Finding the right Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program can often be a little stressful and overwhelming. These are a couple of helpful tips and tricks to look out for when finding a great program.

Who is part of the team?

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA): Individuals who completed a qualifying Master’s Program and participated in clinical hours to become approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). These individuals:

• Uses evidence-based Applied Behavior Analysis assessments and interventions to create individualized goals to enhance skill development.
• Create a Behavior Intervention Plan based on a conducted Functional Behavior Assessment.
• Conducts Parent Trainings.
• Supervises the Registered Behavior Technician in their application.

Registered Behavior Technician (RBT): Individuals who have completed a Board Certified 40-hour program and passed an exam by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. These individuals:

• Implement Applied Behavior Analysis interventions created by the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
• Receive ongoing supervision by the BCBA.
• Gets reviewed by the BACB Annually.

Developmental Therapist (DT): Individuals who have completed a qualifying Master’s Program and are part of the therapy case manager team who are experts in child development as a whole. Developmental Therapy may not necessarily be available at other agencies. These individuals:

• Identify where a child’s functional performance meaningfully impact a family’s life and ability to participate in daily routines.
• Use role play and functional play schemes to enhance a child’s volition and motivation when participating in recreational activities.

Why choose ABA at Blue Bird Day?

 1. Multi-Disciplinary

Here at Blue Bird Day, ABA therapists collaborate with other disciplines to create a holistic intervention program for your growing kiddo. We work together with Speech, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Social Work, and Nutritional Therapists to improve all skills.

 2. Group and Individual

Blue Bird Day offers a unique blend of individual and group services to work alongside your child in a variety of scenarios that are similar to everyday situations they might encounter such as:

• A playground
• Family game night
• Individual functional play
• A school setting
• Play dates
• Grocery Shopping with the family

 3. Multi Environment

We acknowledge that your children participate in different environments, and so our services can accompany you:

• In clinic
• In home
• Virtual (when applicable)

Learn more about ABA at Blue Bird Day from the recording of our Beyond the Nest parent caregiver training or reach out to us directly for more information.

Building language and understanding of “Verbal Behavior” is commonly used by Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Registered Behavior Technicians in Applied Behavior Analysis to increase language, adaptability, and generalization, and to decrease some challenging behaviors overall. This occurs by building and teaching skills within the world around children. Then, when they are presented with language or certain tasks within daily environments, they will have confidence in completing them and challenging behaviors will be less likely. 

As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, the generalization of language is a daily treatment focus for each child and family. I am often asked, “How can we incorporate this in the home?” or “What activities can we do in the home to support their goals?” Keep in mind that every child has different interests; learning tasks should be entertaining and fun to keep your child engaged! 

St. Patrick’s Day is a great time to work on colors and the rainbow with your child. Colors are an important skill set for children to learn due to exposure to them in academic settings, as well as serving to increase their language. For instance, a challenging behavior may be avoided if a child is able to request for “the red lollipop” or even “red” when asked, “What color do you want?” 

A fun activity in the home that targets colors can be working with your child to engage in sorting favorite toys, such as Legos. Start with just a few colors and add more as they grow more confident! You can make this easier by having one different color block, handing them a block, and having them “match the color” by stacking on the similar color. You can also hold out two options in your hand while playing Legos for the child to choose and match correctly. 

If your child is more interested in sensory play such as shaving cream, paint, or water play, incorporate colors into this play! Mix shaving cream with food coloring, giving cars baths with different colors of water, or putting different colors of paint in various cups. For children with limited language, you can again continue to build skills by asking, “What color do you want?” before handing them the next cup or color. You can make this easier by asking your child to “show you where blue is” or “give you the blue.” 

If your child has mastered labeling plain colors of items, you can have them put colors of favorite toys in rainbow order and label them by color, or work on mixing colors. Remember to be creative and have fun! Our world is made of colors! 

