ABA The term ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis. It's an approach that was derived from learning theory. In ABA, a socially significant behavior is targeted, such as a child learning to make request. And then an environmental alteration is introduced, such as teaching instructions and a reward for a correct response. And then the change in the targeted behavior is objectively measured. Research and wide clinical experience also shows that ABA helps children, teens and adults across the autism spectrum -- from mildly to severely With ABA approaches, in intervention of children with autism, it's usually important to begin by using tangible rewards that are highly preferred by the individual child. The reason for this is children with autistic disorders are not as responsive to social attention as a typically developing child would be and therefore tangible rewards become crucial to them learning at their optimal pace. An ABA therapist is a person who uses applied behavior analysis as a form of treatment.

 

Applied Behavior Analysis is the process of studying behavior in order to put into place appropriate behavioral interventions In short, ABA is a safe, highly beneficial therapy. But if a therapist is not properly trained or attuned to the child, the therapist could inadvertently make target behaviors worse or lead to the creation of new problem Other important features of ABA includes :

 

Accountable: To be accountable means that ABA must be able to demonstrate that its methods are effective. This requires the repeatedly measuring the success of interventions, and, if necessary, making changes that improve their effectiveness.[30] Public: The methods, results, and theoretical analyses of ABA must be published and open to scrutiny. There are no hidden treatments or mystical, metaphysical explanations.

 

Doable: To be generally useful, interventions should be available to a variety of individuals, who might be teachers, parents, therapists, or even those who wish to modify their own behavior. With proper planning and training, many interventions can be applied by almost anyone willing to invest the effort.

 

Empowering: ABA provides tools that give the practitioner feedback on the results of interventions. These allow clinicians to assess their skill level and build confidence in their effectiveness. Optimistic: According to several leading authors[by whom?], behavior analysts have cause to be optimistic A practitioner uses behavioral techniques with positive outcomes, they become more confident of future success. The literature provides many examples of success in teaching individuals considered previously unteachable.

 

Prominent ABA therapy examples include discrete trial training (DTT), modeling, the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), and reinforcement systems. Reinforcement is the key element in operant conditioning[37] and in most behavior change programs.[38] It is the process by which behavior is strengthened. If a behavior is followed closely in time by a stimulus and this results in an increase in the future frequency of that behavior, then the stimulus is a positive reinforcer. If the removal of an event serves as a reinforcer, this is termed negative reinforcement. There are multiple schedules of reinforcement that affect the future probability of behavior. The use of punishments, especially those that inflict sensory or physical pain, is an area of controversy.

 

Extinction procedures are often preferred over punishment procedures, as many punishment procedures are deemed unethical and in many states prohibited. Nonetheless, extinction procedures must be implemented with utmost care by professionals, as they are generally associated with extinction bursts. An extinction burst is the temporary increase in the frequency, intensity, and/or duration of the behavior targeted for extinction. Other characteristics of an extinction burst include an extinction-produced aggression—the occurrence of an emotional response to an extinction procedure often manifested as aggression; and b) extinction-induced response variability—the occurrence of novel behaviors that did not typically occur prior to the extinction procedure. These novel behaviors are a core component of shaping procedures.