ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis. This method focuses on utilizing positive reinforcements in order to attain specific results. They typically work one on one with a therapist or educator (who is following a plan). It utilizes a variety of visual supports and can be used in regards to a variety of skills - motor, academic, play, etc. It is important to find someone who is certified either as a BCBA or BCaBA. These people have undergone specific training and are board certified. Check out www.bacb.com for more information regarding certification and strategies.

However, it is essential that your child participates in occupational therapy, social work, and speech/language therapy as well. ABA is a great tool in conjunction with other more targeted and specific therapies. Another idea is having him become involved in public social activities that are of interest to him (lego master building classes, a sport or other physical activity, science play group, etc). Check your area for a special needs recreation group.

Hope this helps!

You may find that letting him stim on his special interests helps.

I wasn't diagnosed with Asperger's 'til I was 42. Up to that point, I was just a weirdo. :-) When I was a kid, though, I used to have enough unstructured, free time to do my thing. For me, that was reading about anything scientific, better if it was space or astrophysics. For your son, find out if there are ways he can indulge his SIs without being too odd, e.g. reading or writing about his SI.

When he's a little older (8 years old), he can get involved with Special Olympics, which is an amazing program. If you have a flexible head coach, he may be able to participate now, but not for competition.

ABA has shown some good results. I believe it is still the only evidence-based practice. @A MyAutismTeam Member is correct, I think, in saying that there should be multiple, complementary therapies in your son's life.

And don't forget to take good care of your son's mommy, too! Make sure you have an adequate support group. If you don't, build one. You may be able to ask therapists and pediatricians to give other families that they feel comfortable with your contact information (since they can't give you somebody else's info). Look for support groups. And stay connected here!

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A MyAutis...

"Direct Instruction" is only a tiny part of ABA and we never use it. Instead, we use ABA to give us the scaffolding to be clear to our child rather than say conflicting, confusing things, or give in just because he's worn us down -- we literally had two "Veruca Salt" kids who learned just to whine and meltdown to get what they wanted. But now we don't have meltdowns at all from the older child who use to be horrible. He's happy and funny and has friends, and is accelerated academically at age 15. The other child is happy and silly and fun unless he has consequences for hitting and running away and saying he wants to blow up the school. Why should we accept this behavior? He was like that at age 5. Why should he still be like that at 9? Because he could wear us down by being horrible. He has been known to yell for an hour. Now we just ignore him, give him the choices, and he calms down, says he's sorry in a really calm, reasonable, loving voice, and says how much he loves us at least five times a day. My kids thrive with us helping them to NOT BE OUT OF CONTROL. My son learns when he writes letters of apology and gets grounded for hitting. I think now I was a really misguided parent before when I thought he (either one) couldn't learn this stuff. He can. They both can. I was just being snookered, and he was even more scared because his meltdowns ruled our lives. Now there is more laughter and love and creativity and helpfulness. We found the key through careful ABA work.

ABA is applied behavioral analysis and it's used as a way to teach children on the spectrum a way to learn the curriculum along with the othter kids in the class so hopefully they learn along with the class and don't feel lost. My son has had it for the past 3 years in and out of school. he has 2 hours of ABA 2x a week after school as well. it's helped tremendously!

Studies show that parents are JUST AS SUCCESSFUL in ABA as licensed personnel. You just have to basically train your kid like you would a pet. A smart dog. No kidding. It really works. But you have to be VERY FIRM and things gets worse before they get better (kids aren't as willing to please as a dog). Kids try the meltdowns more because they worked in the past. Once they stop working, they use them less.
We also found that our son (who sounds JUST LIKE YOURS!!!) got a bit better when we did allergy testing and took out the foods he was allergic to.
Also, autism symptoms are worse when children eat artificial food dyes. It varies by child, but try noticing if things improve if you take them out.
God luck and you can ask my anything -- my son is now 15, but he was just like that at 6 1/2