The Blue Bird Day team of multidisciplinary team of therapists is here to help you incorporate our clinic work at home! For more specific Behavior Therapy activities tailored to your child’s preferences and treatment goals, please contact your Therapy Case Manager. 

Instructional control is a term commonly used in ABA; it refers to building a relationship with a child that uses a firm but respectful approach. 

Instructional control is the motivation that will enable the child to listen and follow the demands you place each day. 

In most cases, instructional control is lost or not apparent when the kids are the ‘boss.’

(Meadows, 2013) 

 7 steps to gaining instructional control with your child: 

1. Show you are in control of the items/tangibles they want and decide when they get access to them.
2. Show your child you are fun, making them want to spend more time with you.  
3. Show your child trust- always say what you mean and mean what you say. 
4. Show your child that following directions gets them what they want. 
5. Reinforce your child for every positive response in the early stages of gaining instructional control
6. Know your child’s priorities (e.g. know what they like).
7. Show your child that not following directions or demands results in a lack of reinforcement.  

(Schramm2004) 

Here are some tips on how to build instructional control with your child 

• Determine what items your child likes to play with- once you know them give them to your child when you decide.
• Create a schedule with your child for them to follow and be sure to follow through. 
• Offer choices to the child to make them feel in control. 
• Ensure that all family members are following your decisions.
• When providing demands, always follow through with them even if you are required to complete hand over hand prompting. 
• Always provide reinforcement immediately after the demand or direction has been completed. 

How can you maintain your instructional control? 

• Remain in control- always maintain the reinforcer after the direction/ demand. 
• Restrict reinforcement when you need to and deliver on your terms. 
• Associate yourself with fun activities and reinforcement the child is more likely to want to play with you.  
• Demonstrate that not following directions will result in no access to the preferred reinforcer.  
• Always follow through with the direction or demand before giving reinforcement.  

References: 

• Meadows, T. (2013). Instructional Control: who’s the boss. I Love ABA!. Retrieved from: https://www.iloveaba.com/2013/01/instructional-control-whos-boss.html 
• Schramm, R. (2004). The 7 Steps. Retrieved from: https://knospe-aba.com/cms/us/aba-info/aba-articles/the-7-steps.html 

Would your child benefit from breaking down tasks/activities into smaller steps… then you may need a task analysis.  

Task analysis is the breakdown of a complex skill into smaller simpler steps, this involves sequencing the steps together in a chain (Cooper, Heron, Heward 2019).  

Task analysis can be used with the following activities and more: 

• Toothbrushing 
• Getting dressed 
• Washing hands 
• Making the bed 
• Getting on public transport 
• Chores  
• Using computer/iPad/video games 
• Playing a sport 

There are 3 types of task analysis: 

Total task chaining– is a variation of forward chaining and the steps will be taught together and you can prompt the steps that the child does not know how to complete.  

Forward chaining– is when the child will complete the first step independently and then the adult will complete the remainder of the steps of the sequence with the child. They will only be taught one sequence step at once.  

Backward chaining– all the steps in the sequence are completed with the adult and child except the last step where the child will complete this independently. Once mastered, the next to last step will then be taught until the sequence is complete.  

Example of a task analysis for teaching handwashing: 

Step 1- Turn on the tap  

Step 2- Wet hands 

Step 3- Get soap 

Step 4- Scrub 

Step 5- Rinse hands 

Step 6- Turn the water off 

Step 7- Dry hands 

How do you choose between the different types of task analysis? 

Total task can be used in the natural environment to teach the activity/task. Teaching using total task analysis requires the ability to sequence multiple-step together at one time.  

Forward chaining would be used if your child can already complete the steps at the beginning of the behavior sequence and it is a natural sequence of how you typically learn to sequence a task.  

Backward chaining would be used when they are motivated to complete the last step and receive reinforcement, and/or no skills are known with the task.  

Need some extra support with the sequence…. 

