PARENT TRAINING & SUPPORT
Parent Training
Parental involvement and parent training in behavior management strategies can help provide parents with the tools that they need to handle challenging behaviors and supports that will help promote positive behavior change. Parent training also helps to promote generalization of learned skills through consistency and increased opportunities to practice newly learned skills with multiple people and in multiple situations. ABA is based on the theory that behaviors are shaped by the environment and the people in it. The most effective way to change a child's behavior is to change what the people interacting with the child do, rather than focusing on what the child is doing.
Support Groups
For many parents of children with developmental disabilities, life can seem very different and distant from the experiences of other families. It can feel like other people don’t understand their experiences which can be very isolating. Parent support groups provide a place for parents to share and gain insight from each other’s experiences, get information regarding resources and guidance to help them advocate for their children. Being able to discuss everyday little victories and the challenges of having a child with special needs with other parents who are going through the same thing can help parents who are struggling with a new diagnosis or challenging behavior see the light at the end of the tunnel.
