ABA Therapy and School Readiness
Preparing children for success in the classroom by teaching skills that foster independence and confidence in academic settings.
How does ABA Therapy Help with School Readiness?
The goal of school readiness at Inner Circle is to prepare children for success in school by teaching skills that help them navigate school situations and environments with as much independence and confidence as possible.
School readiness adds routines, activities, and situations that closely resemble those found in a traditional school environment into a child’s ABA therapy program.
By teaching social and communication skills and behaviors in school-like settings, children gain experience navigating the situations and expectations a typical school day brings.
School Readiness Prepares Children with Autism for Success in School
School readiness is a component of ABA therapy that can be added to your child’s program if one of their goals is to transition or return to school. By creating natural and inclusive activities within an environment that resembles a typical classroom, Inner Cirlce ABA therapy better prepares children with autism to use those skills in a real classroom.
It’s important to note that while school readiness activities resemble common classroom situations in school-like settings, school readiness is not the same as school and ABA therapy does not replace school.
What Skills does School Readiness Teach?
- Sharing and taking turns: Encourages cooperation and collaboration with classmates.
- Following group instructions: Helps with classroom participation and academic readiness.
- Learning social cues: Enables positive interactions with teachers and classmates.
- Small group play: Teaches social skills in a play-based environment similar to a school classroom, and encourages making friends.
- Verbal communication: Learning to ask for help, express their ideas and needs, and initiate conversations.
- Responding to your name: Enables classroom participation and engagement.
- Nonverbal communication: Teaches nonverbal communication skills like raising your hand and understanding facial expressions.
- Listening skills: Promotes active listening to improve comprehension and academic engagement.
- Gross motor skills: Enhances coordination to encourage playing with others and participating in activities like:
- Running, jumping, and playing on playground equipment.
- Playing group games and common recess/outside time activities.
- Dancing and participating in learning songs.
- Fine motor skills: Promotes essential skills for success in the classroom like:
- Holding a pencil.
- Participating in arts and crafts.
- Manipulating small objects.
- Following classroom routines: Helps with moving from task to task, remaining seated, and waiting in line.
- Understanding the classroom: Teaches names of common classroom objects to foster independence and confidence in classroom settings.
- Pre-academic skills: Even though school readiness is not the same as school, learning some basics helps prepare children for school. Our programs often help children learn things like:
- Colors
- Numbers and letters
- Days of the week
- Months of the year
- Names of common classroom objects
School Readiness Skills in Action
Inner Circle School Readiness Success Story
Hear from an Inner Circle parent about her son’s experience with school readiness and ABA therapy and what it was like to see her child using the skills they learned at Inner Circle at school.
What does a typical day of
ABA Therapy with School Readiness look like?
While every child’s ABA therapy program is unique to their needs and goals, a typical day might look like this:
| Time | Activity | Skill |
| 9:15 – 9:30 AM | Check-in and take attendance | Group instructions and responding to their name |
| 9:30 – 10:00 AM | Small group “circle” time | Group play, sharing, listening skills |
| 10:00 – 10:15 AM | Movement break | Gross motor play, following instructions |
| 10:15 – 10:30 AM | Bathroom | |
| 10:30 – 11:00 AM | Art activity/Music | Fine motor skills, following instructions |
| 11:00 – 11:30 AM | Lunch | |
| 11:30 – 11:45 AM | Daily living activities | Tooth brushing, hair brushing, putting away toys/classroom objects |
| 11:45 AM – 12:00 PM | Outside/Recess | Gross motor skills, group play, social interactions |
| 12:00 – 12:15 PM | Bathroom | |
| 12:15 – 12:45 PM | Mock classroom | Following group instructions, listening skills |
| 12:45 – 1:00 PM | Movement Break | |
| 1:00 – 1:15 PM | Snack | |
| 1:15 – 1:45 PM | Group Games | Peer play, initiating conversation and social interactions |
| 1:45 – 2:00 PM | Clean up | Transitioning to 1:1 therapy |
More about school readiness at Inner Circle
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