You could use a visual that outlines each step, the visual can have both words and/or pictures. This visual can replace your language and you can provide them with the visual to complete the steps and gesture to the visual 

Providing prompting during the sequence when your child cannot perform the step independently, may involve using hand over hand prompt, a demonstration prompt, a gestural prompt, or a verbal prompt to help your child complete the task.  

References: 

Cooper, J.O., Heron, T.E. & Heward, W.L. (2019). Applied Behavior analysis, 3rd ed. New jersey: Pearson 

Children with autism often have unique ways of learning and engaging with tasks. Breaking down activities into smaller, manageable steps can make tasks feel less overwhelming and easier to follow. Play, in particular, involves multiple steps that require thinking and problem-solving skills—something many children may struggle with during early development stages (Moor, 2002, cited in Chambers et al., 2016). By breaking activities into clear and structured steps, parents can help their child feel more confident and engaged, fostering valuable learning opportunities along the way.

What is a Play Plan?

Using Visuals to Support Play Plans

Visual aids can simplify and guide play activities, acting as a schedule or step-by-step plan for your child. These visuals are flexible and can be adapted to different types of play. For example:

• Turn-taking visuals help children understand when it’s their turn.
• Single-activity visuals break down one specific activity into steps.
• First/Then visuals show the sequence of completing one task before moving on to the next.

With visuals, play becomes more structured and less intimidating for your child.

Reinforce Positive Play Behaviors

Reinforcement is key to encouraging your child to complete play activities outlined in the plan. This can take many forms, depending on what motivates your child:

• Verbal praise like “Great job building that tower!”
• Preferred items such as a favorite toy, snack, or activity as a reward (outlined beforehand to your child in the play plan).

These rewards should be given immediately, right after your child completes the activity to strengthen the association with positive reinforcement. By recognizing their efforts, you’ll motivate your child to stay engaged and follow the play plan.

What if Your Child Resists the Play Plan?

There might be moments when your child doesn’t want to engage in a particular play activity. This is normal, but it’s vital to stick to the play plan. Follow these strategies to address their resistance:

1. Encourage Follow-Through: Ensure your child completes the activity before giving them any rewards or their chosen activity. This reinforces the idea that completing tasks, even unpreferred ones, is important.

2. Use Prompts When Needed: Offer gentle guidance or support to help your child complete the activity if they’re struggling. For instance, you can model how to engage with the toy or guide them step-by-step through the play.

If your child is consistently allowed to skip unpreferred activities, it can signal to them that avoiding certain tasks results in being rewarded with their favorite activity. This can make it harder over time to introduce less-preferred activities. Sticking to the plan helps set expectations and ensure they develop coping skills for completing less-preferred tasks.

 

Play Ideas to Try at Home with your Child

Functional Play Ideas (when a toy is played with as it should be, e.g rolling a ball):

• Playdoh- making balls, food, using playdoh utensils 
• Water play- use animals, dump and fill with bucket. 
• Cars, trucks and trains- pushing and pulling vehicles. 
• Dolls– feeding the dolls, pushing in stroller, putting to bed.

Pretend Play Ideas (imaginative play where your child pretends with their play, e.g. pretend cooking with playdoh): 

• Dress up 
• Food and kitchen 
• Tea parties 
• Play house 
• Grocery shop 

Interactive Play Ideas (child takes turns with a peer or adult during turn-taking games, e.g. playing board games):

• Hide and seek 
• Board games 
• Red light, green light 
• Physical play / tag / chase

Parallel Play Ideas (this is when your child is near yourself or others while playing with their own toys):

• Train tracks 
• Cars 
• Blocks 
• Books 

Co-operative Play Ideas (your child and a peer using a toy together, e.g. building a tower):

• Block building 
• Puzzles 
• Tug of war 
• Ball play

Supporting your child’s play doesn’t have to be complicated. By breaking activities into steps, using visuals, reinforcing positive behavior, and encouraging follow-through, you create an environment where they feel supported and capable. Remember, every little accomplishment builds their confidence and helps them grow.

