Applied behavior analysis (ABA) training is one of the most widely accepted autism therapies.

 

Many children with autism and related disorders exhibit unwanted behaviors, such as head-banging or slapping others. For parents and other caregivers, trying to reduce these behaviors can be difficult and frustrating. In fact, efforts at discouragement often end up making the behaviors more frequent.

 

ABA is based on the idea that people are more likely to repeat behaviors that are rewarded than behaviors that are not recognized or are ignored. Since the 1960s, researchers have recognized that ABA can help children with autism. ABA does this by helping them develop a number of skill sets at the same time as it reduces the likelihood of their engaging in problematic behaviors. The technique is endorsed as a treatment for autism by the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the U.S. Surgeon General.

 

How does Applied Behavior Analysis work?
Applied behavior analysis training is usually conducted by a highly trained therapist. The therapist spends 20 to 40 hours per week working one-on-one with a child. All children with autism are unique and have specific learning needs. Consequently, the therapist will develop an applied behavior analysis program tailored specifically to a child.

The treatment begins with an assessment by the therapist. The purpose of the assessment is to determine which skills the child already possesses and where the child has deficits. The therapist next develops an ABA program aimed at increasing the child’s skills in many areas.

 

The program will likely include goals related to:

 

 

• Academic development

• Communication skills

• Social skills and overall interaction with the environment

 

After identifying the goals, the therapist creates a series of steps to help the child reach these goals. The ABA therapist can employ a number of different procedures to teach the child with autism a given skill.

One commonly used procedure is discrete trial training. The therapist presents the child with a cue. The child then has the opportunity to respond. If the child responds appropriately, the behavior is rewarded. The specific reward is something the child enjoys, so that he or she is motivated to repeat the desired behavior in the future.

 

Resource: (http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/autism-therapies-aba-rdi-and-sensory-therapies)