Helping Children Meet Their Full Potential Faster
“The attitude you have a s parent is what your kids will learn from more than what you tell them. They don’t remember what you tell them. They don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.” - Jim Henson
Imagine being a full-time working parent of 3 adorable children who are a mixture of 13, 6, and 2. Your 6-year-old autism spectrum disorder diagnosis requires you to attend different doctor appointments, therapies, and school meetings fighting for accommodations for your child. In the midst of all this, you are doing your best to be present for your other 2 children who both growing in their ways with more words emerging and puberty settling in. You are married and your spouse is supportive, but you both don’t see eye to eye when it comes to parenting for your autistic child. You don’t feel that you know how to effectively communicate with your child due to a lack of communication skills and a seeming inability to follow through with simple instructions (i.e. “clean up your toys”). Sometimes you feel that you’re too harsh and pushing your child too much and other times you feel like your spouse is the one doing the pushing. You just can’t seem to find that good balance.
Parent training helps parents understand their children and empowers parents to be a part of the learning process. An autism spectrum disorder diagnosis is not synonymous with maladaptive behavior, however being more observant of your child’s behavior will help you develop a relationship with your child. Through parent training, parents can learn how to help develop a child’s communication skills, self-care and self-advocacy skills, and how to prevent meltdowns. There isn’t a foolproof parent plan out there but having a better understanding of your child and knowing the triggers helps you as the parent be part of your development. A professional’s role is to give you back reigns so that you can lead out in your home.
Being trained of how to implement behavior analytic principles allows you as the parent to feel empowered and in control (maybe for the first time in a long time). You will have the tools and resources to manage your child daily. The training imparted encourages you to play a more active role in your child’s development & upbringing, fostering good behavior and redirecting maladaptive behaviors. Being involved, you are able to understand the process & effectiveness of the therapy program. Further, the child understands that whether it is with the therapist or the parents, the expectations remain the same, thus progress continues.
If you as a parent, want your child to gain the most out of aba therapy then you need to be an involved parent participating wholeheartedly and asking the therapist to learn more. We at Caliber Autism Care provide Parent Training in Michigan as a part of our therapeutic approach. Contact us today for more information on our parent training service.
