Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism

What is Applied Behavior Analysis?  Applied Behavior Analysis is a form of science that helps us understand behavior.  This form of therapy is often times used for people who have autism.  Applied Behavior Analysis' focus is to help us see how behavior works and how the learning process takes place.  This type of therapy helps improve communication skills as well as tries to reduce unwanted behaviors.  To do this, positive reinforcement is one method that has seemed to be pretty effective to increase behaviors that the therapist wants their client to keep doing.  When the client associates the behavior that is good with getting a reward, they tend to want to do this behavior more because they know that there is a reward to follow.  Another tactic that Applied Behavior Analysts use is the ABC method.  The ABC method stands for antecedent, behavior, and consequence.  The antecedent is the event that occurs before the behavior that the analyst is looking at.  The behavior is what happens due to the antecedent.  The consequence is what happens in response to the behavior.  

The goal of Applied Behavior Analysis is to help students with autism become as independent as possible.  This way, one day in the future, the student will be able to communicate on their own with the assistance of a device that helps them talk.  Not all Applied Behavior Analysis plans are the same, they have to be customized to the student's needs.  Some of these needs may be the communication and language that they are familiar with, social skills, as well as academic skills that the student has.  It has been shown that Applied Behavior Analysis can be beneficial for people of all needs and all ages.  Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence-based treatment plan which includes many different techniques.  Applied Behavior Analysts often times break down the plan into simple, concrete steps so that their client truly understands what they have to do.

References:

Autism Speaks. (n.d.). Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Autism Speaks. Retrieved June 21, 2023, from

    https://www.autismspeaks.org/applied-behavior-analysis