Adolescents can benefit from having an active voice in their ABA therapy. When appropriate, involve them in discussions about the skills they would like to work on, the goals that matter to them, and the areas where they would like greater independence.
Goals may relate to communication, daily living skills, school routines, social participation, self-advocacy, community skills, or preparing for increased independence.
Including the adolescent’s preferences and priorities can help make treatment more meaningful and relevant to everyday life.
Families can learn more about how ABA360 develops individualized ABA therapy plans around each child’s strengths, needs, goals, and daily routines.
ABA therapy for adolescents should recognize more than areas where support is needed. Their existing strengths, interests, communication style, preferences, and abilities should also help guide treatment.
A strengths-based approach can help the care team identify practical ways to build new skills while respecting what the adolescent already does well.
Treatment should focus on meaningful goals that support participation, communication, independence, and quality of everyday life rather than trying to change characteristics simply because they are different.
Interests and preferred activities can provide meaningful opportunities for engagement and skill development.
Depending on the adolescent, therapy might incorporate hobbies, technology, sports, music, cooking, community activities, games, or other areas of interest.
These interests can sometimes be incorporated into goals involving communication, planning, problem-solving, social participation, daily living skills, or independence.
Using activities that are meaningful to the individual can also help ABA strategies feel more relevant to everyday life.
As children grow into adolescence, meaningful reinforcement may increasingly come from the natural results of developing and using a skill.
For example, learning to prepare a preferred snack may provide access to greater independence, improving communication may make it easier to express preferences, and developing community skills may support participation in activities the adolescent enjoys.
Praise, preferred activities, and other forms of reinforcement may also be appropriate depending on the individual.
The BCBA should consider what is meaningful and motivating for the adolescent rather than assuming the same reinforcement strategies will work for everyone.
Adolescence often brings increasing opportunities for independence and decision-making.
ABA goals may support skills such as completing daily routines, communicating needs, making choices, managing personal responsibilities, navigating community settings, practicing self-advocacy, or participating more independently in activities that are important to the adolescent.
The appropriate level of support will vary. The goal is not independence in every task, but helping each adolescent build practical skills and participate as fully as possible in the areas that matter to them.
Parents can also explore the benefits of ABA therapy to learn more about communication, daily living skills, regulation, social participation, and greater independence.
Adolescents continue to grow and change, and their interests, priorities, routines, and support needs may change as well.
ABA treatment plans should be reviewed over time so goals remain relevant and appropriate. Progress data, family input, clinical judgment, and the adolescent’s own preferences can all help inform adjustments to treatment.
Flexibility is especially important as adolescents encounter new responsibilities, school expectations, community experiences, and opportunities for greater independence.
ABA360 provides individualized, BCBA-supervised ABA therapy services in New Jersey for eligible children and adolescents with autism. Families can also review our ABA therapy FAQs to learn more about eligibility, treatment planning, Medicaid/NJ FamilyCare, and getting started.
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