Resources

Chambers, L., McDaniel, L., McGill, T. and Wells, K. (2015) Autism in Early Childhood: Teaching object based play. Retrieved from.  

Meadows, T. (2014). Let’s Play. I Love ABA!. Retrieved from.

What is Token Economy? Token economies are based on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and emphasize the use of positive reinforcement to target behavior change. Token economies help children visualize progress, accept and work for delayed reinforcement, learn to self-monitor, and learn to regulate behavior.  

 Developing a Token Economy: When developing a token economy, first identify and define the behavior you want to increase (i.e. target behavior). Then, determine what items or activities will be motivating to the child. To help identify these items/activities, it is helpful for parents and teachers to complete a reinforcement survey and use direct timed observation. This, in turn, develops a list of items and activities that have been identified as possible reinforcers will serve as back-up reinforcers for the child.  

Back-up reinforcers should be items/ activities that are easily introduced and removed; generally, access to back up-reinforcers should be 5 mins or less. The individual's back-up reinforcers can come from the survey completed by parents and teachers. reinforcers include tangible items (Legos, trains, cause and effect toys) bubbles or a song.  

When possible, limit access to reinforcing items/ activities that were identified when token economy is in use. This will reduce the possibility of the child getting bored with any one reinforcer and increase the motivational value of the reinforcer.  

Next, determine how many tokens need to be earned before gaining access to the back-up reinforcer. Start with a small number of tokens (learner dependent- ask BCBA) and gradually increase that number when BCBA advises. Decide what to use as tokens and match these to the level of the learner. For example, a Preschooler may have Elmo tokens whereas a Kindergartener may have smiley face tokens. 

Teaching and Implementing Token Economy: BCBA will initially introduce this technique with teaching instructions to follow. During the initial stages of teaching the token economy, social praise will be paired with the token by providing learner specific reinforcement (i.e., tickles, a thumbs up, or a pat on the back) while at the same time labeling the behavior with "great sitting!" or "awesome coloring!" 

All key parties play a vital role while implementing token economy. Therapists and family members working with the child will be taught by the BCBA how to distribute tokens, but as stated previously, should be consistent in their distribution of tokens and exchanges of the back-up reinforcers. Flood the child with tokens in the beginning so that access to the back-up reinforcers is frequent.  Once the child demonstrates an understanding of earning the tokens leads to the back-up reinforcer, the BCBA will determine when to lengthen the time between delivering tokens and/or increase the number of tokens required. As requirements to earn tokens increase, continue to pair token delivery with lots of specific social praise. This will teach the child delayed reinforcement.  

Prior to presenting demands, a difficult task/ transition,  the adult will ask the child "What are you working for?", "What should we play with?"  or "What do you want to earn?" – these options will come from the pre-assessed list of items/activities known as back-up reinforcers. For a visual learner who may not have the words to label their desired item/activity, it may be helpful to provide a choice board. When the child has earned the pre-determined number of tokens, he/she should be encouraged to count the tokens from the board and in exchange, immediately earn access to their reinforcer.  

Allowing a child to participate in the token economy at this level may increase their own sense of control over the situation as well as ensure that the selected reinforcer is indeed motivating to the child in the moment of time.  

Using a Token Economy correctly can help motivate your child as they visually track their earned rewards for desired behaviors.  

Ideas to use Token Economy at Home and in the Community 

1. Difficult activities the child may not enjoy  
2. The bathroom routine 
3. Cleaning up after play 
4. Transitions 
5. "Chores" – making the bed, putting clothes in the hamper, feeding the animal 
6. Playing a family game 
7. Mealtime 
8. Riding in a car  
9. Going to the store 

In the world of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), manding is a tool that teaches a child primarily how to make requests. This blog is all about how to use Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in communication. These requests transition into conversational skills, which will travel with them for the remainder of their lives. Teaching a child to mand demonstrates how life can be rewarding by making appropriate requests for items or activities.

