Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a type of interpersonal therapy that involves a behavioral therapist teaching your child to adopt positive skills and behaviors. When you go for an ABA therapy Southlake consultation and assessment, your health provider will want to know your child’s strengths, abilities, and weaknesses. Then the ABA-trained therapist will spend considerable time interacting with your child to monitor and observe behavior and different skills, particularly the ability to communicate and interact.
There are different strategies a therapist can use to enforce applied behavioral analysis therapy. For instance, your therapist may reward your child with a token depending on predefined behaviors.
Another approach to ABA therapy may involve your therapist making your child understand a certain behavior is bad and then instructing or allowing your child to observe other children behave accordingly. Consequently, below are conditions affecting your child that your therapist can address through applied behavioral analysis therapy.
- Eating disorders
Although you may think that eating disorders are only common in young adults or teenagers, it is also prevalent in young children.
Scientists do not understand what causes eating disorders in young children. However, clinical studies show that your child may be at risk of eating disorders if there is a history of the condition in the family.
Common eating disorders among children include pica, Anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
According to the CDC, about 2 million school-age children and more than 300,000 children aged 2 to 5 years have ADHD. However, many more children could be affected by ADHD because it is often undiagnosed and misdiagnosed.
Most of the symptoms of ADHD are similar to the symptoms associated with other conditions. For instance, your child may be restless, have difficulty concentrating, and find it hard to respond to instructions because of different health issues.
A child with ADHD will have trouble concentrating in class and often interrupt adults that are speaking. ABA therapy can help improve the skills of your child and reduce impulsivity.
- Autism
The CDC estimates that close to 2.3% of American children have autism. Also called Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), autism is a complex condition characterized by differences in brain development, which affects social skills, nonverbal communication, and speech and causes repetitive behaviors.
An autistic child will display certain signs such as restricted interests, language delay, persistent repetition of phrases or words, difficulty understanding how others feel, and unconscious avoidance of eye contact.
- Anger issues
Anger is a normal, useful emotion vital for informing your child that things are not right or fair. If your child displays a lot of anger issues, it means more frustration and distress.
Persistent anger may indicate your child suffers from a health condition, such as ADHD, autism, and Tourette’s syndrome.
ABA therapy can improve your child’s social and communication skills and regulate potentially dangerous behaviors, leading to normal regulation of emotions, including anger and aggression.
Contact PediaPlex today to schedule an appointment with an ABA therapy specialist.
