Self-Care Tips: Practicing Reinforcement

There is no doubt that having children with special needs is a full-time job in itself. The hours are long, and sometimes it can feel as though your work isn’t appreciated. That’s why it’s so important to develop some self-care strategies to help recharge after all the work we do as parents!

One of the ways that you can do that is to reinforce yourself in the same way that you reinforce your children for positive behavior. Most of us already do something like this: “After I finish cleaning the living room, I’m going to have a cookie.” That’s reinforcement, even if we don’t think of it that way. Reinforcing yourself with intention is a great way to practice self-care, and if you have a specific goal tied to a specific reward, you’re less likely to skip it and wind up feeling burned out.

Guest UserSeptember 7, 2021

Teaching ABCs and Sight Words with DTT

As the parent of a young child, you may wonder: how can a parent teach their child to recognize letters and sight words with success? Have you heard of DTT (Discrete Trial Training)? If your child is receiving ABA, then you have probably heard your Behavior Technician or Case Manager talk about DTT programs or targets that they may be working on with your child. But really, what is DTT?

DTT is a structured ABA technique that simplifies and breaks down skills into small parts which are presented in a systematic manner until current targets are mastered. New steps/targets (i.e., sight words, ABCs, Addition Facts) would not be introduced until a set number of targets have been mastered.