Success Starts Here: The Power of Assent in ABA
Do you remember a time when you were a kid and had to do something you didn't want to? Maybe it was cleaning your room or doing homework. You probably felt frustrated or angry because you didn't have a say in what was happening. As parents of children with autism, it's natural to want to ensure your child feels heard, respected, and empowered, especially when they're participating in services like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
At Lake Ridge Community Support Services (LRCSS), we believe in empowering both you and your child by prioritizing their voice. We want our clients to be active participants in their learning journey, which is why we practice assent. This blog post will explain what assent is, why it's a vital part of our approach, and how you can use this powerful concept to support your child at home.
What's the Difference Between Consent and Assent?
You're likely familiar with consent—it's the written permission you give on behalf of your child for them to participate in something, like signing a permission slip for a school field trip or agreeing to ABA services.
Assent, however, is a child's own agreement to participate. It's their way of giving approval or saying yes. This can be shown in many ways, including a head nod, a thumbs-up, or even happily climbing onto the school bus. Assent means your child has the right to have a say in the decisions being made about them and must agree to these decisions before someone can help them.
Assent-Based Teaching at LRCSS
At LRCSS, we are committed to making amazing things happen through assent. We want every client to feel happy, relaxed, and enthusiastic during our sessions, which creates the perfect environment for learning and fun. Our assent-based teaching strategies include:
Including clients and caregivers in the decision-making process about what we teach and how we teach a skill.
Continuously checking for participation to ensure our clients are showing us that they want to be part of the teaching session. For example, if a client is smiling and actively participating in colouring with us, we know we have their assent!
Think about how your child may show assent. What does this look like for them?
When Assent Changes: Understanding Assent-Withdrawal
Assent can change, and we need to be ready to listen when it does. When a client no longer wants to do something, it's called "assent-withdrawal." This can be shown by saying, “I don’t want to do this” or by moving away from the person helping them.
When we see these signs, we immediately stop what we are doing. We then pivot to make the environment fun and engaging again to regain our client’s approval and participation. Some of the ways we do this are:
Using things we know our client likes
Offering a choice of activity items or the order of activities
Honoring vocal and non-vocal communication
Building trust with the client through play
Using their favorite items as rewards for participating
Questions to Ask Your ABA Provider
As Registered Behavior Analysts (RBA), we have a special responsibility to our clients and their caregivers. Part of that responsibility is making sure that we get consent and assent from the people we work with before and during all of our teaching sessions.
It’s important to know how your child’s assent is being monitored. Here are some questions you can ask your service providers about assent:
How do you make sure that my child is being heard?
What type of training does your staff have on assent?
How can we make sure assent is involved with mine and my child’s ABA service?
Honouring Assent at Home
Assent doesn’t just start and end with us. You can also practice assent with your child at home!. Some examples include:
Honoring your child’s verbal and non-verbal cues to stop or continue doing something.
Letting your child choose the item or activity they will work on (e.g., colouring with markers or crayons).
Letting your child choose the order of what they will be doing (e.g., getting dressed first, then brushing their teeth).
Asking your child if they want to do something!
By prioritizing assent, we are living our values of respect and collaboration. We believe that true growth happens when we listen to and work alongside our clients and their families. Our goal is to empower you with the knowledge and tools to advocate for your child, ensuring they feel heard and valued in every setting. This approach is more than a teaching strategy—it’s a commitment to building a more inclusive society where every individual can thrive.