If you’re considering enrolling your autistic child in school, it can be a good idea to consider the demands that may be expected to see if your child is ready for them.

• Being in a group of other children
• Following instructions
• Communicating safely
• Conducting themselves safely towards others
• Transitioning safely

If your child is still struggling with many of these things, continuing ABA full time may be the right move. As things progress, many IEPs and schools allow for a child to split their time between school and ABA so that the child gets experience with school while still receiving the one-on-one support they need.

How to Prepare

School Readiness Program. If your child is enrolled in ABA and has access to a school readiness program, that can be a great way for your child to learn the above skills and many others that are necessary to thrive in a group environment.

Practice social interactions. Acting out situations that may arise in the classroom can help your child to be confident and prepared. Role playing things like lining up, responding to directions, asking other kids to play or requesting a break could be a few key things to focus on.

Social stories. Oftentimes, autistic kiddos thrive on visuals. Going through social stories of conversations with peers and the flow of the day can help your kiddo to understand what is expected of them.

Routines. Make sure to get ahead of the change by practicing the school bed time and wake up routine so that your child can get back in the groove of things! Above all, be attuned to your child’s feelings and their needs, making sure to meet them where they are at and supporting them every step of the way.

What is Natural Environment Teaching?

What is it?

NET is one of the main ways that children practice and learn social, emotional and behavioral skills in ABA Therapy. As the name suggests, this style of teaching leans into the natural environment, utilizing play sessions to teach a child how to safely interact, communicate, and regulate. How does this work?

How it Works

During an NET session, the client comes into contact with many different toys, people, choices and interactions. All of these can be utilized in a fun and engaging way to naturally expand and test a child’s abilities. NET also allows the client opportunity to choose

 what to play with, building confidence and rapport with those around them. This allows the skills taught during ABA to become more relevant to the child’s life and easier to generalize into their daily routine. NET can also encourage a child to WANT to learn

 more, being that what they are learning highly relates to activities and people that they prefer to engage with.

When it Shines

NET is often paired with structured learning as well. This is sometimes referred to as “DTT” or “Table Time.” During these sessions, a child learns how to perform tasks such as labeling items/people, answering questions, following simple directions or imitating

 gross motor movements in a structured environment. These skills are then naturally brought up during NET. For example, let’s say a child learns the word “apple” during Table Time. Then, in a play session using the play kitchen, the child interacts with a toy

 apple. The therapist may make use of this, bringing the apple into play. By utilizing these two forms together, the child gets a vary well rounded session.