Progressive ABA: Practical instruction @ home & school

  Most conversations around autism focus on Level 1 autism, largely due to active self-advocacy and parental involvement that bring awareness to this group’s experiences and needs. Level 1 students are also a main emphasis for schools, as they often benefit from general education and placements in the   Least Restrictive Environment   (LRE). But the reality for those with   profound autism   is very different-these students spend little, if any, time in truly inclusive settings, aside from semi-“included” lunches and recesses. Beyond Legal Minimums: Real Education and Meaningful Progress Current regulations like  FAPE  (Free Appropriate Public Education) set a legal minimum for education, but that minimum is hard to measure and enforce, and the threshold is alarmingly low. Every student is different- varying challenges, strengths, rates of learning, behaviors, and potential. Far too often, education for students with profound autism amounts to mere exp...

Educators and caregivers strive to support children with autism, motivated by the best intentions. Yet,   good intentions alone- without deep understanding-can sometimes cause real, unintended harm. One of the most common pitfalls is misunderstanding platitudes like “teach the way they learn,” and treating students with autism as if they are fundamentally different, rather than recognizing that they simply learn differently. Reinforcement: A Universal Principle Reinforcement -the process by which  any behavior followed by something pleasant or desired becomes more likely to occur-i s not exclusive to autism. It applies to all humans. Yet, in autism programs, well-meaning staff sometimes inadvertently reinforce the very behaviors they aim to reduce, simply by providing comfort, attention, or preferred objects following those behaviors. This pattern can seriously undermine progress and perpetuate challenging behavior. Let's remember we do not want to reduce challenging behavior...