The Life of an ABA Parent

So, by the title of this blog post you might be asking yourself "what is an ABA parent?" Well, I have an answer for you! An ABA parent is a parent who utilizes the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis as developed by B.F. Skinner to guide the way they teach and instruct their children as they grow.

Now that I have that explained what being an ABA parent is, let me explain how I became to be one, and why I am qualified to give parenting advice on this blog (you don't have to take it, but I am qualified). Now I first began my trip down the ABA rabbit hole when I was a Junior at college...yes a junior at college. I was attending UCLA (go Bruins!) as a Clinical Psychology major, and I was looking for some part time work in my field. I stumbled upon an advertisement for a behavioral therapists doing in home therapy with kids with autism.  I like helping people, and I thought this would be a great way to earn experience in my field and do some good in the world (idealistic liberal college student that I was). Well, fast forward eight years and I have my masters degree in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis, and I am a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). What getting those four beautiful letters behind my name entailed was: getting my masters degree, completing 30 units of required classes such as behavior management and ethics, a minimum of 1500 supervised experience hours, and passing a GOD-awful test with a 40% pass rate (on a good testing period).

So now you ask, but what does ABA have to do with raising children, its just for autism? Well, as my wonderful e-card states, it is NOT just for the treatment of autism. At its core, ABA is the scientific study of behavior and how that behavior can be changed by manipulating the environment of an individual. Behavior, does not occur in a vacuum, it is elicited by events preceding it, and maintained by the consequences following the behavior, And it is with these basic principles, that I manage my daughters behavior (good, or bad).  ABA is SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN for individuals across populations (typically developing, and special needs). And it is the most effective way to change a behavior QUICKLY. I used these principles to potty-train my daughter in three days at 18 months! Now, I know that these methods may not be for everyone, but I do want to put them out there for moms that are seeking help, advice, or wanting to learn about alternative ways to raise good, honest loving, successful people. (Note: This is not a quick fix and does require work, and needs to be done accurately to be 100% successful).

Now that I have gone through my hole long synopsis of ABA, I hope you all will continue to stop by to learn about this wonderful field and how it can benefit everyone! If you guys have specific questions or would like certain topics covered, please let me know!