), 1-9.

Poling, A., Lotfizadeh, A., & Edwards, T. L. (2017). Predicting reinforcement: Utility of the motivating operations concept. The Behavior Analyst, 40(1), 49-56.

Sundberg, M. L. (1993). The application of establishing operations. The Behavior Analyst, 16(2), 211-214.

Sundberg, M. L. (2004). A behavioral analysis of motivation and its relation to mand training. Developmental disabilities: Etiology, assessment, intervention, and integration, 199220.

Vollmer, T. R., & Iwata, B. A. (1991). Establishing operations and reinforcement effects. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 24(2), 279-291.

Building a Collaborative Relationship with Your Child

ABOUT THIS LESSON
As a parent you have many roles when interacting with your child. At any given point you may be a nurse, a chef, a taxi driver, or even a teacher. This training primarily focuses on this role of a teacher, but you won't necessarily learn strategies that classroom teachers use. You will learn to identify what motivates your child and how he learns best.

As you begin your journey to learn how to teach your child, the first step is to help your child view your teaching as something positive. Even if your child doesn't speak or know how to interact with those around him yet, you can build a collaborative relationship with him. This empowers your child and puts him in the driver's seat of his own learning.

Watch the video below to learn the steps for building a collaborative relationship with your child.

References

Baer, A. M., Rowbury, T., & Baer, D. M. (1973). THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL CONTROL OVER CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES OF DEVIANT PRESCHOOOL CHILDREN, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 6(2), 289-298.

Fazal, Z. (n.d.). How To Get Your Client To Listen To You. The Behaviour Company. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://behaviourcompany.com/how-to-get-your-client-to-listen-to-you/?fbclid=IwAR2kYaI7lvUhyQrgSaSDMz5u2qkdfMuU5Tr5FHmT3losWOh1LOrBBWj-ByQ.

Lugo, A. M., King, M. L., Lamphere, J. C., & McArdle, P. E. (2017). Developing procedures to improve therapist–child rapport in early intervention. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 10(4), 395-401.

Prompting

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ABOUT THIS LESSON
Prompts are essential for teaching your child new skills. A prompt is the help you give your child to get him to respond correctly. Prompts provide a cue to your child. What the cue is depends on the type of skill you're teaching and what types of prompts work best for your child.

Using and fading prompts effectively takes some practice. Just keep in mind that the goal is to help your child perform the task correctly. Overtime, you want to provide less help so he learns to perform the task on his own. Change your prompts gradually to give him the greatest chance for success.

References

Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied behavior analysis. Pearson UK.

Hathaway, K. L., Schieltz, K. M., & Detrick, J. (2021). Evaluating the Effects of Instructional Prompts and Strategic Incremental Rehearsal on the Letter Identification Mastery of Two Typically Developing Kindergarteners. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14(1), 20-35.

Reinforcement

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ABOUT THIS LESSON
Reinforcement is closely related to motivation except that it follows a behavior. Your child must be motivated to perform a task and that behavior must be followed by reinforcement if you want it to continue. Every child is unique, but watch the video to find out what you need to know about reinforcement.

Using reinforcement effectively takes practice. Over time, what motivates your child will change. Continue to look for new and fun ways to motivate your child when teaching new skills.

When giving your child access to something tangible like a favorite toy, video or other activity, always combine it with social reinforcement such as praise or tickles. Even if your child isn't motivated by these interactions now, she will begin to associate the social reinforcement with receiving other things she likes.

References

Karsten, A. M., & Carr, J. E. (2009). The effects of differential reinforcement of unprompted responding on the skill acquisition of children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42(2), 327-334.

Watling, R., & Schwartz, I. S. (2004). Understanding and implementing positive reinforcement as an intervention strategy for children with disabilities. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(1), 113-116.

Vollmer, T. R., & Hackenberg, T. D. (2001). Reinforcement contingencies and social reinforcement: Some reciprocal relations between basic and applied research. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34(2), 241-253.

Teaching Motor Imitation

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ABOUT THIS LESSON

Motor imitation is the ability to see what someone else does and then perform the same action. Motor imitation allows you to learn and problem solve by watching those around you. This skill opens the doors for your child to learn other skills more quickly and is often a great place to start. Imitation often leads to development in a variety of skill areas including:

✔ Communication

✔ Pretend play

✔ Joint attention

✔ Social skills

Motor imitation teaching includes teaching your child to imitate:

✔ Simple gross motor movements

✔ Movements involving objects

✔ Fine motor movements

✔ Oral motor movements

✔ 2 & 3 step movements

References

Bololoi, D. D., & Rizeanu, S. (2017). Teaching gross motor imitation skills to children diagnosed with autism. Romanian Journal of Psychological Studies (RJPS)–Hyperion University of Bucharest.

DeQuinzio, J. A., Townsend, D. B., Sturmey, P., & Poulson, C. L. (2007). Generalized imitation of facial models by children with autism. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 40(4), 755-759.

Ingersoll, B. (2008). The social role of imitation in autism: Implications for the treatment of imitation deficits. Infants & Young Children, 21(2), 107-119.

McDuffie, A., Turner, L., Stone, W., Yoder, P., Wolery, M., & Ulman, T. (2007). Developmental correlates of different types of motor imitation in young children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 37(3), 401-412.

Ross, D. E., & Greer, R. D. (2003). Generalized imitation and the mand: Inducing first instances of speech in young children with autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 24(1), 58-74.

Teaching Matching Skills

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ABOUT THIS LESSON
Matching skills lead to the development of more complex skills such as sorting and classifying objects. They build independence with life skills such as laundry and putting away dishes. Complex matching skills allow you to problem solve and make associations. When matching, you identify different properties of an object which is an important mathematical concept.

Despite the importance of this skill, many children learn to match fluently through play. Early matching often begins with simple inset puzzles and shape sorters. Matching occurs when cleaning up toys and sorting them into different bins. The more natural teaching methods you use, the more likely your child is to begin to match spontaneously.

References

Delgado, J. A. P., Greer, R. D., Speckman, J. M., & Goswami, A. (2009). Effects of conditioning reinforcement for print stimuli on match-to-sample responding in preschoolers. The Journal of Speech and Language Pathology–Applied Behavior Analysis, 3(2-3), 198.

Du, L., Broto, J., & Greer, R. D. (2015). The effects of establishment of conditioned reinforcement for observing responses for 3D stimuli on generalized visual match-to-sample in children with autism spectrum disorders. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 16(1), 82-98.

Sidman, M., & Tailby, W. (1982). Conditional discrimination vs. matching to sample: An expansion of the testing paradigm. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of behavior, 37(1), 5-22.

Slocum, S. K., Miller, S. J., & Tiger, J. H. (2012). Using a blocked‐trials procedure to teach identity matching to a child with autism. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 45(3), 619-624.