Applied Behavior Analysis
Useful Resources and Tool Kits
ABA teaches Socially Important Behaviors
ABA is more than just autism. Applied Behavior Analysis takes the science of human behavior and applies it to real-life situations. Behavior is ever-encompassing. ABA sets to improve socially important behavior which includes a multitude of intervention techniques and tools. ABA strives to increase overall independence by improving language, social behavior, safety, health, executive functioning and emotional well-being. ABA encourages communication and social-conversation skills by capitalizing on learning by analyzing contingencies including establishing operations, setting event, antecedents, behavior and consequence and its play on the environment. This often involves increasing affect, engagement, fun and creativity. ABA seeks to identify replacement behaviors that inhibit individual learning and the safety of others. Changing behavior is not intended to change an individual’s personality. Rather, ABA assists the individual with communicating desires and displeasure.
ABA uses Literature to Guide Practice, Learning from the Past
All behavior change procedures should favor reinforcement and nonaversive/invasive methods over the use of punishment (as described in literature). By placing a previously reinforced behavior on extinction may result in extinction bursts or aggression. Functional Communication Training is one way to minimize extinction bursts. ABA should generalize skills across settings. Acquiring skills such as imitation, following directions, requesting, conversation skills, social skills, flexibility, delayed reinforcement, waiting (etc.) can open doors leading to more opportunities. ABA does not set out to teach learned helplessness rather it teaches independence, meeting an individual where they are at. It does not set out to destroy internal motivation rather the value of generalized reinforcement, the way society works. Professionals should continue to review literature and stay up to date on best practices, reinforcement based alternatives and the code of ethics.
The Treatment Team is Collaborative
The treatment team should work together to identify problems and solutions in order to make progress. The dose of individualized intervention varies but it is suggested that the more hours of intervention at an early age correlates with greater improvements. Practitioners have varied levels of skills. They use clinical judgement to develop repertoires, increase cognition, decrease problem behaviors and improve quality of life. Goals should be collaborative, and evaluated through the use of social validity procedures. Self-stimulatory behaviors may be addressed if it interferes with learning, friendship and workplace goals. Choose a program that will listen, obtain consent/assent, work collaboratively and invest in the future.
Reference:
Leaf, J.B., Cihon, J.H., Leaf, R., McEachin, J., Liu, N., Russell, N., Unumb, L., Shapiro, S., Khosrowshahi, D., (2021). Concerns about ABA-Based Intervention: An Evaluation and Recommendations. Journal of Autism Developmental Disorders. 52. 2838-2853.