Manding can be considered a way to teach functional communication. As a baby, they use crying to communicate that they are hungry or need to be changed. Expectations change as children age. We would think it strange for a 12-year-old to cry when they are hungry. We would expect them to request food.

Manding skills also create other avenues for conversations. In ABA, clients are taught how to “fill in the blank” or respond to questions. By practicing mands, individuals are able to grow their vocabulary and learn to respond to questions that may be asked. Manding can also be used to build and strengthen rapport between a therapist and child. Just as a child has trust in their parent to feed them when they cry, a child has trust in their therapist to deliver what they are requesting.

When teaching a child to mand, you will want to begin with the most prompting. This will include modeling the mand (“I want a cookie”). Once the child has learned how to mand independently, a therapist or guardian can begin to decrease the number or level of prompts used to assist. The prompts may vary, ranging from gestures (pointing to the cookie) or partial (“I want _____”) vocal prompts.

At Blue Bird Day, each child is taught to mand through multiple disciplines and across a variety of environments. Whether they are taught by a member of the behavioral therapy team, speech team, or child development specialist, the child is shown socially appropriate ways to make requests, respond to questions, or have conversations. The child is able to practice a variety of phrases to gain access to preferences; meanwhile, showcasing their independence in language.

As a parent, you ask yourself, “is my child ready for potty training? I don’t want to start too soon or too late! How do I know if he/she is ready? How long will it take? What if my child never asks to go potty? Will he/she ever learn?”  This blogs gives tips to help parents gauge their child’s readiness for potty training and tricks to try in this process.

Toileting is a very complex skill. It integrates the behavioral and physiological processes that takes a closer look at your child’s physical, emotional, and cognitive abilities, along with their understanding of language, and their self-esteem. There are many developmental skills required for toilet-training and mastering it is a milestone in your child’s development. When your child begins to demonstrate various readiness skills, it may be a good time to talk to your Blue Bird Day team. We do not want to overestimate or underestimate their readiness to begin toilet training as we want to avoid prolonged training, added stress, or toileting challenges. At Blue Bird Day, we look at each of the developmental skills and collaborate with our multi-disciplinary team (board certified behavior analysts, occupational therapists, speech therapists, physical therapists, and developmental therapists) to create an individualized plan for your child and your family. Parent training, guidance, and support is imperative and so is having a set plan for your child. Each child learns differently and may hit these milestones at different times. That is OK! If the goal is independence in toileting and your child may not be ready to begin, then we will look at breaking down the skill by creating short-term goals to increase their readiness to begin. Remember, you know your child best and comparing your child to others or setting too high expectations will not lead to success.  

Check out the potty-training readiness checklist as a tool and inform your child’s Blue Bird Day team today if you have any questions! 

To begin toilet training, you must understand it.  

Stay positive and do NOT give up! Remember why you started in the first place. Ask for help. Your Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Blue Bird Day team is here to help you! Understand that it may get messy and it will interrupt your day-to-day lives, but the reward at the end will be so worth it! Remember, it will take time and consistency is KEY!  

How to make it easier, you may ask? 

• HAVE A PLAN AND STICK TO IT. 
• Try for 2-3 consecutive days in your own home where it can be easily managed. 
• Allow your child to choose the type of underwear they will begin to wear (e.g., Mickey Mouse, trucks, trains, Paw Patrol, Frozen, etc.). 
• Use a schedule or set a timer on your phone. 
• Decide what special treat or rewards can be used for successful eliminations.
• Have backup underwear, pants, socks, and wipes easily accessible in the bathroom to avoid having to run all over the place! 

Oh no, what if he/she has an accident in the car! 

• Be prepared and stay cool, calm, and collected!
• Try placing a garbage bag or bed pad around the car seat. This will help protect the car seat and allow for easy clean up if a potty accident was to occur. 

Remember, your Blue Bird Day Team is here to help! 

