Daily Life, Behavior and Skills at Home
Practical ABA-informed help with routines, sleep, eating, toileting, communication, meltdowns, siblings and community outings.
Understand
Start here: the basics, in plain language.
- UnderstandBirthday Parties and Playdates: A Prep Plan for Autistic KidsA step-by-step plan for birthday parties and playdates with an autistic child: preparing ahead, sensory supports, an exit plan and hosting inclusively.5 min read
- UnderstandChurch and Worship With an Autistic Child: Preparing, Sensory Plans and InclusionHow to prepare an autistic child for church, temple, mosque or other worship: visual stories, sensory plans, short visits and how to talk with faith leaders.5 min read
- UnderstandGrandparents and Extended Family: Getting Everyone on the Same ABA PageHow Florida families can help grandparents and relatives use the same ABA strategies, handle disagreement kindly, and know who can consent to care.5 min read
- UnderstandGrocery Trips Without Tears: Teaching Community Skills at the StoreHow Florida parents can turn hard grocery runs into skills: short practice trips, visual lists, waiting practice, sensory supports and a calm exit plan.6 min read
- UnderstandHaircuts, Nail Trims and Doctor Visits: Step-by-Step DesensitizationStep-by-step desensitization for haircuts, nail trims, doctor and dental visits with an autistic child, what research shows, and how Hope Center can help.5 min read
- UnderstandHead-Banging and Self-Injury: When to Get Help Right AwayHead-banging and self-injury in autistic children: emergency signs, medical causes to check with the doctor, safer steps without restraint, and ABA help.5 min read
- UnderstandHitting, Biting and Aggression in Young Autistic Children: What ABA DoesWhy young autistic children hit, bite or kick, what to do in the moment to keep everyone safe, and how an ABA assessment and plan address aggression.5 min read
- UnderstandPicky Eating and Food Selectivity: How ABA Feeding Goals WorkWhy food selectivity is common in autistic children, red flags for the doctor, why pressure backfires, and how ABA feeding goals and food chaining work.5 min read
- UnderstandPuberty and Hygiene for Autistic Teens: Teaching Routines With ABAHow to prepare an autistic child for puberty and teach showering, deodorant, periods and shaving with task analyses, plus privacy and body-safety rules.6 min read
- UnderstandRigid Routines and Big Changes: Helping Your Autistic Child CopeWhy autistic children resist change and how to prepare yours for moves, new siblings, new schools, holidays and Florida hurricane season.7 min read
- UnderstandSleep Problems and Autism: An ABA Bedtime PlanWhy autistic children struggle with sleep, a step-by-step ABA bedtime routine and night-waking plan, and when to call the pediatrician about sleep.6 min read
- UnderstandStimming: When to Leave It Alone and When to Teach AlternativesA respectful guide to stimming for Florida parents: why autistic kids stim, which stims to leave alone, and how ABA helps only when a stim causes harm.7 min read
- UnderstandTeaching Safety Words: 'Stop', 'Wait' and 'Come Here'ABA steps to teach an autistic child to respond to stop, wait and come here, practice safely, and use the skills near Florida water and roads.6 min read
- UnderstandTeaching Your Child Their Name, Address and Phone NumberHow to teach an autistic child to share their name, address and a parent's phone number, with options for non-speaking kids, ID cards, AAC and Florida tools.5 min read
- UnderstandWaiting, Transitions and 'First-Then': Small Skills With a Big PayoffHow to make and use a first-then board, teach waiting with timers, and ease transitions for autistic children, with home examples and common mistakes.6 min read
Compare options
Weighing your options and planning.
- Compare optionsABA and Medication: How Behavior Therapy and Prescriptions Fit TogetherHow ABA and autism medication differ, what ABA staff should never advise on, and how BCBA data and consent help your child's prescriber decide.7 min read
- Compare optionsCaregiver Burnout: Support Groups, Respite and Mental Health Help in FloridaSigns of burnout in parents of autistic children, and a comparison of Florida support: 988, 211, APD respite, CARD, family care councils and therapy.5 min read
- Compare optionsFinding a Sensory-Friendly Pediatric Dentist in FloridaWhat makes a dental office sensory-friendly, 13 questions to ask, a comparison checklist, where Florida families can look, and how to practice at home.7 min read
- Compare optionsMeltdown or Tantrum? How to Tell in the Moment, and What HelpsHow to tell an autistic meltdown from a tantrum in the moment, what to do first for safety, what helps each one, and when to get more help.7 min read
- Compare optionsSingle Parents and ABA: Making the Schedule and Parent Training WorkSingle parents in Florida: compare in-home, center and school ABA for a one-parent household, fit in parent training, share custody and find respite.6 min read
- Compare optionsWorking Parents: Fitting ABA Around a Full-Time JobHow Florida working parents fit ABA around a full-time job: center, home, daycare and school settings compared, parent training, FMLA and a checklist.5 min read
Take the next step
Ready to move: steps, checklists and getting started.
- Take the next stepA Home Safety Plan for Aggression: Keeping Everyone Safe While You Get HelpA step-by-step home safety plan for aggression in autistic children: safer rooms, sibling roles, a 911 script, aftercare and how to get an assessment.5 min read
- Take the next stepMake a Calm-Down Kit and Plan for Your Child (Printable)Build a calm-down kit in 30 minutes, choose a safe calm spot, teach it on good days, and fill in a printable plan every adult follows during overload.6 min read
- Take the next stepVisual Schedules at Home: Free Printables and How to Use ThemPrintable morning, bedtime and outing visual schedules, step-by-step setup and teaching, and how to fade the schedule as your child grows more independent.6 min read
- Take the next stepWhen Behavior at Home Feels Unmanageable: Getting In-Home ABA HelpWhen to seek in-home ABA for hard behavior at home, what the first visits look like, what insurers require, and how to start with Hope Center.4 min read
Get a free consultation
At Hope Center for Behavior Change our ABA programs are developed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and implemented by Registered Behavior Technicians.