Enhancing Home Life for Children with Autism: The Importance of Collaboration Between BCBAs and Family Therapists
Caregiver training is always a hot topic!
This week, I figured I’d go after it a little bit more. Given that ABA is all about environment and how it impacts behavior, it’s important to note that our goal in caregiver training is simple—it’s to improve the home environment for the children we work with. Often, our focus in this endeavor is commandeered by potentially abstract technicalities from our science. However, sometimes we encounter situations where the needs of the family are more foundational than we anticipated. In these cases, our role might shift from implementing complex behavior plans to addressing more basic, yet essential, aspects of the parent-child relationship.
The Power of Simple Acts
One of the most profound interventions we can offer families is encouraging simple, nurturing behaviors between the themselves and their child.
This can be a struggle for the ABA nerd inside all of us because it means that some families aren’t going to require an advanced behavior reduction plan or intricate teaching procedure.
Sometimes, it’s about reminding parents of the power of a hug, a kind word, or even a playful snuggle. These small gestures, which might seem insignificant, can drastically improve the emotional climate of the home and, by extension, the effectiveness of the ABA programs we implement.
As BCBAs, we might find ourselves coaching parents on how to connect with their children on a very fundamental and nearly elementary level—something that might not come naturally to every caregiver. It’s not uncommon to encounter families where these basic interactions are missing, and this absence can indicate deeper issues within the family dynamic.
The Role of Marriage and Family Therapists
With deeper issues within the home comes the potential need for more insight. This is where our scope and expertise may get a little fuzzy.
And this is where the importance of collaboration with other professionals comes into play, particularly marriage and family therapists. There are times when a family’s needs go beyond what we can address within the framework of ABA.
In such cases, having a trusted marriage and family therapist in your network can be invaluable.
A licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) can work with the family to address underlying issues that may be hindering the parents' ability to engage in positive, nurturing behaviors with their children. These professionals bring a different set of tools and perspectives that can complement our work and go beyond the mands, tacts, and functional communication that we’re teaching.
Building Relationships with Other Professionals
So, what’s the main takeaway?
Chances are that your grad program and supervision did not teach you how to coach your learner’s parents through the marital issues that are destabilizing their kiddo’s environment.
And that’s because it’s beyond our scope of practice.
But that doesn’t mean that this family coaching isn’t necessary. It just might mean that you shouldn’t be the one doing it.
If you haven’t already, it might be time for you to start building relationships with marriage and family therapists, social workers, and other relevant professionals in your area. Where you can’t directly write a formal referral for these families, knowing someone in this field allows you to suggest resources and make informed recommendations when the need arises.
And you’re doing your part to improve the home environment on a holistic level.
Networking with these professionals not only broadens the support you can offer to families but also enriches your understanding of the environments in which your clients live.
Martin Myers is a BCBA with a passion for helping improve the field of ABA. He is the creator of BxMastery, with over 4,000 goal ideas, sequenced, to inspire your programming. With 10+ years of experience in the field, he’s dedicated to empowering others and fostering positive change through effective leadership and communication. Connect with Martin on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more insights and updates.