What Happens in Family Guidance?

A Look Inside One of the Most Important Parts of ABA Therapy

When families first hear that family guidance is a required part of applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy), they may wonder, “What exactly are we going to do during that time?”
It’s a fair question. Many caregivers assume they will sit through a lecture, receive a stack of handouts, or be told how to parent their child. (Spoiler: It’s not parent training!)

In reality, family guidance is much more practical and much more personal.

At Hopebridge, these sessions are designed for you to gain confidence using strategies that aid your child’s growth in everyday life. Because while your child spends time learning skills in therapy, real progress happens when those same skills are practiced at home, in the community and during daily routines.

Family guidance gives caregivers like you dedicated time to work alongside your child’s Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), ask questions, practice strategies, get coaching, and learn ways to make therapy goals meaningful beyond center walls.

What Are We Actually Doing During Family Guidance?

Family guidance sessions are structured, hands-on and focused on real-life situations your family experiences every day.

While every session is personalized to your child’s goals, most follow a similar format:

1. Discussion
This portion usually begins with a conversation about your child’s therapy goals and priorities. Your child’s BCBA may ask questions like:

• What successes have you noticed this week?

• Are there any challenges you’re working through at home?

• What skills are we currently targeting for your child?

This discussion helps ensure everyone is working toward the same goals and allows your care team to tailor support to your family’s needs.

2. Modeling and Role-Play
Next, the BCBA demonstrates a strategy or skill that can support your child’s progress. This might include:

• How to give clear instructions

• Ways to encourage communication

• Strategies for supporting daily routines

• Techniques for reinforcing positive behaviors

Rather than simply explaining the strategy, the BCBA will often model it first so you can see exactly how it works. Then, you’ll have the opportunity to practice it together.

3. Practice with Feedback
Learning a new skill takes practice—for both kids and adults! During family guidance, the BCBA provides real-time coaching and feedback while you get the chance to test it out together. Sometimes this happens through role-play. Other times, it may involve interacting directly with your child.

The goal is not perfection. It’s building confidence and ensuring you are comfortable using the strategy outside of therapy to support your child’s generalization of skills.

4. Homework for Real Life
At the end of the session, you’ll leave with a practice plan for the week ahead. These “homework” assignments aren’t worksheets or tests. Rather, they’re simple opportunities to practice what you’ve learned during everyday interactions with your child.

You may wonder, “Does my child attend family guidance? Just like our ABA programs are individualized, the answer is different for various families and sessions. Depending on that day’s objective, your child may be present for all, part or none of the appointment. No matter who is in the room, the focus of family guidance is on your strategies and responses as they relate to your child’s success across environments.

A Real-Life Family Guidance Example: Practicing Effective Praise

Family guidance will look a little different for every child and caregiver, but increasing the use of effective praise is a common practice at the start of an ABA therapy program. Focusing on effective praise during family guidance could look like:

• BCBA models what effective praise sounds like. 
  For example, instead of criticizing unwanted behavior or saying, “Good job,” for positive behavior, they might demonstrate a more specific response such as, “I like how you touched my arm when you wanted my attention.”

• Now it’s the caregiver’s turn to practice.
  The BCBA will provide coaching and feedback as you try the strategy yourself.

• Track your new skills at home.
  Between sessions, you may be asked to track how often you’re using effective praise throughout the day. Some families keep a simple tally on their phone or a piece of paper.

Your child’s BCBA may also ask you to record a short video of a routine interaction at home so you can review it together during the next family guidance session. This creates opportunities to celebrate what’s working, see your child’s response in action, and identify small adjustments that can make strategies (both in center and at home) even more effective.

Come Ready to Participate!

Family guidance isn’t only a listening session for caregivers. It’s a collaborative partnership between your family and your child’s care team.

You know your child best. Your child’s BCBA brings clinical expertise and coaching. Together, you can execute the strategies that fit your family’s daily life and help your child thrive.

The more actively you participate, ask questions and practice these approaches, the more valuable family guidance becomes—and the more opportunities you’ll have to support your child’s growth long after the session ends.

*Informed consent was obtained from the participants in this article. This information should not be captured and reused without express permission from Hopebridge, LLC. Testimonials are solicited as part of an open casting call process for testimonials from former client caregivers. Hopebridge does not permit clinical employees to solicit or use testimonials about therapeutic services received from current clients (Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts 5.07-5.08; BACB, 2020). Hopebridge does not provide any incentives, compensation, or renumeration for testimonials provided by a former client or client caregiver.