Info For Parents

Parent/Guardian Involvement & What to Expect

 

Session Attendance Requirements

 

Caregivers will provide a schedule of availability for their child that meets the recommendations outlined in the diagnostic assessment and recommended Individualized Treatment Plan (ITP). Clients and families are expected to attend at least 60% of their scheduled hours per calendar month. If attendance, on-time arrival or end of the day departure falls below 60% in a given month, an interim ITP meeting will be held with caregivers in person or via telemedicine to review the treatment package. During the meeting, staff and caregivers will work together to achieve an agreed-upon schedule to best meet the child’s prescribed behavioral treatment hours. With behavioral intervention, every treatment hour is an hour of progress made. Child vacations should not exceed more than one week beyond CFCI's calendar during the service year. The schedule is published by the second Friday of the month prior. Caregivers must notify the center at least 14 days in advance of a planned child absence so that proper staffing may be achieved. If there is no communication from caregivers of late arrival, the client’s session will be canceled after 15 min of their scheduled session time. The RBT will be reassigned to another client for the session. 

 

Caregiver Participation

 

Family and caregiver engagement is a vital component of behavioral intervention. ABA requires family members to be active in the child’s treatment to make the best progress. Family and caregivers are crucial components in the evaluation, planning and treatment processes, and must agree to participate at the medically recommended intensity and as agreed upon in the child’s ITP. Based on the diagnostic assessment and the medically recommended ITP, caregiver participation generally includes: 

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•  Minimum of 1.5 hours per week of caregiver coaching at the clinic. Siblings will not attend unless specified in the ITP and proactively scheduled. 

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• 30-minute weekly or bi-weekly clinical review at the clinic or via telemedicine. Siblings will not attend unless specified in the ITP and proactively scheduled. 

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• Caregiver coaching at home via telemedicine at the prescribed and recommended level. 

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• Caregiver implementation of effective schedules of reinforcement that result in progress in developmental skills and behavior reduction programming. 

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• Data collection, completion of client-related surveys, and weekly phone or email communication in timely fashion In order to achieve optimal progress, CFCI requires caregivers to implement the agreed-upon recommended treatment procedures consistently in the home and community settings. Caregivers receive ongoing behavior skills training to achieve a level of competency that allows the successful implementation of procedures in order to achieve their child’s best progress. If caregivers refuse to participate in the treatment plan services may be interrupted or terminated. From: https://www.swsc.org/cms/lib/MN01000693/Centricity/Domain/130/Caregiver%20Handbook%2020-21%209.24.20v2.pdf

 

What parent/guardian involvement looks like within session (15-60 minutes per week?):

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• Early stages of therapy (4-12 weeks):

  • Discussing fundamental teaching strategies and interventions most commonly utilized within ABA sessions with BCBA and which ones specifically will apply to your child

  • Reviewing and discussing contexts during which strategies and interventions will be applied

    • Review videos

    • Discussion of recent behaviors observed during or outside of session

  • Hands off observation of previously discussed teaching strategies and interventions during session

• Progression of parent involvement (12+ weeks):

  • Application of teaching strategies and interventions discussed in specific contexts set up by BCBA

• More advanced/later stages of parent involvement (12+ weeks):

  • Application of teaching strategies and interventions discussed for extended durations of time across activities as appropriate/necessary (“running session” for specified increments of time with BCBA guidance and support)

• If you are looking for more specific scenarios/contexts:

  • Practicing teaching and reinforcing expectation that child asks for items or interactions that they want or need (mand training)

  • Practicing how to appropriately and effectively consequate less desirable/inappropriate behaviors

  • Facilitating social interactions with others (peers, siblings/other family members, community members, etc.)

  • Establishing expectations prior to situations, prompting correct responding, and providing feedback afterwards

  • Facilitating independent play and leisure skills

  • Implementing teaching strategies and interventions to increase/expand functional daily living skills

    • Toileting

    • Chores

    • Dietary restrictions/food preferences

    • Initiation, independence, and self-management

    • Hygiene/self-care

    • Completing morning/evening routines

 

What parent/guardian involvement looks like outside of session: 

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• Collect videos or samples of information for BCBA to review/discuss with caretakers

• Relay pertinent health information/changes

• Relay pertinent information from school

• Implement recommended interventions to improves specific routines

• Applying feedback/suggestions to address behavioral needs

 

What parent/guardian involvement looks like within team meetings:  

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• Active engagement

• Open-minded to recommendations and encouragement

• Professional interactions with all team members

• Asks questions as uncertainties present themselves