  

As a parent, you try to prepare your child for any imaginable situation they may find themselves in, from simple tasks such as recalling their address and important phone numbers to appropriately responding to someone hurt or in danger. This blog talks about the importance of teaching our children about community helpers and their roles for their safety. In the context of emergency situations, it is vital to prepare children to recognize and trust community helpers who are trained to serve & protect like firefighters, doctors, nurses, and the police.

It is necessary to instill in young children, whether that is at home or at school, the importance of avoiding strangers; however, in an emergency situation like a house fire, children will need to recognize and understand that the stranger in a uniform is there to help and bring them to safety.  By teaching our children to see Policemen, Firefighters, or local Librarians as friends, we can dramatically change how they view these figures in the future.  

At Blue Bird Day, children are taught in their classroom that community helpers are people who work together to make the community a safer place for everyone. Children are taught the names of community helpers and how they use their specific skills to serve their city. Blue Bird Day teaches these lessons not only to increase vocabulary and general knowledge but also to prepare children with an understanding of how to interact with these community helpers in the event of an emergency.  

The weekly lesson plan coordinated as Community: People I see provides the opportunity for children to learn about community helpers with their peers, but also allows the parent to further reinforce the importance of community helpers by talking about their role when you see them around town.  

To help guide you and your child towards a healthy relationship with the community – lead by example! Whenever you encounter a community helper, demonstrate a positive attitude. This can be accomplished by greeting a Police Officer when you pass them on the street or in the store. Smile and wave to Firefighters or Ambulance Drivers when you and your child are in the car; remember to thank the Mail Carrier every time you see them. Rather than exhibiting fear or hesitation for Doctors or Dentists, emphasize how much better they make us feel – our children are paying attention to our actions and these little acts make a BIG difference.  

Another fun activity to promote this idea is planning a visit to your local Police or Fire Station. By providing your child with a firsthand look at what our community helpers do outside of books and songs, you can serve to strengthen their connection to a friendly outlook. At home, you can also encourage pretend play by acting as community helpers with costumes or other props, such as creating a Fire Truck from a box and using flashlights. These activities will help children understand their role in the community while tying together that there are people who can help provide safety and comfort if a disaster or emergency arises. Starting your children on a healthy path towards good relationships with their community and neighbors will set them up for success in their futures.  

Building language and understanding of “Verbal Behavior” is commonly used in Applied Behavior Analysis to increase language, adaptability, and generalization, and to decrease some challenging behaviors overall. This occurs by building and teaching skills within the world around children. Then, when they are presented with language or certain tasks within daily environments, they will have confidence in completing them and challenging behaviors will be less likely.

As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, the generalization of language is a daily treatment focus for each child and family. I am often asked, “How can we incorporate this in the home?” or “What activities can we do in the home to support their goals?” Keep in mind that every child has different interests; learning tasks should be entertaining and fun in order to keep engagement!

St. Patrick’s Day is a great time to work on colors and the rainbow with your child. Colors are an important skill set for children to learn due to exposure to them in academic settings, as well as serving to increase their language. For instance, a challenging behavior may be avoided if a child is able to request for “the red lollipop” or even “red” when asked, “What color do you want?”

A fun activity in the home that targets colors can be working with your child to engage in sorting favorite toys, such as Lego’s. Start with just a few colors and add more as they grow more confident! You can make this easier by having one different color block, handing them a block, and having them “match the color” by stacking on the similar color. You can also hold out two options in your hand while playing Legos for the child to choose and match correctly.

If your child is more interested in sensory play such as shaving cream, paint, or water play: colors can be targeted during this play too. Mix shaving cream with food coloring, giving cars baths with different colors of water, or putting different colors of paint in various cups. For children with limited language, you can again continue to build skills by asking, “What color do you want?” before handing them the next cup or color. You can make this easier by asking your child to “show you where blue is” or “give you the blue.”

If your child has mastered labeling plain colors of items you can have them put colors of favorite toys in rainbow order and label them by color, or work on mixing colors. Remember to be creative and have fun! Our world is made of colors!