Fostering Confidence and Control – Stimulife...

Self-management is an individual’s ability to observe, monitor, and modify his/her own behavior in an effort to achieve desired results. This skill is crucial for academic and social achievement at school, home, and community. It includes the following aspects:

• Identifying desired behaviors
• Setting personal goals
• Identifying triggers or difficult situations
• Using strategies to stay on task or relax
• Rewarding oneself for goal accomplishment

In ABA, self-management is a powerful strategy that enables children and adolescents to become more independent with time. ABA often starts with direct instruction and support, but over time the goal is to fade prompts and enable individuals to be self-guides.

Self-management is the focus of long-term skill retention and generalization. It matters because:

One of the fundamental goals of ABA therapy is to allow individuals to live independently. Self-management eliminates the requirement for constant adult support or reinforcement by making individuals competent to control their own behaviors.

When one learns to apply coping or behavioral strategies in other settings—not required cues—they will generalize across settings, i.e., school, home, social.

By self-monitoring and consideration, one develops an increased awareness of his/her feelings, behavior, and the impact of their actions.

When children gain control over their behavior, there is a high chance they will feel responsible. This in turn enhances intrinsic motivation, which has the potential to foster long-term behavior changes.

Self-management training in ABA therapy is a deliberate, step-by-step process. Here is a general process:

First, the therapist will work together with the individual (and possibly family) to determine what behaviors to monitor. These could be sitting quietly during lessons, raising his or her hand before he or she answers, or completing a hygiene routine.

The target behavior must be specific and measurable. “Completing math homework independently without reminders” is a clearer goal than “being good in math.”

The child learns to self-monitor with the assistance of tools such as:

Checklists

• Behavior charts
• Timers
• Visual reminders
• Self-evaluation forms

Simple sticker charts or visual reminders can be used to teach young children. Older children can utilize journals or mobile applications.

The child is helped in goal-setting and identification of reinforcers by the therapist.

Reward is crucial at the start and may be withdrawn increasingly as behavior becomes automatic.

Therapists model monitoring of behavior and provide role-playing or practice sessions. They also provide immediate feedback to help the individual learn and improve.

Prompting reduces as the individual is encouraged to engage in self-monitoring skills independently.

The benefits of self-management stretch far beyond the therapy session. Some of these include:

Children who are self-managed in the class have better achievement and fewer behavioral disruptions.

Self-knowledge and self-regulation allow individuals to interact more productively with other people and respond in a more favorable manner in social situations.

Parents become less anxious when the child begins to get their routines, feelings, and responsibilities under their own management.

For older kids and teens, self-management lays the foundation for independent functioning down the line—whether in time management, relationships, or work assignments.

If you are a parent who would like to implement self-management at home, the following tips apply:

• Use Visuals: Visual schedules and charts will make tasks concrete.
• Celebrate Success: Celebrate small accomplishments. Continuous positive reinforcement creates motivation.
• Be Patient: Independence develops slowly. Don’t hurry the process or give too many cues.
• Collaborate with Therapists: Discuss observations with your child’s ABA therapist and collaborate on how to support strategies at home.

Conclusion

Self-management is the most empowering of all skills that may be learned by a person with ABA therapy. It builds self-confidence, self-reliance, and a sense of mastery—teachings necessary to achieve long-term success. By helping people understand and control their own behaviors, ABA therapy does not only provide skills for the short term—ABA therapy puts tools for success in the hands of kids and adolescents that will enable them to keep on succeeding well into adulthood.

Whether it’s staying on track in class, managing feelings, or getting through the day-to-day routines, self-management provides individuals with the power to make decisions that align with their aspirations—recreating a brighter, more independent future.