Key Points:
- Communication, consistency, and clear goal-setting are the foundation of a strong partnership with your ABA therapy team.
- Understanding your role as a parent in ABA therapy improves your child’s progress.
- Maryland families benefit most when ABA therapy is personalized and includes home integration.
Working with an ABA therapy team can feel overwhelming, especially if your child has just started services. But here’s the good news: when parents actively collaborate with their child’s ABA providers, the outcome is significantly better. That’s not just theory—it’s been observed time and again across ABA therapy programs in Maryland and beyond.
This guide will walk you through how to build a productive and supportive relationship with your child’s ABA therapy team, especially if you’re receiving ABA therapy in Maryland. It covers communication tips, role clarification, and strategies for building consistency between clinic and home.
Understand the Role of Your ABA Therapy Team
Before collaboration can thrive, it’s crucial to understand who does what in an ABA therapy setting. ABA teams are typically composed of several key roles:
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA): The lead clinician. They assess your child, design therapy plans, and oversee progress.
- Registered Behavior Technician (RBT): The frontline therapist who works one-on-one with your child to implement the BCBA’s plan.
- Parent/Guardian: Yes—you are part of the team. Your role is to support, provide insights, and reinforce skills at home.
Knowing who to approach for what concern (e.g., behavioral setbacks, school support, progress questions) prevents confusion and fosters trust.
Communication: The Core of Effective Collaboration
Strong parent-therapist communication is what turns good therapy into great therapy. But how do you get there without overstepping or falling out of sync?
Start by establishing regular check-ins.
Some providers will offer these weekly, while others might prefer bi-weekly or monthly updates. Don’t wait for a problem—get ahead of potential issues by staying in the loop.
Keep communication two-way.
Yes, your RBTs and BCBAs are trained professionals, but you bring unmatched insight into your child’s routines, fears, motivations, and triggers. Share your observations—it helps refine treatment.
Tip: Create a communication notebook or shared digital log for updates, questions, and celebrations. This tool becomes especially helpful if multiple therapists rotate on your case.
Be Consistent at Home
One of the biggest mistakes parents make—often unknowingly—is treating ABA therapy like a separate world from home life. Consistency is a major success factor in ABA. When strategies used during sessions are mirrored at home, children generalize skills more effectively.
Here’s how to bring consistency into your daily routine:
- Use common language:
If your ABA team uses phrases like “first-then,” “quiet hands,” or “task box,” adopt the same phrasing at home. This makes transitions smoother for your child. - Reinforce target behaviors:
If your child is working on requesting help rather than crying, support that behavior by reinforcing it when it happens outside of therapy sessions. - Avoid mixed signals:
If the therapy discourages attention-seeking through whining, be mindful not to reinforce that behavior at home (even if it’s convenient in the moment). - Ask for training:
Struggling to follow through at home? It’s not a failure—it’s a learning opportunity. Ask your BCBA for parent training sessions specific to your child’s goals.
Be an Advocate—But Stay Open-Minded
No one knows your child better than you. So yes, your instincts are valid and important. But being a good collaborator also means staying open to new strategies that may feel unfamiliar.
That doesn’t mean blindly accepting everything. Instead:
- Ask questions about any interventions that feel confusing or concerning.
- Share what has or hasn’t worked in the past.
- Be open to evidence-based suggestions—even if they feel counterintuitive at first.
Remember: effective ABA therapy is built around data. It’s not just trial and error—it’s measured, refined, and adjusted based on your child’s responses.
Goal Setting: Stay Involved in the Process
When your ABA team sets goals, they’re doing it based on assessments and observations. But the most meaningful goals are those that matter to you and your child’s daily life. Here’s how to make sure your voice is reflected:
How to Collaborate on Goal Setting:
- Discuss what you want to see change.
Do you want your child to sit through dinner? Tolerate haircuts? Sleep in their own bed? Be specific about the routines that matter most. - Prioritize function over milestones.
Your child doesn’t need to match typical development—they need skills that increase their independence and quality of life. - Review and adjust goals regularly.
Progress isn’t always linear. It’s okay to pause or shift directions based on new needs. - Request visuals or explanations.
If your therapist brings up terms like “manding” or “prompt fading,” don’t hesitate to ask for a breakdown in plain language. Understanding the why behind a goal boosts your ability to support it.
Build a Support System—Beyond Just You
ABA therapy can feel isolating if you’re the only one carrying out recommendations. Involving family, sitters, and even teachers can make a big difference.
Tips for Expanding the Support Circle:
- Share strategies with grandparents and other caregivers.
- Request home programs that include siblings (e.g., practicing turn-taking).
- Ask your ABA team to coordinate with your child’s school if applicable.
- Create visual schedules or behavior charts that other adults can use easily.
This kind of wraparound support creates a unified front for your child and reduces setbacks caused by inconsistent environments.
Track Progress—and Celebrate Small Wins
You don’t need to be a data analyst to spot growth. What matters is noticing the change and giving your child the praise they deserve.
Signs of progress might include:
- A decrease in tantrums during transitions.
- Initiating play or using new words.
- Completing a task without prompting.
Even subtle changes matter. Progress in ABA therapy isn’t always flashy—but every skill learned builds toward greater independence.
Don’t forget: Share these wins with your therapists. It keeps morale high on both ends and helps your team fine-tune future goals.
Final Thoughts: Build Trust, Not Just Treatment
Partnering with your ABA therapy team isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about building trust. When that trust is mutual, children thrive. Therapists feel more supported. And parents feel empowered, not overwhelmed.
If you’re a Maryland parent navigating ABA therapy, consider working with a provider like Actify ABA. Their personalized approach to ABA therapy in Maryland focuses not only on the child’s clinical growth but on parent education and home integration. That means you’re never left in the dark—and always part of the journey.
Whether you’re just starting or looking to improve an existing therapy plan, the key is simple: collaborate, communicate, and stay consistent. With the right team by your side, meaningful progress is within reach.
Explore ABA therapy in Maryland with Actify ABA and discover how a team-based approach can help your child thrive across all settings—home, school, and community.
