Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
It is a science-backed and highly individualized treatment method that can be effective in many ways, especially for people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The ways in which ABA can be effective depend on several factors, including individual client needs, frequency of therapy, specific interventions, and the setting in which services are provided.
One of the ultimate goals of ABA is to help people living with ASD and their families achieve their goals; thus, the overall quality of life is improved.
How effective is ABA therapy?
ABA is an applied science devoted to developing procedures that produce observable changes in behavior. ABA therapy is effective by identifying and treating challenging behaviors.
Effective ABA programs will identify challenging and unwanted behaviors early in services. By identifying challenging or unwanted behaviors, a comprehensive and thoughtful behavioral intervention plan can be developed that will include how each of these behaviors can be addressed.
An effective behavioral intervention plan should include research-supported principles for reducing unwanted behavior and should also identify replacement/alternative behaviors.
Replacement behaviors are behaviors that achieve the same result as the challenging behavior but are considered socially appropriate, easy to achieve, and generally more desirable than the challenging behavior.
For example, if a student is found to be engaging in aggressive behaviors to escape a difficult task, replacement behaviors that will be taught may include asking for a break or asking for help.
Therefore, one of the ways that ABA therapy is effective is through the assessment and treatment of unwanted behaviors.
ABA therapy and skill development goals
Another way ABA therapy is effective is by identifying and targeting skill development goals. ABA therapy often addresses skill deficits in multiple domains. These areas vary and depend on the individual needs of the student.
For example, skill development goals may target communication deficits, self-help skills, motor skills, social skills, or play skills. Again, the specific skill development goals chosen by the family and ABA team will vary based on the student's current clinical needs.
Ultimately, the goal of skill development programs is to improve the student's quality of life and promote independence.
ABA therapy and generalization
It is important to note that ABA therapy does not begin and end with the person diagnosed with ASD. High-quality ABA programs will involve family members, therapists, caregivers, and other stakeholders in the child's environment.
One of the goals of ABA programs is to transfer knowledge of the techniques and strategies used in the program to other people in the child's life. This is usually done through training sessions for parents, therapists and shadows.
In these training sessions, a trained behavior analyst or supervisor will instruct the parent, therapist, or shadow in various techniques that have been shown to be effective in the ABA program.
This is usually done through verbal instruction, role play, modeling, and demonstration of techniques to parents, therapists, and shadows while providing feedback.