WHY APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS?

Taken from: Rethink  (2013).  Applied Behavior Analysis: What Is ABA? Retrieved from https://www.rethinkfirst.com/AboutAutism/ABAOverview/

 

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a science in which procedures are systematically applied to improve socially significant behavior to a meaningful degree. An ABA program is a systematic teaching approach that involves breaking skills down into small, easy-to-learn steps. Praise or other rewards are used to motivate the child, and progress is continuously measured so the teaching program can be adjusted as needed. ABA is widely recognized as the single most effective treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder and the only treatment shown to lead to substantial, lasting improvements in the lives of individuals with autism. ABA-based treatment strategies maximize the learning potential of persons with ASD, and are flexible, individualized and dynamic.

 

ABA is the only treatment for autism whose benefits have been consistently validated by independent scientific research. In fact, ABA has been endorsed as an effective intervention for autism by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the United States Surgeon General.

 

COMMON MYTHS OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

Found on Behavioral Science in the 21st Century (2015).

 http://todd-ward.blogspot.com/2015/04/10-myths-of-applied-behavior-analysis.html

 

Myth #1: ABA is not a scientifically proven form of therapy for autism.

The evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of ABA.  In fact, over 550 peer-reviewed studies have been published demonstrated the effectiveness of ABA with individuals with autism.  ABA is the most established autism treatment by insurance providers, and is endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General, The National Standards Project, and The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders. 

 

Myth #2: ABA therapy is a new treatment for autism.

ABA as a field has been around since the 1950s and saw major successes with autism starting in the 1970s with the pioneering work of Ivar Lovaas.  

 

Myth #3: All ABA programs are the same.

ABA is a science of individual behavior.  This has been true since the earliest days of B.F. Skinner's "cumulative records," and has been a distinguishing feature of the field ever since.  Behavior analysts take a route that is different than most others in the social sciences -- instead of learning a little about a lot of people in large groups, behavior analysts learn a lot about a few individuals at a time.  The latter is in line with the pragmatic goals of behavior change.  In the practice of ABA, every case is different because every individual is different -- has a different history, family life, school situation, likes and dislikes, etc...  Thus, every Behavior Support Plan is customized to each individual's unique life situation.

 

Myth #4: ABA is composed of solely table work/sitting.

Discrete Trial Training (DTT) is certainly one approach used in ABA, but it is not the defining feature.  For example, incidental teaching or "natural environment training" includes working with the individual as they go about their day.  In these cases, behavior analysts will provide prompts, reinforcers, activity schedules, modeling, etc... in the moment, when the skills are most needed.  Each approach has its place.

 

Myth #5: ABA therapy is only for children with autism.
Applied Behavior Analysis has documented applications across a wide spectrum of behavior including Organizational Behavior Management, environmental sustainability, and many others.  Just check out the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, and Behavior & Social Issues to see for yourself.

 

Myth #6: ABA therapy promotes robotic language/behavior.
Behavioral rigidity is one of the characteristics of autism, and many mental disorders.  ABA treatments seek to overcome rigidity by teaching multiple exemplars and teaching for generalization to the real-world situations relevant to the individual.  In the beginning of a program, responses might seem overly simplified and therefore "robotic" but you need behavior to work with, and those skills are eventually built up and transferred to naturalistic settings in a functional manner.

Myth #7: Anybody can direct an ABA treatment program.
If your state covers ABA treatment, it must be overseen by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).  BCBAs undergo a long course sequence in many aspects of ABA, in addition to a lengthy (1,500 hours) supervised fieldwork experience.

Myth #8: Children must undergo 40-hours of ABA therapy a week to achieve a positive effect.
The length and intensity of any ABA program is dependent upon the individual and his/her baseline behavioral state.  As mentioned above, the key feature of ABA is its focus on individuals, rather than groups.  ABA is not a one-size-fits-all treatment.

Myth #9: ABA programs institute punishment in their teaching procedures.
In the early days of ABA, punishment was used more often but today positive reinforcement is the overwhelmingly dominant mode of behavior change.  Punishment might be used in rare cases, for example, to prevent serious self-injury to oneself, but reinforcement can be used in a given situation, it will be. If punishment is absolutely necessary, reinforcement procedures targeting alternative behavior should be in place concurrently.

Myth #10: ABA uses bribes consisting of food and toys to manipulate children's behavior.

There is a difference between bribes and reinforcers.  Reinforcers occur after a behavior and are specifically geared to increase a particular type of behavior.  Bribes, on the other hand, are made before the person engages in behavior and are often times directed at the person rather than his/her behavior.  Moreover, bribes connote immoral or illegal behavior.  Regarding reinforcers, food is a particularly useful reinforcer at the beginning of an ABA program, especially if the individual is a child and/or has little to no language skills.  However, pairing the food with other things, such as social praise, allows those things to become reinforcers themselves and gives you more to work with.