Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy

Applied behavior analysis therapy is one of the most popular forms of behavioural treatment for children and adults with autism. It is based on learning theory and is known for helping children to develop social skills, communication and independence.

 

ABA can be a long-term treatment, with therapists using a range of techniques to help a child learn and practice new behaviour and communication skills. It is also an effective form of early intervention, and works best in combination with other therapies. Click here for more information about these therapies at your comfort.

 

How ABA is used

When a child is first starting out with ABA, the therapist will do an assessment and write treatment goals. These goals will be based on the child’s skills, needs, interests and family situation. They will then use these to design a program that is tailored to the child.

 

The treatment will focus on a specific behaviour, or they may work on different areas at the same time (communication, self-care and play skills, for example). These skills are then taught through discrete trial training.

 

Once a child has learned a skill through discrete trial training, they will then be introduced to more natural environments where they can practise the skill. This can happen in a classroom setting or in their home environment.

 

During the course of the therapy, therapists will often use reward systems to encourage the child to try new behaviour and repeat it again. This is called positive reinforcement.

 

This means that when the child has achieved their goal behaviour, they will receive a reward – this could be something that is meaningful to them, such as praise, a toy or a video. They will then be encouraged to try this new behaviour again and again, which will help them to improve their skills and increase their independence.

 

They will then be able to use this behaviour in real life situations, such as in school or at home with their parents and other people. This will make them more independent and less likely to have challenging behaviours in the future.

 

In addition, they will learn about antecedents and consequences. This is where the therapist will teach the child to understand why they are behaving in a particular way, and how they can change their behaviour to get what they want.

 

Another key component of ABA is teaching children to recognise and respond to social cues, such as looking someone in the eye or responding to their name. This can be done by prompting them with verbal or visual reminders, and then rewarding them for their efforts.

 

These techniques are used in many places across the world, and are particularly common in education. Teachers and psychologists use these techniques to teach children to communicate effectively, to memorize facts or to manage their classroom behaviour.

 

Behavioral technicians and other healthcare professionals can also use ABA techniques as part of their professional practice. They may be called RBTs or registered behavior technicians, and they will usually have a master’s degree in behaviour analysis or a related field. They will be supervised by a board certified behaviour analyst (BCBA), here is a great post to read more about this subject.

 

ABA is a highly effective form of intervention, and it has the potential to improve a child’s quality of life. The important thing is to find the right therapist who is well trained in ABA and knows how to implement it successfully.

Check out this blog to get enlightened on this topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism_therapies.