Children first begin learning about the world around them at home. The home is also the perfect place for early intervention Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy.
ABA is a well-established and evidence-based therapeutic approach that uses positive reinforcement to teach new skills and reduce challenging behaviors. There are many benefits to in-home ABA therapy including:
1. Natural Environment
The home is a child’s natural everyday environment where they feel most comfortable. The home is a familiar, safe space for a child and when ABA therapy happens at home, activities of daily living (e.g. mealtimes, dressing, toileting, etc) can easily become a part of their daily learning.
By working with a child at home the therapist will be able to incorporate items and spaces that the child interacts with regularly. For example, they can work in the child’s own backyard or living room with the child’s favorite toys.
In-home therapy is also a great way to initiate treatment as it can help reduce any anxiety a child may have around therapy. When a child is calm and relaxed, surrounded by their family and a familiar environment, they will be more receptive to learning and interacting with the therapist.
2. Develop Better Daily Living Skills
The majority of a child’s learning in their early years happens at home and early intervention in-home ABA can help build upon that.
In-home therapy allows for the seamless integration between ABA interventions and the child’s daily life. Learning essential home-based skills, like potty training, getting dressed, bathing, and preparing meals, at home can help foster a sense of comfort and confidence for a child. These skills lay the foundation and readiness skills that prepare our young clients for entry into school.
3. Behavior Management
Many of the struggles parents may face when it comes to their child’s behavior occur at home or may be triggered by things at home.
In-home ABA therapy allows therapists to address challenging behaviors where they naturally happen. This direct treatment approach also enables therapists to gain deeper insights into what may trigger a child’s problematic behaviors. This can lead to more targeted and effective intervention strategies that can carry over into successful experiences for the child and family outside of the home.
4. No Commute and Flexible Scheduling
Parents are busy. In-home therapy eliminates the need for parents to spend time preparing their child (cleaning up, getting dressed, etc) for therapy and then driving them to and from the therapy center. This saves time and energy, and reduces the potential stress (for both the parent and child) associated with commuting.
In-home ABA therapy allows for more flexibility when scheduling sessions too. In-home therapy providers will work with you to find a time that best fits the needs of your family. This flexibility can make it easier to accommodate a child’s routines, preferences, and any other commitments or therapies they may have.
5. Family Involvement
In-home ABA therapy offers a unique opportunity for the entire family to take part in a child’s therapy. ABA often involves play-based and other engagement-focused activities. This provides a perfect opportunity for parents and siblings to get involved. Family involvement can help a child strengthen and improve their communication and social skills with the people that they spend the most time with.
Also, therapists can more easily teach parents ABA techniques. Parents can then reinforce what the therapist is teaching for better carryover and generalization of the skills being targeted during sessions. This can help increase a child’s potential for mastering a skill or behavior.
At Opya we also offer in-home parent training to help parents and children get the most out of ABA therapy. Click here for more information.
Conclusion
In-home early intervention ABA therapy offers many benefits. But the effectiveness of any therapy depends on various factors, including the intensity of treatment, the consistency of sessions, as well as the child’s individual learning needs.
