What is ABA?

Applied behavior analysis is the process of systematically applying interventions based upon the principles of learning theory to improve socially significant behaviors to a meaningful degree, and to demonstrate that the interventions employed are responsible for the improvement in behavior (Baer, Wolf & Risley, 1968; Sulzer-Azaroff & Mayer, 1991).

"Socially significant behaviors" include reading, academics, social skills, communication, and adaptive living skills. Adaptive living skills include gross and fine motor skills, eating and food preparation, toileting, dressing, personal self-care, domestic skills, time and punctuality, money and value, home and community orientation, and work skills.

ABA methods are used to support persons with autism in at least six ways: to increase behaviors (eg reinforcement procedures increase on-task behavior, or social interactions); to teach new skills (eg, systematic instruction and reinforcement procedures teach functional life skills, communication skills, or social skills); to maintain behaviors (eg, teaching self control and self-monitoring procedures to maintain and generalize job-related social skills); to generalize or to transfer behavior from one situation or response to another (eg, from completing assignments in the resource room to performing as well in the mainstream classroom); to restrict or narrow conditions under which interfering behaviors occur (eg, modifying the learning environment); and to reduce interfering behaviors (eg, self injury or stereotypy).

ABA is an objective discipline. ABA focuses on the reliable measurement and objective evaluation of observable behavior.

Does my child need ABA?

The effectiveness of ABA-based interventions is well documented, with current research replicating already-proven methods and further developing the field. . Hingtgen & Bryson (1972) reviewed over 400 research articles pertinent to the field of autism that were published between 1964 and 1970. They concluded that behaviorally-based interventions demonstrated the most consistent results. In a follow-up study, DeMeyer, Hingtgen & Jackson (1981) reviewed over 1,100 additional studies that appeared in the 1970s. They examined studies that included behaviorally-based interventions as well as interventions based upon a wide range of theoretical foundations. Following a comprehensive review of these studies, DeMeyer, Hingtgen & Jackson (1982) concluded ". . .the overwhelming evidence strongly suggest that the treatment of choice for maximal expansion of the autistic child's behavioral repertoire is a systematic behavioral education program, involving as many child contact hours as possible, and using therapists (including parents) who have been trained in the behavioral techniques".

Support of the consistent effectiveness and broad-based application of ABA methods with persons with autism is found in hundreds of additional published reports. The following are some resources and articles:

Anderson, S.R., Avery, D.L., Dipietro, E.K., Edwards, G.L. & Christian, W.P. (1987). Intensive home-based early intervention with autistic children. Education and Treatment of Children, 10, 352 - 366.

Baglio, C., Benavidiz, D., Compton, L., Matson, J., Paclawskyj, T. (1996). Behavioral treatment of autistic persons: A review of research from 1980 to present. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 17, 433 - 465.

Berg, W., Wacker, D., & Steege, M. (1995). Best practices in assessment with persons who have severe or profound handicaps. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.). Best practices in school psychology III (pp. 805 - 816). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

Birnbrauer, J. S. & Leach, D. J. (1993). The Murdoch early intervention program after 2 years. Behaviour Change, 10, 63 - 74.

Fenske, E. C., Zalenski, S., Krantz, P. J. & McClannahan, L. E. (1985). Age at intervention and treatment outcome for autistic children in a comprehensive intervention program. Analysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities, 5, 49 - 58.

Green, G. (1995). Early intervention for children with autism: The need for intensive behavior analytic treatment. Unpublished working paper, New England Center for Children, Southborough, MA.

Jacobson, J. W., Mulick, J. A. & Green, G. (in press). Financial cost and benefits of intensive early intervention for young children with autism: Pennsylvania model achieving costs savings.

Sheinkopf, S. J. & Siegel, B., (1998). Home-based behavioral treatment of young children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 28, 15 - 23.

Sulzer-Azaroff, B. & Mayer, R. (1991). Behavior analysis for lasting change. Fort Worth, TX: Holt, Reinhart & Winston, Inc.