Balance Programme for Young Autistic and ADHD Children
Introducing the Balance Program: Proactive Skill-Building for Positive Behaviour Change for Autistic and ADHD Children
The Balance program focuses on creating positive parent-child interaction through play and skills building.
Raising an Autistic child or one with ADHD is rewarding, but it can also bring challenges - especially when early behaviour issues arise.
As a parent, you might see signs like refusing requests or difficulty with communication and social skills.
The Balance program was created to support families through these moments with a proactive, skill-building approach.
Instead of waiting for more serious behaviour to develop, Balance focuses on teaching new skills early to prevent challenges before they escalate.
It is a parent-professional curriculum of ten customisable lessons, rooted in years of research, where parents work hand-in-hand with ABA Specialists to guide their children toward positive behaviour that helps their inner well-being.
🌱 What is a Balance programme for Autistic and SEN children?
The Balance programme is a home-based, parent-implemented training program developed by
Behaviour Analysts, Dr. Kelsey Ruppel and Dr. Greg Hanley, to address emerging behaviour that challenges young children on the spectrum.
The mission is “to prevent the worsening of early behaviour of concern in Autistic young children via a proactive, skill-building approach” .
in other words, it aims to stop small challenges from becoming big problems by teaching ASD and SEN children important skills before behaviours get severe.
Parents serve as the primary therapists for their own child, with guidance from a professional.
This collaborative model means you, the parent, will be actively involved in every step, supported by an expert from All Behaviour Consultancy - this is a great option if regular therapy services are hard to access due to limited time, resources or if you prefer to be directly engaged.
How is Balance different from “Wait and see “?
Traditional approaches might focus on managing behaviour in the moment or avoiding triggers.
By contrast, the Balance programme is about investing time to teach your children better ways to cope and communicate, so that challenging behaviours don’t arise in the first place.
Who is it for?
The Balance Program is designed for children with developmental disabilities especially those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - who are beginning to show behaviour that challenges them.
It targets young children (often preschool - aged, around 3-6 years), but can be adapted for older children as well.
A formal diagnosis is not required to join the program; any child with developmental delays or communication difficulties who is exhibiting mild to moderate challenging behaviours may be a good fit.
Importantly, the program is meant for early-stage behaviours that are challenging but not dangerous, for example, young children frequently whine, yell, flop to the floor, throw items, refuse requests, or extreme frustration. They are not injuring themselves or others. These are the types of behaviours our Balance programme aims to address.
By intervening early, the goal is to prevent these minor issues from developing into severe aggression or self-injury later on. Our support helps to address these issues proactively in a safe, supportive manner.
How does the Balance programme work in practice?
Collaborative coaching: The programme typically involves a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) working with you and your child, often in your home or via telehealth.
Firstly, a BCBA will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your child to identify their preferences, behaviour patterns and current skills level.
This process also involves close collaboration with you as the parent, to understand your family dynamics, routines and specific needs.
As a parent you will be the one practicing directly with your children, while the expect coaches you.
Families have 1 coaching session per week (each session might be around 1 hour - 1 hour 30 minutes, sometimes virtually) where the professional will teach you techniques, observe you interact with your child and give feedback.
During these sessions, you might discuss progress, troubleshoot challenges, and watch demonstrations of the next skills to teach.
Parents will be asked to practice these strategies with their child for about 5 - 10 minutes, twice a day on your own time.
Daily practice is very crucial as it helps solidify your child’s new skills in a familiar environment and shows your children that Mom or Dad can do this too, not just the therapist.
Step-by-Step Skill building: The balance curriculum is organized into steps or lesson often around 8-10 lessons) that can be done with your child at their own pace and your routine.
Each lesson will target a specific core skill that lays the groundwork for preventing problem behaviour. For example, some key skills taught in the Balance Programme include:
Tolerance for “No” and “Waiting”: Building the ability to accept “no” or handle delays calmly.
Communication skills: learning to express needs or desires appropriately either by using words or pictures to request.
Cooperation and following instructions: Teaching the child to cooperate with adult requests and participate in necessary routines with behavior that challenge.
Throughout these lessons, positive reinforcement is the key tool.
The Child Behaviour Specialist will help you identify what truly motivates your child - their favourite toys, games, snacks or activities.
Often, the program uses “synthesised reinforcers,” which means combining several of the child’s favourite things into one rewarding experience to maximize motivation.
Additionally, the BCBA will provide you with training on how to use Hi Rasmus, a digital data collection and progress monitoring platform.
Hi Rasmus allows you to track your child’s skills development and behaviour in real-time, using tools such as graphs, prompts and session notes.
By consistently recording this information, the BCBA can analyse the data to assess progress, make data-driven decisions together and adjust teaching strategies as needed.
Getting started: Enroll in the Balance Program today
All Behaviour Consultancy is proud to offer the Balance programme as part of our ABA services for families in London and beyond.
Our team of experienced ABA Behaviour Specialists will guide you through every step with compassion and expertise.
We understand the challenges you face and we are here to support you in creating a more peaceful, positive home environment.
Ready to take the next step?
We invite you to reach out and learn more about how the Balance Programme can be tailored to your child.
Contact All Behaviour Consultancy today to schedule a free initial consultation or to ask any questions you may have.
You can reach us by phone 07868 316 782 or by email at info@allbehaviourconsultancy.com
Contact us
We are based in South London, and provide ABA therapy at home in the London areas, as well as offering online ABA services to the rest of the UK.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.