Instituting Change for ASD Children

Instituting Change for ASD Children
Introduction
On 30th July 2022, I visited the Carrie Brazer Centre for Autism (CBCA), situated in Sunset Drive, Miami, Florida. CBCA arranged the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy program for children with early autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. Autism is a rising challenge among American children. According to Solazzo, Kojovic, Robain, and Schaer (2021), children who have ASD are more likely to experience alterations in behavioral responses, such as reflexes and motor skills. I developed an interest in exploring the influence of medicine and healthcare sciences to improve behavioral performances among children, particularly those with ASD. The ABA therapy program captured my interest and allowed me to explore the relationship between the two aspects. The fundamental objectives of CBCA with ABA therapy are (CBCA, 2022):
* Social skill improvement,
* Making parenting tools available,
* Developing independence among ASD children, and
* Measuring program progress through post-therapy assessment
Each ABA program engages 30 children aged 5-15 years with ASD symptoms. No geographical, ethnic, or cultural limitations are imposed by CBCA while coaching ASD children for a positive behavioral change (CBCA, 2022).
Discussion
Objective Impression of the AA Program
CBCA arranged an ABA therapy program with four fundamental objectives. Each objective was observed with a distinct impression during attendance.
* Social Skill Improvement: Children suffering from ASD struggle to interact with their surroundings. Routine interactions are disrupted, which increases dependency. Hence, ABA therapy focuses primarily on strengthening social skills among ASD children. The therapists engaged with utmost care and attention. Children experienced friendliness from caregivers and therapists, which eased their social interactions (Personal Communication).
* Making Parenting Tools Available: Therapists educated parents equally to treat ASD children at home. The parenting tools contained response time, response type, and parenting goals to strengthen the behavioral relationship between parents and children. A therapist would enact and educate parents for systematic adaptation (Personal Communication).
* Lifestyle Independency: Therapists would educate ASD children to become more independent in routine activities. Children are trained to self-perform routine actions, such as brushing teeth, using the bathroom, sleeping, and eating. The actions make ASD children more effective in becoming strong after the therapeutic program (Personal Communication)
* Post-therapy Assessment: The assessment is designed for measuring CBCA progress with the ABA therapy program. The assessment would engage children to read, write, interact, and concentrate on the environment to track therapeutic progress (Personal Communication)
Hence, the observed impressions suggest that the ABA therapy completes the pre-defined objective criteria designed by CBCA for initiating behavioral change among ASD children.
Observed Therapeutic Factors
The ABA therapy includes two of many factors: music therapy and swimming. The program devised music therapy to improve the concentration and intellectual tra...