When I first became a tutor, I discovered that the key principles that define ABA harmonised with my own ideas;  I believed in the theory behind the procedures, even if I didn’t quite understand the scientific language at that early point! I also cared about the children that I worked with (most of whom I had worked with for many years), I loved celebrating their achievements with them, and wanted them to succeed and believe in themselves – something I felt was best achieved in a positive learning environment and one with a caring ethos.

The more I learnt about ABA, the more I liked it.  I also realised that (contrary to popular belief), it is very flexible – once you really understand the principles – you can apply them using a range of possible techniques and procedures, and this can be done in one to one lessons or group classes; sat at a table, during a cooking activity or whilst building a den!

I now have two children of my own and I feel that this has made me more empathetic with the parents I work with, it has also made me more realistic about what can be expected in a busy household.  This doesn’t mean that I have lowered my expectations of what can be achieved but that I am more flexible and creative in designing programmes that meet the needs of families and the hours that they have available.

I have brought my children up using ABA techniques and would only ever expose them to a nurturing environment in which they are encouraged to be the best they can be whilst having a lot of fun along the way! I like to think that this philosophy is carried through into the programmes that I create.