What is ABA?
ABA – Applied Behaviour Analysis. A well-developed discipline among the helping professions, with a mature body of scientific knowledge, established standards for evidence-based practice, distinct methods of service, recognised experience and educational requirements for practice, and identified sources of requisite education in universities (www.bacb.com).
ABA and Autism
In the context of educating children with autism, ABA should be seen as the comprehensive application of scientific principles (such as reinforcement) to building skill repertoires and adaptive behaviours and ameliorating competing and interfering maladaptive behaviours (the latter only with agreement with all parties concerned). As ABA is the application of scientific principles, children’s responses and progress are very carefully defined and monitored through appropriate data collection methods such that specific teaching strategies, programmes and other interventions are tailored and adapted according to empirical evidence.
If you watch a child with autism being taught according to the principles of ABA, you should see an intensive, enjoyable, interactive approach designed first to teach basic learning skills and then to encourage motivation and build on existing pre-requisite skills to learn more advanced skills. Any problematic aspects of learning are broken down into small, achievable steps, and are then taught in a systematic and consistent way. All of the child’s achievements are careful reinforced and close monitoring of each child’s progress is underpinned by precise data collection and observation.
Decisions about the most appropriate type of provision will be based on the assessed needs of the children and their families. A ‘good’ ABA provision, therefore, will be highly personalised and there will be planned emphasis on enabling children to generalise all learned skills into new situations and in providing parents (and all others working with the child) with the skills to respond to their child’s communication, social and behaviour needs across all environments.
For more information see TreeHouse Factsheets
For more information about TreeHouse's research into intensive behavioural intervention, see research at TreeHouse
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