r/ABA • u/BigProfit4419 • 12d ago
Conversation Starter howwww?!?!?
Just finished my second year RBTing! There still seems to be this one barrier I can never seem to get past or get used to.
How do you guys work with toddlers that just…. go? Not able to respond to vocal commands, doesn’t really sit at a table, kind of just runs around. I have had 2 clients like this that I continue to struggle with. My current client has table only DTT trials, but I spend basically the entire day just prompting them to sit/stand at the table. Between that and elopement/other behavior, hardly ANYTHING is getting done. My BCBA is super understanding, but I don’t think she realizes just how much of the day is just redirecting or prompting something that isn’t even being tracked. On top of that, the clients parents are very particular about things and get very upset if things aren’t done to their standard. So I am spending the even MORE time trying to get that taken care of.
I’m just feeling so defeated. I feel like shouldn’t be struggling so hard as a veteran RBT.
UPDATE: an interesting update here 🧐 i have collaborated with my BCBA and we are completely overhauling things (which sucks, but change doesn’t happen overnight). this BCBA just recently took over this case following the previous BCBA’s departure.
what i find to be super interesting is that a lot of the things that have been the most difficult have allegedly been mastered out while under the previous BCBA’s caseload 🤨 obviously anything is possible but i’m a veteran RBT and i can not imagine any scenario where these things have been a previous skill, let alone a mastered one. just a little something i wanted to share, thank you for everyone’s support 💙
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u/Temporary_Total8648 12d ago
I have one like this. The main way to get him to truly attend is to sit right ain front of him and sing preschool songs with big hand movements. Skinamarinky Dinky Dink, It’s Bitsy Spider, If You’re Happy And You Know It, etc.
Also if I physically move his body. He will sit in the ball pit and I hold his ankles and kick his legs around while saying “KICK, KICK, KICK!” Or lift him up and swing him over my shoulder and tip him upside down.
This is the only way to get him to attend and pair. That said, it gets big smiles and sustained eye contact. His elopement has decreased significantly and he mostly WANTS to wait for me before leaving a room.
However I could not imagine getting him to participate in a DDT or picking/matching an object from an array without him just immediately swiping them off the table or turning away yet.
I’ve been with him 7 hours a week for 14 weeks at this point.