How trauma-informed care is changing aba
Today, we are looking at trauma-informed care. Every person has experienced some form of trauma, and that trauma has shaped us as human beings. For instance, both my mother and sister encountered rattlesnakes when they were very young. My mother was about 3 when she discovered the snake; it slithered through her family’s picnic while her mother and brother were away. She is 75 and still has a physical and emotional response when she sees or hears a rattlesnake.
My sister had a similarly traumatic experience. While my parents were cleaning out my grandmother’s house, my brothers, sister, and I ventured outside to explore the property. My sister was between 2 and 3 and got separated from the rest of the children. A few minutes later, she came into the house and said she had seen a snake and that the snake had struck her. To this day, if she hears the rattle of a snake, she has a physical and emotional response.
Their experiences with the snakes shaped their fears and the way they act when presented with them. Thankfully, society as a whole has become more aware of the effects of trauma.
Because of the growing knowledge of how trauma affects us as human beings, there is a movement within the field of ABA to move toward trauma-informed care. What does that mean? Tameika Meadows provides a comprehensive explanation in her article, Trauma-Informed ABA: “In a nutshell, trauma-informed ABA is an intentional decision to provide services and care in a highly personalized, unique, person-respecting manner, and to recognize that we are all products of our environment.”
Trauma-Informed Care at SOAR
SOAR already implements some trauma-informed care procedures. For instance, employees learn RIGHT RESPONSE. The RIGHT RESPONSE training is designed for caregivers and staff who support individuals with identified behavioral and aggression challenges. But that is not all! SOAR is moving towards training all employees on having a more trauma-informed care mindset. In the process, we hope to give more compassionate care to our participants and reduce the adverse effects of ABA.
For more blog posts by SOAR Behavior Services, visit soarbehaviorwa.com/family-resources.
