Ebbs & Flows in ABA Services
I wanted to take a moment to explain what ebbs and flows in ABA Services are, when they are beneficial, when they are not beneficial, what to look out for with regards to ebbs and flows.
I think as with all things, motivation levels shift. Whether it be week to week, day to day, hour to hour, or minute to minute. In therapy, the staff is always encouraged to find alternative toys, alternative ways of playing with the toys, or switching things out so regularly the children aren’t likely to get bored. Many of our children also struggle with having a wide enough breadth to play - so all this is in your favour.
Kids, like the rest of us don’t want to do something. This happens in therapy. Once they’ve been in long enough, you’ll see the telltale signs such as they start crying through the transition, they run away, they ask for mom or dad to come with them. We encourage transition items, bringing toys close to them without forcing them to engage, and we allow for mom or dad to help with the transition and then move away. Like the rest of us, they’re not always motivated for therapy.
What you should watch out for is a ‘fearful’ response to the presence of the therapist. This doesn’t look like not wanting to. This is a sign something happened that the child was not comfortable with and they’re worried it will be repeated. If you see something like that, install cameras to monitor the session, ask to sit in, and pay attention to your child to see what’s happening with them.
All that being said, motivation comes and goes. The most typical arc we see is for new kids in service. When service starts they are SO happy to see the new toys. They are so excited to have someone all the themselves for such a length of time. They are just so excited. This gradually wears off as the work becomes harder and the reality of ongoing service begins to set in.
If this happens to you, don’t panic (yet). As long as they’re not showing a fear response to the therapist, and you’ve been monitoring service and are happy overall, it’s not a bad sign. It’s an adjustment.
There may come some tough days, and you’ll work through it together with the team, and on the other side, another honeymoon period will begin as they begin to master their work again, and are happy to play. Then their motivation will dwindle again… and so forth. The older and more seasoned they get with service, the less pronounced these will be.
I hope this helps alleviate some fears!
