ABA Paraprofessional's efforts and knowledge of appropriate techniques and methods that he or she learned through various professional development training sessions such as Applied Behavior Analysis, Sensory Integration, and implementing Verbal Behavior throughout the program. Marie collects probe data and data through discrete trial training on a daily basis, among several other data collections taken daily.

ABA therapist


As an ABA paraprofessional can work also as ABA therapist and we are very aware that our focus needs to be on the students at all times. We have to be one hundred percent strong to deal with whatever situations that come our way. By the time we open the door at 9:00 am until we leave at 2:30 pm. Our typical day to day schedule for an ABA program is usually fifteen minutes are spent on arrival and table top toys. Five minutes of music and movement in an assigned area, ten minutes for circle time, one hour is spent on trials and snack, two minutes on verbal behavior and center. Another one hour on trials which include movement and sensory. We have one hour of lunch which include TV times and quiet times. Sensory art project and technology are done after lunch time. We take the students for a ten minutes walk outside of the classroom and movement. When we get back we do trials and snack which follow goodbye song and pack. We teach them how to put their backpack in their cubies. They seat with a teaching toy while we wait for the others students. They also do their handwriting lessons before their circle times. We used a penny board to them to stay focus and also as a reward. We carry a bag of whatever they like to eat but it has to be healthy such as raisin, cereals, fruit snack or marshmallow. They can hold any toys in their hands if it helps them to stay focus. We teach them to sit in a group to learn the days of the week, the weather and the alphabet. They learn how to salute the American flag and they sing after, they also learn to dance while they learn. Some of the students require deep tissue massage or soft or light finger massage. We also use a sensory brush to help stimulate their muscles as we learn from the occupation therapist. We go to their assign desk to do daily data intake and they need a movement every five minutes however some student do better at fast pace date then a break.
As an ABA paraprofessional, we have to know each student likes and dislikes. They might need to go jump on the trampoline or play in the sandbox or in the water is to help them to relax. The more flexible we are with the students the more they are able to learn. They might want to go for a walk outside of the classroom or go to the OT room for the use of the swing and other sensory input items. We use a timer to keep track on how long to work with the student and we can use the timer to redirect them to stop the use of an iPad also.
We utilize a penny board as a reward for a job well done or for following a direction or for seating for a period of times during circle times. We take the students to the gym and also for 30 minutes to 45 minutes walk outside the school or inside the school if the weather does not permit it. The parents understand that we spend a lot of times with the students and we always celebrate every positive step that they achieve. It takes a person with patient and understanding and knowledgeable of the ABA program to work and mold special need children. This position requires positive energy and a calling to see the gifts that the students have inside of them. Each one of the students is different which make the ABA program so interesting. It is never boring in the classroom, the students are so smart and they understand everything we are saying to them or about them. We keep up with new early intervention so we can help the students to move forward in society. We are also the ones who track the behaviors of the students then follow the plan that the Behavior specialist set in places, such as reinforcement and protocol. We collect date daily on the students and we try a different way to reach the student so they can learn the lessons.
The lead teacher with behavior specialist set up the Data requirements, we do Man Data every day during snack times for all the students. We also do center Data two days per week, this is where the student pick an area of interest and we test them on it. We do bathroom Data for some of the student and ABC and frequency Data for all students. Our ABA trial Data is done every day unless the behavior Analyst tells the lead teacher for us to do maintenance. Another Data we take is compliance Data which is done every day for all the behavior students as it occurs and the compliance Data is a record on the first time it happens.
We look for our students doing something good and we praise them. The plan is to tell them something positive every five minutes. We communicate to the lead teacher about every improvements or behavior, he or she relays the improvements or the behaviors to the Behavior specialist. Most of the students need movement, therefore, we have to do the different movement with them such as walking, jumping. We have to remain flexible and open and the social worker, the psychologist, special services and the child study team continue to identify ways to help special needs children to advance and be part of the society.