A word from one of our therapists:

At Autism Chicago, my job as an Applied Behavioral Analyst (ABA) therapist is different every single day. Most days are filled with laughter and joy from a client succeeding at a task you worked so hard on them learning. Whether that is learning how to respond in a social situation, labeling an object, expressing emotion, or maybe even learning how to tie their shoes. Other days are more difficult, and can be more aggressive as a child learns how to cope with a new strategy or intervention plan. Whether that means figuring out what happens before the behavior or determining how to prevent it in the future, I have found that the tough times were well worth the breakthroughs. I live for the moments of celebration when children complete a task by themselves for the very first time. It’s about setting goals and working one-on-one to achieve those milestones. As a behavior therapist, I have to be innovative and encouraging every single day and try new tactics to enable a child to succeed and find what works for them. #abctherapistthursday