As practitioners, it is common to have either seen or experienced an ABA session that felt dull and monotonous.  If the professional delivering the session feels this way, imagine how the client must feel.  While the most important part of running an effective ABA session is to follow the treatment plan protocol, this does not mean you can’t also have fun while doing so.  Here are 3 surefire ways to liven up your ABA sessions:

1. Tone of voice

 Think about how you speak when you are in a good mood versus a bad mood.  Does your pitch change?  The speed of your words? These small differences, that are often automatic, can impact the way others respond.  This is also something we are able to control however.  For example, many people use a higher pitch in their voice when they want someone to think they are excited, even if they aren’t. 

This same concept can be applied to ABA sessions.  Try to become self aware when a session feels like it is dragging and change the tone of your voice.  This small change can evoke emotion in your clients and even get you to believe something exciting is happening.

2. Materials

Various tangibles can be an important part of any session. Whether these are teaching materials or reinforcers they are often present throughout your time with a client.  Becoming more interactive with the materials can bring new life to an otherwise dull moment.  

Make a list of some of your client’s favorite materials and write down 5 things you can do with them.  This might be putting them on your head and shaking them off or creating a new game.  By having a list prepared before a session you can be ready to offer some exciting changes to the moment.

3. Using breaks

Breaks during a session can have a variety of benefits.  They can help provide the practitioner and the client some needed space, they can provide a time to input data, or they can be utilized as a time to re-pair.  

Try to have at least one break a session that is dedicated to simply engaging with a client on a fun and relaxed level.  By having this interaction, without placing demands, the client and therapist can enjoy being together.  This interaction can change the mood for the whole rest of the session.

When you are working with individuals, building a connection should always be at the heart of what you do.  So while some level of burnout is common in ABA, you should not feel that your role is so robotic that you are missing out on interacting with your clients.  If you are struggling to find the balance between doing your job effectively and enjoying it, reach out to michelle@galliantcare.com for more tips on making ABA enjoyable for all.