Association for Behavior Analysis International

The Balance Program was created for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on a waitlist for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services. The program works to prevent the formation of severe problem behaviors using early intervention strategies. The Balance Program consists of 10 parent-implemented steps and coaching from a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The steps help to promote play and functional communication, tolerating no, cooperating, and finding a balance between parent-led and child-led activities (Ruppel et al., 2021). The presentation aims to discuss the effectiveness of the Balance Program in a variety settings and time-frames of implementation. The presenters utilized the Balance Program to target skill acquisition, increase compliance and decrease the presence of problem behaviors. The outcomes of these goals were evaluated using clients at different stages of ABA treatment. These stages include future clientele from the waitlist, clients that transitioned to clinical services from the waitlist and clients already enrolled in clinical services.

The aim of this presentation is to give the participants a brief overview of the Balance Program. The presentation will discuss appropriate candidates and the far-reaching effects in home for a child waitlisted for ABA services. The author will discuss rationales behind the Balance Program and social validity of the procedures. The aim of the single case study was to increase skill acquisition in an 3-year-old male, Kevin, who has not yet received an Autism Diagnosis with the Balance Program. Prior to implementing the Balance Program, the participant was engaging in vocal, physical and object stereotypy to escape engaging in task demands. He demonstrated limited functional communication (signing “more” but did not successfully obtain other signs, grabbing an adult’s hand to bring them to desired activities, and with prompts saying “again” vocally during physical play). Data will be presented that demonstrates an increase of skill acquisition through the mastery of the Balance Program.

The balance program was implemented with a pre-school age client who was initially on the waitlist for ABA therapy. The client was able to receive in clinic ABA therapy after a few months of starting the balance program. The aim of this single case study was to increase compliance both at home and in the clinic of a 4-year-old female with autism spectrum disorder. The client was on the waitlist for 7 months before her family was offered to do balance with their child. Prior to starting balance, the client’s family had stated that she had some difficulties with transitioning from preferred to non-preferred activities, safety awareness and accepting no. Furthermore, parents had reported that the client would occasionally hit, kick and tantrum when demands were placed on her or when she was denied access to preferred items and activities. The client started receiving in clinic services after three months of participating in the balance program and was able to continue the program both at home and in clinic. The client is currently on step six of balance which is teaching the child to cooperate a little with her parent’s demands. Data will be presented that demonstrates the increase in cooperation and compliance in multiple settings.

The Balance Program is a parent-led program that was created to help prevent severe problem behavior in young children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The Balance Program also can be beneficial in pairing parent-child relationships. The aim of this presentation is to display the effects of using the Balance Program in home and in center concurrently to decrease emerging problem behaviors. The author will discuss how the Balance Program was used by parents and Registered Behavior Technicians concurrently with each other, discuss and display how it can reduce emerging problem behavior in a 4 year old client with ASD, and parent report of how it was beneficial for their home life. The aim of this single subject case study was to decrease emerging problem behaviors both in home and in clinic in a 4 year old male with ASD using the Balance Program. Before implementing the Balance Program, when demands were placed the participant would engage in vocal protests, elopement, and screaming. After implementation there was a decrease in problem behaviors when demands were placed, he would engage in a tolerance response of “Okay, that is so cool” when things did not go his way, and would complete goals and tasks in the home and at the clinic.