Applied Behavior Analysis ( ABA )
welcomes children of all ages
Although kids on the autism spectrum typically begin therapy between the ages of four and seven years old , support can be provided for children of high school age as well . Ms . McGee adds : “ Some of them have been receiving ABA since they were young , and others are new to the program . There is no age limit to ABA .”
Target goals for older children can include development in areas of social skills and communication . This can include conversational skills , leisure skills , and self-advocacy skills to increase independence . These are important skills that should be taught to all young adults .
An individualized therapy program can cater to all ages , including young adolescents . Whatever your child ’ s age , seek answers to your questions to enable you to find the right support to fit your needs and to meet your child ’ s requirements .
Although E no longer receives ABA support , his mom gratefully says : “ I strongly believe that early intervention with ABA therapy is what helped my son become so adaptive and successful today .”
Any therapy program should seamlessly teach and provide the child with the means to practice their skills in realistic situations . Although the initial instruction in learning can seem monotonous and robotic , once the basics fundamentals are grasped , skills such as back-and-forth conversations or getting dressed should be practiced in an environment that mimics what would be done at home or school . This transfer of skills can require the dedication of the parent to support learning , but the potential it gives your child has no limits .
JC Ellinger , MBA brings life stories and experience as an autism mom to publications such as Autism Parenting Magazine . She was also recently awarded Top General Advice Writer of 2020 by APM . While currently working on her first children ’ s book geared at bringing relatability and support to other ASD children just like her amazing son , she has returned to school at Northwestern State University . She is pursuing a Master ’ s of Arts in English with the goal of teaching young minds in a discipline she loves . Additionally , JC carries a Master ’ s Degree in Business Administration and BA in Communication Studies .
“ E is now 13 years old and attends mainstream middle school . He is very social and has lots of friends in and out of school ,” Ms . Hallahan concludes . “ If you took me back to 2011 when he was first diagnosed and gave me a glimpse of our lives today , I would not believe that any of this would be possible .”