Understanding ABA Therapy for Teenagers
Have you ever observed any autistic teens in your surroundings? If yes, then you must see them struggling with mood regressions or basic routine chores. Did you know that out of every 100 children, one is born with autism spectrum disorder, which means that as they grow up, they have to face multiple challenges in life?
Not only do they have to face physical constraints, but they also suffer from mental disorders like depression, anxiety, mood regressions, etc. This is where ABA therapy helps them, as research shows that ABA therapy has an 89% success rate in treating ASD. But what is ABA therapy for teenagers? Let’s read more about this in this article.
Understanding ABA Therapy
You can understand applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy) as a scientifically proven method in behavioral sciences for treating autistic people. The core focus of this approach is to help individuals with autism improve specific behavior skills.
Here are the main principles of ABA therapy:
- Positive Reinforcement: This involves rewarding the patient every time they follow any desired behavior in order to reinforce that specific habit.
- Modification in Behaviors: This principle is focused on bringing changes in behavior patterns through strategies to encourage positive ones and reduce undesirable behaviors.
- Data-driven Practices: ABA therapy mainly relies on evidence-based, scientific methods to measure progress.
ABA Therapy for Teenagers
As autistic people enter adolescence, they find difficulties in social interactions that make it hard for them to form and maintain friendships. Similarly, communication issues and behavioral concerns complicate their social and academic life, leading to misunderstanding and frustration.
For teens with autism, ABA therapy focuses on improving all these aspects of their lives, such as communicating and interacting with others and developing adaptive behaviors so they can function well in their daily lives.
ABA therapy works on improving social interactions through targeted interventions to teach how to initiate and continue the conversation and engage in group activities. Moreover, augmentative communication systems or speech therapy work on the communication skills of individuals with autism.
How Does ABA Therapy Work for Teenagers With Autism?
The treatment plan consists of multiple steps to ensure the effective results. The first step is the initial assessment, in which behavior analysts conduct meetings, and observations, and standardized tests to identify the key areas like strengths, needs, and specific challenges that must be addressed.
Based on this evaluation, qualified therapists set the goals of the therapy, such as improved communication or behavior. To make the therapy effective, therapists also collaborate with family members and teachers to design a comprehensive therapy plan.
Then comes the step of selecting a suitable training technique, such as:
- Discrete Trial Training (DTT): Therapists opt for this method to equip the individual with basic chores by breaking them down into simple and easy-to-learn steps.
- Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA): This technique is basically used to identify the causes of challenging behaviors by analyzing their past behavioral patterns and their consequences.
- Social Skills Training: Social Skills Training involves the positive reinforcement of social interactions and communication through structured activities and role-playing.
Throughout the whole process, the behavior analyst closely monitors the progress and makes necessary changes to accelerate the effectiveness. ABA therapy not only helps individuals with autism develop social and basic life skills but also enhances their overall quality of life and achieve greater independence.
5 Benefits of ABA Therapy for Teens
Here are the 5 benefits of ABA therapy sessions for teens:
1. Increased Independence
The ABA therapy focuses on equipping autistic people with basic life skills so that they can lead their lives independently. Techniques like task analysis break down complex tasks into easier and more manageable, step-wise tasks so that teenagers can easily learn activities like personal hygiene, meal preparation, and time management.
Over time, they gain proficiency in these skills, which leads to increased confidence. Ultimately, they don’t need any external support for basic life tasks as they are well-prepared for adult responsibilities.
2. Improved Communication Skills
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) works on verbal and nonverbal communication skills. With this therapy, qualified professionals make the subject able to express their needs, emotions, and feelings. They also work on training them on how to interact with others, which helps them in their academic, social, and personal lives.
3. Better Behavioral Management
After taking Behavior Analysis, ABA therapy, autistic teens can manage their emotions, and significant change in their behavior is noticed. The therapist identifies the triggers of the challenging behaviors, their root causes, and how to improve them which results in reduced problem behavior.
4. Enhanced Academic Performance
By addressing the key problematic areas like aggressive behavior, lack of basic life skills, and poor communication skills, ABA therapy ultimately results in improved academic performance.
5. Improved Social Skills
With the help of social skills training, ABA therapy helps autistic teens learn how to initiate and maintain conversations. Furthermore, during their therapy sessions, the therapists keep them involved in different role-plays, story times, and group activities to encourage social interactions.
Challenges and Considerations
The challenges and considerations of ABA therapy are:
- Finding a qualified and experienced therapist who can address the needs of your autistic teenager is a challenge.
- As ABA therapy is a time-extensive procedure, one needs to be prepared for therapy sessions that go on for years.
- The therapy costs range from $120 to $150 per hour, which is unaffordable for most families. However, they can opt for different funding options for therapy sessions.
Final Words
All in all, ABA therapy is highly crucial for teenagers so that they can live an independent and struggle-free life. ABA therapy focuses on improving communication skills, behavior management, and social skills, which somehow enables autistic teens to live their lives just like other children.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.