We had the same problem so we caught bugs and frogs here and there and showed them to him on a controlled situation. A jar for example. Worked great he now catches frogs by himself. We are now trying it with his fear of dogs. I think it's working.

Exposing her to situations, where she is in close contact with them often is a good idea Lets talk about what is going on in her mind, leaning into your fears is good to overcome. giving her tools to cope with anxiety, of the un known is important eventually you will use this situation with the butterflys or bugs to help her out of other fears later.. the Library has books you can show her photos of and look up facts behind the butterflys, there are some sweet stories that are of the little critters that are pleasant. There is a story called Stellaluna, about a baby bat that gets lost and finds a new family, of birds to live with, Stellaluna has to adapt to bird living for a while very sweet. look for stories like that and say You see even little critters get scared and they have to deal with change, and adapt to new situations.. It may be that she simply can not predict what those critters will do, and perhaps her mind is moving into the worst thing that can happen Ask her the question Honey are you thinking they will bite or sting you ?) Do you think you can get germs from them?, That will give you a door opener to her thinking and then help her problem solve through the anxiety, What do you think that bug will do ! What can you do about your emotions you can not control a bug but you can control YOU!! Give her a Montra = Calm, Quiet, and Friendly, when I am anxious I move and talk Calm quiet and friendly then give her a peppermint candy or something this will help her brain pattern the experience and get her to a more pleasant calming place, Peppermint helps with a calming effect. Always talk about her recactions, bring her back to the truth and reality of the situation = Has a butterfly ever hurt you? the answer is NO and the truth is they never will.

@ Annick - Great response although you did make me laugh out loud. If you re-read it, you might find yourself putting dogs in jars - which I am sure is not the case but a comical thought none the less. :)

I have worked with children who get a the whole package (ABA, Speech, OT) and those who just do ABA. It honestly depends on your behavior analyst. A good behavior analyst will individualize ABA therapy specifically to your child- that quality about ABA is what makes it most effective.

If you have to kick something out, get rid of speech. ABA focuses on ALL behaviors of a child, not just maladaptive ones, and speech is technically a behavior that many BCBA's like to focus on because speech replaces maladaptive behaviors (screaming, aggression, crying, etc.). Occupational therapy is different- if your child is very sensory seeking (climbs on furniature, puts non food items in mouth, runs, spins, flaps, etc.) then OT provides a place for your child to meet those sensory needs.

Often times if the family decides to do the whole package (Speeech, ABA, OT) the three therapies will cancel each other instead of help each other. ABA is very involved in the child's environment and ensuring that everyone is addressing a problem behavior in a consistent and effective way, but if the other therapists are not filled in or do not incorperate these modifications, or decide to start their own training program for the same behavior (A big one is eating & drinking), the child's development/learning may actually be DELAYED.

If you are seeking a behavior analyst, go to www.bacb.org to find ones near you. In choosing a behavior analyst, make sure to interview many so that you find the one who is perfect for your child. Look for someone with very professional stanards BUT is also a kid person (these tend to be the best ones). Look for someone who plays the way your child plays and lets the child take the lead early on. If a behavior analyst comes in and just starts correcting the behavior, you child will likely hate it.

Good luck!

Haha Cathy's journey. That is pretty funny. I assure you we are not putting dogs in jars. But We had noticed that he was more afraid of a dog bark from a dog he couldn't see. So we thought it was his fear of a situation he cannot control that made him so nervous once we sit the dog and have the dog
stay somewhat still he loves to pet them. Can't wait to tell the jar thing to my husband