Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an evidence-based therapy that applies methods to enhance social behaviors that are significant in children diagnosed with autism. In addition, this form of treatment also improves the communication, academic, and activities of daily living at the same time alleviating difficult behaviour.
It is a non-specific therapy that includes the application of a wide range of strategies and techniques that can be used to carefully program people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with new sets of skills. ABA therapy is often prescribed to children with ASD, and is also known as Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention.
Development of ABA Therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA is inspired by learning theory that originates from the behavioural psychology field. The first recorded study that dived into the application of ABA strategies in young children diagnosed with autism was released in 1987 by Ivar Lovaas of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). A long-term follow-up report was then published in 1993 by UCLA’s Dr. John McEachin.
The Core Competency of ABA Therapy
ABA therapy is the application of multiple treatment procedures that assist children to overcome difficult or challenging behaviors, as well as develop socially-relevant and acceptable skills.
Functional Behavior Assessment or FBA is a primary assessment conducted for ABA therapy whenever a child exhibits challenging behaviour. It includes a long list of assessment protocols to assist in understanding the triggers and stimuli of problematic behavior, thus helping therapists provide effective intervention strategies.
FBA includes direct observational data collection and indirect analysis, and occasionally, systematic and structured assessment, also known as functional analysis. Results reveal a direct cause and effect relationship between a problematic behavior and its triggers or stimuli.
It also showcases that positive behaviors that are often followed by positive reinforcements such as rewards have higher chances of reoccurrence. ABA exploits this concept to help children with autism spectrum disorder to pick up and further encourage appropriate behavior. It accomplishes this goal by providing children with positive consequences for acceptable behavior, but not for challenging behavior.
What does ABA involve?
The techniques and strategies that are involved in ABA are as follows:
- Assessment of a child’s current skill set and challenges
- Set short and long-term objectives not matter how small or big they may be
- Design and implementation of a strategy that instructs a child the target skill
- Measurement and analysis of target skill to evaluate if the program is effective or otherwise
- Evaluation of the program and then creating the necessary adjustments, if needed
ABA may only focus on one problem such as incessant yelling when outside the home. It may also be used to manage a broad range of development areas simultaneously, such as play skills, communication skills, and self-care skills.
Children with ASD are carefully instructed with new skills utilizing a wide-range of strategies that may include, but not limited to Incidental Teaching and Discrete Trial Training.
Depending on the needs of children, ABA Therapy measures can be taught one-on-one, a small-group format, at home, or in a community setting.