Collecting data for the sake of collecting data is a waste of your time. That’s why in the fourth step of the Turn Autism Around approach, I share a variety of ways to collect data, and then I show you how to use that data to analyze and understand how to help a child. In my newest book Turn Autism Around: An Action Guide for Parents of Young Children with Early Signs of Autism, I give you many examples of how to use ABA data collection so that you can see what’s most effective for your child.
Michelle C. knew that she needed to take a language sample before she took my course and after my course so that she had baseline data to work with to measure her daughter’s success. I recommend three simple ways to collect language data:
If you’re a busy parent and don’t want to get into a ton of data, I suggest that you try the calendar system. We use a calendar to keep track of Lucas’s self-injurious behavior, the correlation between his headaches and allergy shots, and to track medication changes. You can also track ABC data (antecedent, behavior & consequence) either on a calendar or on paper so that you can begin to put together a picture of why certain behaviors are triggered.
Don’t be overwhelmed. In my book, I’ll teach you the steps you need to take to collect easy data and get a good summary of the child’s behavior and progress. I provide examples and forms so that you can see how other parents and professionals use this data to analyze whether a child’s therapy, medication, or circumstances need to be adjusted. And you’ll be able to assess more clearly when a child is succeeding and thriving.
You’ll Learn
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