What is ABA ?

ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis and refers to an evidence based scientific practice based off the works of B.F. Skinner that has been found to be one of the most effective treatments for teaching children diagnosed with an ASD and other disabilities to increase level of independent and educational functioning.

Skilled therapists trained in ABA work with children in their homes, schools and out in the community based on the child’s specific needs. This program is highly intensive and includes the parents, Behavior Consultants, ABA therapists and the child’s educators as a part of the treatment team. The child’s treatment team is supervised by highly trained and experienced clinical supervisors. Team meetings are conducted separately from the home and school therapies in order to maximize consistency across team members, problem solve behavioral challenges and to introduce the child to new goals.

There is considerable empirical evidence that early intensive behavior analytic intervention produces large and lasting functional improvements in many children with autism.

Research has shown that the most appropriate education for children with autism includes early, intensive behavioral therapy. Every program is individualized according to the child's specific strengths and deficits. The goal is always to improve deficit areas and decrease or eliminate the inappropriate behaviors often associated with autism.

• ABA-based techniques have been found to be effective across several studies; children have been shown to make sustained gains in academic performance, adaptive behavior, and language acquisition.

Research and Statistics

• A 2009 review of educational interventions for children, that intensive ABA treatment, carried out by trained therapists, is demonstrated effective in enhancing global functioning in pre-school children with developmental delays and ASD.

• A 2008 evidence-based review of comprehensive treatment approaches found that ABA is well-established for improving intellectual performance of young children with ASD

 

• A 2009 review of educational interventions for children, that intensive ABA treatment, carried out by trained therapists, is demonstrated effective in enhancing global functioning in pre-school children with developmental delays and ASD.
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• The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data in 2007 through its Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network that showed that 1 in 150 8-year old children in multiple areas of the United States had an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

• In 2007, the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network found that 1 in every 150 children born in the United States have autism, making autism the most common of the pervasive developmental disorders. Additionally, one in every 94 boys is on the Autism Spectrum and 67 children each day are diagnosed with autism.

 

• Since the 1960’s, hundreds of researchers have documented the effectiveness of ABA principles and methods for:
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•             (1) increasing behaviors (e.g., on-task behaviors, social interactions)
•             (2) teaching new behaviors (e.g., language skills, self-help skills, social skills, and play skills)
•             (3) maintaining behaviors that have been taught
•             (4) generalizing or transferring behaviors from one situation or response to another (e.g., completing daily                   activities at home and in the community)
•             (5) reducing maladaptive behaviors (e.g., self-injury or stereotypy) in individuals diagnosed with ASD.
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• Planning, directing, and monitoring effective services for individuals with ASD, requires specific skills and competencies. Individuals with ASD, their families, and other consumers have the right to know whether people who claim to be qualified to direct ABA interventions actually have the necessary competencies. Since individuals with ASD have a variety of needs, not every service provider has the competencies required to optimally address the needs of every individual with autism.

 

Impacting Autism strives to stay at the forefront of providing quality, empirical-based services to children with ASD.