ABA out, AaiBaba in!

As I published the last post... I also wondered about what used to be our major concerns when Aditya was turning 3.

"Won't ask any questions, age-appropriate or otherwise" was one of the several parental concerns we had submitted during our first IEP.


Back then, we were receiving ABA therapy for him from the Regional Center, and were imploring the local School District to continue with it.


Today... ABA is out; AaiBAba are in! (In Marathi, Aai = Mom and BAba = Dad).

A simple fix... but a very important one!

Because with it, came an attitudinal shift... such as...

Instead of pouncing on and correcting our son for not saying a full sentence (or whatever other children his age were doing at the time) we began celebrating him for what he did say!

Instead of holding him (or else he would try to escape) until he answered a question, we began letting him go where he wanted, then following him into his world!

Instead of following one unanswered question with another (in the hope that he would answer!) we stopped playing the interrogator, and started waiting for him until he came up with an answer.

Instead of saying "Don't ask me that again" we sat down, looked at him with excitement, and provided him the answers he needed to understand the world!

Turns out, he was waiting for an opportunity to ask questions, age-appropriate, and even otherwise:-)