Running A Home Autism Treatment Program and "Staying Strong" by Katherine Lee
Looking at another reason programs can be extended...lack of maintenance (and ultimately generalization) of mastered programs.
BEWARE... this can be the cause of slower programs even with the faster learners. All of us learn new skills all the time. If I learn to do pull-ups, then stop doing them, I won't be able to do them in short order. If I learn to do pull-ups, I either have to do pull ups several times a week or get something more natural that I'm doing (rock climbing, whatever) that generalizes that skill so I keep it. Children with autism are not unique this way... we are all like this. The children are unique, however, in that when they acquire a skill, they do not automatically seek a way to generalize the skill. Most of us do this without even thinking about it. Therefore, we have to have a plan to generalize their gains, and in the meantime, a plan for maitenance.
Here are a few pointers:
When a skill is mastered, start your maintenance plan right away.
- Start with maintaining the program once a day.
- After two weeks, move the program to three times a week.
- From there, two times a week,
- Then one time a week (You get the picture)
All the while you have to have data. You have to study each weeks data to learn if you need to continue this schedule with every program or can some move to one time a week right away. ONLY your data will tell you this. NOTE: You want your child to learn how to hold on to information longer and longer. So you must study him/her to find out what he is able to do here.
You must have a generalization plan...you can do this on your maitenance schedule. Get this skill out into the natural environment; BUT, don't lose the skill in the mean time. Sometimes people take a skill to the the mall before they take it to the rest of their house and the skill actually gets lost due to the level of complexities presented by a mall environment. So, be sure that you are checking the skill formally, to be sure that maitenance is occurring.
DO NOT take your child's maintenance of acquisition for granted? Seriously, how many times do you want to teach same/different? I'm not joking around (for once:)
I really believe that lack of maintenance and generalization is a HUGE prolonger of home programs. Skills are gained, even quickly, and then left behind. Every one acts surprised when months later, the skill is gone. No one should be surprised. Use it or lose it.
I know I sound tough, dear friend, but running an extended home program is no joke- it is exhausting in every way. Please take todays advice as "tough love".
My heart is with you,
Katherine Lee
About the Author
Katherine Lee is a highly regarded consultant in the areas of Applied Behavior Analysis and & Relationship Development Intervention. She is author to numerous columns on Autism, ABA and RDI. Join Kat for her popular WEBLOG- "'Reality ABA' - An Online Autism Diary" at http://www.autismtreatment.info/
BEWARE... this can be the cause of slower programs even with the faster learners. All of us learn new skills all the time. If I learn to do pull-ups, then stop doing them, I won't be able to do them in short order. If I learn to do pull-ups, I either have to do pull ups several times a week or get something more natural that I'm doing (rock climbing, whatever) that generalizes that skill so I keep it. Children with autism are not unique this way... we are all like this. The children are unique, however, in that when they acquire a skill, they do not automatically seek a way to generalize the skill. Most of us do this without even thinking about it. Therefore, we have to have a plan to generalize their gains, and in the meantime, a plan for maitenance.
Here are a few pointers:
When a skill is mastered, start your maintenance plan right away.
- Start with maintaining the program once a day.
- After two weeks, move the program to three times a week.
- From there, two times a week,
- Then one time a week (You get the picture)
All the while you have to have data. You have to study each weeks data to learn if you need to continue this schedule with every program or can some move to one time a week right away. ONLY your data will tell you this. NOTE: You want your child to learn how to hold on to information longer and longer. So you must study him/her to find out what he is able to do here.
You must have a generalization plan...you can do this on your maitenance schedule. Get this skill out into the natural environment; BUT, don't lose the skill in the mean time. Sometimes people take a skill to the the mall before they take it to the rest of their house and the skill actually gets lost due to the level of complexities presented by a mall environment. So, be sure that you are checking the skill formally, to be sure that maitenance is occurring.
DO NOT take your child's maintenance of acquisition for granted? Seriously, how many times do you want to teach same/different? I'm not joking around (for once:)
I really believe that lack of maintenance and generalization is a HUGE prolonger of home programs. Skills are gained, even quickly, and then left behind. Every one acts surprised when months later, the skill is gone. No one should be surprised. Use it or lose it.
I know I sound tough, dear friend, but running an extended home program is no joke- it is exhausting in every way. Please take todays advice as "tough love".
My heart is with you,
Katherine Lee
About the Author
Katherine Lee is a highly regarded consultant in the areas of Applied Behavior Analysis and & Relationship Development Intervention. She is author to numerous columns on Autism, ABA and RDI. Join Kat for her popular WEBLOG- "'Reality ABA' - An Online Autism Diary" at http://www.autismtreatment.info/
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