Many new therapists who are about to begin working with children with autism might be concerned about how to make themselves reinforcing. The main key to a proper ABA home program is for the therapist to pair themselves with highly enjoyable activities in order for teaching to occur.

I found over the years of doing ABA that the use of videos to help increase appropriate behaviors really works well with many kids. Using this modality to teach children with autism is called Video Modeling. Video Modeling utilizes TV to help facilitate appropriate behaviors.

Since many children with autism are not motivated to learn by intrinsic rewards, it is the therapist’s job to provide external reinforcement as a means to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior

Therapist should think of reinforcement as part of shaping a desired response. In the teaching phase, reinforcement is delivered in large amounts for close approximation.

In the years of doing ABA, I have realized how important play skills are for children and especially children with autism. It is during play that children learn

It was my father who gave me my first gut-level comprehension of the word ‘autism.’ ‘From the Greek for ‘self,’’ he said. ‘The same root as ‘autonomous,’ ‘automatic’: That which is self-contained, self-directed, self-motivated.’ … When had Anne-Marie shared anything with me in the past year? When had she last responded to me, connected with me? If there was anyone there at all behind that mournfully empty face, she was not reaching out to us in any way that I could see (Maurice, 1993, p. 32-33).

The use of ABA therapy to teach child autism has changed the way we look at treatment for these individuals. In the past, some parents were told that these children did not learn and will not function in society. Limited options were given to parents of children with autism such that most children were institutionalized.