The first rule to always remember: your family is unique, no matter your cultural, socioeconomic, educational, or religious background. No two families are exactly the same, so why should interventions or teaching methods be?
Sure, there are standard strategies we can all use as a guide, but as a parent or educator, it’s crucial to figure out which approach best suits your learner. And don’t stop there—think about how you can tweak it to make it even better for them!
This is where Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) comes into play. ABA is the science of behaviors—we study them to predict and teach them. Within ABA, there’s a whole array of theories and strategies. But the key word here is applied. "Applied" means interventions and strategies should be tailored to support the specific individual and those involved, not just because it’s the popular choice, but because it meets the unique needs of the learner.
There are many factors that might influence why a particular approach is necessary—it could be cultural, social, educational, developmental, or even mental health-related. But no matter the reason, the strategy must fit the learner’s life. There will always be go-to strategies or interventions—those that are widely used and often effective. But again, it’s essential to consider your learner and your family. Just because something is commonly used or deemed effective doesn’t automatically mean it’s right for you. Effective means it has to be effective for you and the learner. If it’s not, keep searching or modify it until it is.
Here is an example…
Let’s say you have two kids, Emma and Liam, who both seem to have trouble staying focused on their tasks at home. Maybe they’re getting distracted during homework time or not following through with their chores. As a parent, you decide to try a popular strategy: a visual schedule. You’ve heard it works well for many kids because it shows them exactly what they need to do and when.
For Emma, this approach is a game-changer. She loves being able to see what’s next and checking things off as she goes. Suddenly, she’s more focused, gets her homework done without much fuss, and even takes pride in completing her chores. It feels like you’ve found the magic solution!
But then there’s Liam. When you introduce the same visual schedule to him, instead of helping, it seems to stress him out. Seeing the whole day laid out in front of him makes him anxious, and he starts worrying about what’s coming later instead of concentrating on the task at hand. His focus gets worse, and he ends up feeling frustrated and overwhelmed.
What worked so perfectly for Emma just didn’t click for Liam. Even though both kids needed help with focus, they needed different approaches. Maybe for Liam, it would have been better to break things down into smaller steps or to focus on one task at a time with a timer.
This example shows that even within the same family, each child is different. What works like magic for one might not work at all for another. That’s why it’s so important to try different things, observe how your child responds, and adjust as needed. Parenting isn’t about finding a one-size-fits-all solution; it’s about finding what fits your unique child.
In our upcoming posts, we’ll dive into some common strategies that you might find useful for your learner and family. We’ll explore how these approaches can be adapted to fit your unique needs, so stay tuned!
Comment below to share your thoughts on this topic! I’d love to hear your experiences with what has or hasn’t worked for your family. If you have any questions or if there’s something specific you’d like to see us cover in future posts, let me know.
Comments