No one knows your child as well as you do. When your child is enrolled at Stride, we want you, the parent or guardian, to become a key member of our therapeutic team. The hard work we do during the day must be carried home to optimize the benefits of our individualized ABA programs. Parent / therapist collaboration and communication are critical in this regard. You need understand what Stride is working on in our therapeutic setting and we need to know how things are going at home.
Our team at Stride Autism Centers has extensive experience helping children with autism make meaningful progress, but it requires some key elements that extend beyond our center. Partnering closely with parents is essential to maximizing ABA’s benefits.
This philosophy of collaboration is supported by extensive research that demonstrates more long-term success when parents are deeply involved.
What the research says
We’ve linked a few scientific papers on the topic below and pulled key points from their abstracts.
- Family Involvement and Parent-Teacher Relationships for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: “Family educational involvement and parent-teacher relationships are important for supporting student outcomes and have unique implications for families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).”
- Early Intervention with Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of Programs: “The positive influence of parent participation in such programs was demonstrated.”
- Social Support, Education Levels, and Parents’ Involvement: A Comparison Between Mothers and Fathers of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: “Parental involvement plays a critical role in the development of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and can promote children’s developmental and educational outcomes.”
You can also check out a this concise, reader-friendly CNN article. The main takeaway is that when parents are more involved, children are more likely to have significant improvement in their symptoms, including verbal abilities and social skills.
What we do to facilitate a parent partnership
At Stride Autism Centers, our Clinical Advisor, Dr. Hedda Meadan-Kaplansky, PhD, BCBA-D, has helped design our parent support program and trained our staff on best practices when partnering with families. Her extensive clinical background and research in parent support has provided Stride’s team with a strong parent involvement platform. Stride is committed to working with you to find the best ways for you to participate in the therapeutic partnership.
Regular communication regarding your child’s goals and progress is critical for the continuity of therapy in clinic and at home. To that end, we meet with parents / guardians at least once per week. This allows us to be aligned in our approach and to regularly address concerns regarding behaviors and progress occurring in your home. We typically connect over a video call to fit it into your busy schedule.
Our compassionate team members are here to support you on your special journey. While we cannot replace the role you play in your child’s life, we can support you. When your child graduates Stride and goes to kindergarten or first grade, we want you to feel empowered to tackle any challenges that lie ahead.
Please feel free to get in touch if you’d like to learn more about our approach to parent support or enroll in our programs.
